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Are Online Degrees Treated the Same by Employers?
by Gerte Brandley
http://www.hkdegree.com
Today, many people have the opportunity to follow college
courses online because of the proliferation of computers
and email. They can then receive a degree from a college
by following the standard curriculum at the college. Many
who otherwise might not be able to attend college now can
because this system offers the convenience, and flexibility
to allow them to. But there may be drawbacks if you have
to verify your education to prospective employers. Should
you be concerned that an online degree will be accepted?
The most important thing to do first, before you commit to
an online degree program is to confirm the accreditation
of the college. If this college is not fully accredited,
your degree may be useless in the job market.If you enjoyed
the courses, learned a lot for your personal life, that is
fine. However, if you expect your degree to be the stepping
stone for entry to a good job, and career advancement,
you will probably want to make sure you are dealing with
a school that is accredited by the proper agencies.
Another area where accreditation is important is if you
want to transfer credits to a different institution, either
now or eventually. For these purposes, any credits you
earn must be from an online school that is accredited, or
you will not be able to transfer the to another accredited
school. The credits from a non-accredited school will be
lost However, if it is accredited, you should be able to
transfer these credits toward your degree at a new school.
You will then earn a degree as if you attended that school.
The Distance Education and Training Council is the
accreditation agency that grants accreditation to online
schools. If the school you are considering has been
approved and accredited by this organization, your online
degree should be accepted by most other schools and by
employers. Of course, each school or employer has its own
policies concerning acceptance of accreditation by this
organization. Many employers, but not all, now recognize
online degrees, since attitudes regarding them have changed
a lot. The stigma of "mail order" degrees is a thing of the
past for the most part, and most colleges now accept them.
In many cases, the online school is accredited by a
professional organization such as the American Library
Association. This degree is, of course, only accepted by
organizations specifically in that profession. For example,
if you have your online degree in Library Sciences, most
likely it will be accepted by a library, but perhaps not by
a government body or school system to work in the library
of that government or school. These types of accreditations
are limited, and therefore their acceptance is also.
However, schools that are not accredited at all probably
won~t be accepted by any employers or other schools. Large
employers probably have strict policies regarding education
requirements, and would not consider them valid, but with a
smaller employer, you may be able to prove that the course
content will qualify you for the job you are applying for.
However, that may hinder you if you intend to go on for
further education, or if an employer later in your career
requires an accredited degree.
It is encumbent upon you to make sure that the online
college of your choice is either accredited or that you
are prepared to defend your degree to employers who
question its validity. There are many valid online schools
from which to choose your degree. But, the sense of
inferiority of online degrees still exists in many cases,
so make sure you are not wasting your time and your money.
Do your research and make sure that your inline degree is
going to be of value in your career search, or your further
education.
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