You~ve Just Earned an Online Degree...But Will 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.
Accreditation is also important if you~re considering
transferring to a different institution, either now or in
the future. In order to qualify for transfer credits, the
online school through which you~re earning your degree must
be properly accredited, or any credits that you~ve earned
will be lost. If those requirements are met, then you can
not only transfer to a different school, but will have a
degree that~s the equivalent to that which you~d earn in a
traditional brick and mortar environment.
An accreditation agency that grants accreditation to online
schools is the Distance Education and Training Council. If
the school you are considering has been approved and
accredited by this organization, your online degree should
be accepted by most employers and other schools. Each
employer or school has their own policies concerning the
acceptance of accreditation of this organization. Attitudes
regarding online degrees have changed over recent years
and many employers, but not all, now recognize them.For the
most part, the stigma of "mail order" degrees is a thing of
the past, and about two thirds of colleges now accept them.
In the case where your online school is accredited by a
professional organization ~ e.g., the American Library
Association ~ then the degree will only be accepted by
those in your profession. In other words, if you~ve earned
a degree in the area of Library Sciences, then you~ll be
accepted by only those types of facilities, and may not be
accepted by a public or private school sector that~s
advertising for someone to work in their institution~s
library department.
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.
There are many valid online schools which are fully
accredited and offer a legitimate degree. It is therefore
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. The sense of inferiority of online degrees
still exists in many cases, so if you want to 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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