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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.
If you want to transfer credits to a different institution,
either now or in the future, accreditation is also
important.Any credits you earn for these purposes must be
from an online school that is accredited, or you will not
be able to transfer the to another accredited school. All
of the credits from this non-accredited school will be lost.
You should be able to transfer these credits toward your
degree at a new school, if your online school is accredited.
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 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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