From WebMD to Match.com, people today trust the Internet to provide them with just about everything. It seems the only thing that comes from the World Wide Web that people look down on is a degree. ‘
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Online degree programs definitely have an image problem, primarily because for every legitimate, accredited program, there is also a diploma mill, churning out degrees for tidy fees.
GetEducated.com, a consumer advocacy group that rates online colleges, recently proved just how easy it is to get a degree over the Internet. In June, their mascot, a pug named Chester, became the first dog to ‘earn’ a Master of Business Administration from one Rochville University. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
According to GetEducated.com, there are ‘scores’ of scam artists like Rochville operating from foreign post office boxes, selling college degrees for a flat fee. Such fraudulent operations muddy the waters for authentic online programs to such an extent that many people are content to just write them all off together.
But this is a case of throwing out the baby with the bathwater.’ There are a number of accredited online schools that offer a large variety of degrees and have the resources and staff to give students a quality education.
Perhaps the most well-known online college, the University of Phoenix opened in 1976 and was among the first accredited universities to offer degrees online. Today, its online campus employs nearly 10,000 faculty members, all of whom hold master’s or doctorate degrees.
While much can and should be said for the firsthand college experience, all the associated costs like tuition, housing, travel and missed work time can be prohibitive for many potential students. Online universities can obviously afford to be much cheaper because they don’t have all the costs associated with maintaining a campus or providing for a student body.’ They also give students the ability to form their class schedules around their other obligations and earn a degree in as little as two years, neither of which most four-year schools are willing or able to do.
Moreover, colleges are crowded. With unemployment at record levels, people are either heading to or heading back to school in droves. Community colleges especially are seeing record numbers of applicants.’ Even if it is not someone’s first preference, an online university would be a solid backup plan if faced with waiting six months to a year to get into a particular school.
Odds are, if you’re reading this newspaper, you’ve already made your choice of what college to attend. But if the need arises, or if you’re looking at grad schools, check the Internet ‘- you might be glad you did.’
