Online Degree Finder

Top Online Colleges of 2009

ttopor — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:00:29 +0000

The Online Education Database and National Center for Education Statistics reported the top accredited online colleges of 2009. The schools were ranked on eight different metrics such as acceptance rate, graduation rate, financial aid, peer Web citations, retention rate, years accredited, scholarly citations, and student-faculty ratio.

Top Online Colleges of 2009

Nova Southeastern University
Regent University
Champlain College
Upper Iowa University
LeTourneau University
Liberty University
Grand Canyon University
Dickinson State University
Western Governors University
Salem International University
Keiser University
Fisher College
National University
Walden University
Tiffin University
Westwood College
Post University
ITT Technical Institute
Colorado Technical University
Everglades University
Everest University
Kaplan University
Capella University
Rasmussen College
Devry University
Berkeley College
Granite State College
University of Phoenix
Peirce College
Herzing College
South University
City University
Florida National College
York Technical College
Western International University
Darton College
Franklin University
Northcentral University
Ashford University
Baker College
Bellevue University
National American University
Jones International University
American InterContinental University

OnlineDegreeReviews.org also provides a list of what they consider to be the top 10 online colleges. Their list, however, is based on student generated reviews. Current and former students were asked to rate schools based on their opinion of the quality of materials, institution, value, teachers, support and technology. Schools with the highest ratings made the top of the list. While this is a much more subjective way of ranking the top online colleges, their list does allow for an interesting comparison between the two lists of schools.

Top Online Colleges as Ranked by Current and Former Students (2009)

Andrew Jackson University
Boise State University
Seton Hall University
Norwich University
Columbia Southern University
Henley-Putnam University
TUI University
University of Massachusetts (UMass Online)
Grand Canyon University
American Military University

Can’t find the school you are looking for? Fill out some basic information and let us help you find an online accredited school!

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Pursuing a Degree: Is Unemployment Rate a Factor?

Sandra Proulx — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:56:07 +0000

I came across CNN’s economy tracker, a chart that tracks the unemployment rate and budding employment opportunities in a variety of industries through the recession. It is no news to anyone that certain industries have been hit harder than others, but these fields aren’t dying necessarily. In fact, it’s industries in the red that need educated leaders to spur innovation. The question is, who will take on the challenge?

Check out CNN’s poignant illustration of the lack of growth in manufacturing:

Most states have seen more than 10% decline in the manufacturing industry. Is it worthwhile to pursue a degree in this field when job opportunities are lacking?

On the other hand, opportunities in education and health services are booming:

If you’re in the process of pursuing your degree, did the unemployment rate factor into the subject you decided to study? If you’re going back to school after being laid off, did you consider the growth of certain other industries so that you don’t fall into the same situation in the future? What if you’re not passionate about an industry that’s booming - do you still go for it? Let me know in the comments!

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Perks of E-Learning

ttopor — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:00:20 +0000

Online learning has its perks – the following six reasons explain why earning an online degree is favorable these days.

Personalized learning. Students are able to control their online learning in a way that they are not able to in a classroom setting. Students are in control of when and where they do their coursework, and they are able to set the pace of how they read, write, and process information.

Improved retention. With online learning, the combination of multimedia technology and instructional study provides a very rich learning experience for students. Since this information is available online, students are able to reference it at other times if needed.

Real-time access. E-learning allows students to access coursework whenever they want. This is something that is not possible with classroom learning, since you have to physically be present in order to hear what professors are discussing.

Encouraged sharing. With online learning, students have to share information in forums with peers. This adds value to everyone’s overall learning experience since students are actively engaging and participating, and numerous ideas and opinions are being thrown around.

Students have the freedom to fail. Many students are less confident and less likely to participate in a classroom atmosphere that is full of other people. With e-learning, students have the freedom to fail, as e-learning encourages students to explore and test their ideas. Students are able to participate in classroom discussions and ask questions freely in an online learning environment, and at the same time have the sense of being anonymous.

E-learning is better for the environment. Online learning uses more technology and less paper from actual books, handouts, and papers being printed. If you are online taking courses, then you are not commuting back and forth to school in a vehicle – therefore not using gas, and producing fewer emissions.

Check out the available online degree programs, and start your own e-learning curriculum today!

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Peer 2 Peer University – Free online school, but receive no credit

ttopor — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:59 +0000

Peer 2 Peer University announced a second round of free and open online courses last week. They offer 14 online classes ranging from physics to transformational art. P2PU is run by the P2P2U council, a group of community members who volunteer to design and run specific courses. The community is made up of writers, teachers, designers, grad students, copywriters, and scientists, among others, who all want to learn from each other.

P2PU’s mission is to “leverage the power of the Internet and social software to enable communities of people to support learning for each other.” And since P2PU is NOT an accredited school, any feedback on coursework is given by other fellow students. After completing a course, an online certificate is given to the students. Students cannot receive formal credit for studying at P2PU.

This is an opportunity solely for people who want to learn for the sake of learning. P2PU is a good community for people to discuss and share knowledge on subjects with their peers. P2PU cannot however, provide students who have “graduated” a degree to display the training, skills, and material they have studied and worked towards. We imagine that most employers would not consider an online completion certificate from P2PU seriously, since the community is established by volunteers – some knowledgeable, and some not.

And while P2PU seems to be a great resource to take classes in a variety of different subjects, where is the accreditation and value of this learning? We are not saying that P2PU seems like a waste of time, but at the end of the day, credit is what matters for schools and employers. You need a degree that will actually put some leverage on your resume. If you are looking to expand your current job skills, need more training, or want to go back to school to learn a different trade, why not consider an accredited online degree program which can help you jumpstart your career?

Answer a few basic questions and let OnlineDegreeFinder help match you to an online degree program today!

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Be Successful with Certificate and Two Year Degrees

ttopor — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:00:57 +0000

A common assumption is that the higher degree you have, the better job and salary you can get. A case study done by Dēmos, a public policy research organization, shows that this is not necessarily the case when looking at certificate, associates and bachelor’s degrees.

Certificate programs and associates degrees are a large and growing segment of all post-secondary education, and in 2007 nearly 40 recent of undergraduate credentials awarded were this type. In 2008, nearly half of all undergraduates (47 percent) were enrolled in certificates or associate degree programs.

Completion of a one or two-year certificate program is often preferred over the failure to complete a four-year degree. Also, completion of a one year vocational certificate is often preferred to the non-completion of an associate’s degree.

Two barriers that usually get in the way of completing a degree are:

Education costs, which force students to finance their education or work part-time or full-time while taking classes
Lack of academic preparation in math and science coursework

The Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) at Georgetown University found that certain certificates deliver greater salaries than associates degrees, and that one and two-year degrees deliver greater salaries than four-year degrees. The CEW found that 31 percent of people with an associate’s degree earn more than someone with a bachelor’s degree. They also found that 43 percent of certificate holders are earning a median salary that is higher than that of an associate’s degree holder, and that 27 percent of certificate holders are earning a median annual salary that is higher than a bachelor’s degree holder.

The CEW also found that someone with an Engineering Vocational Certificate earns on average $46,596 annually. This is more that the average yearly earnings of someone with a bachelor’s degree in education, or an associate’s degree in business, computers, liberal arts, social science, or education.

Certificates are not an easy substitute for an associates or bachelor’s degree. In fact, they allow people access to job opportunities in incremental steps, as most certificate programs require on-the-job training. Certificate programs train individuals for specific occupations.

These days, the economy continues to struggle and people are having a hard time finding jobs regardless if they have earned a degree from a four-year school. More people are finding that earning a certificate or two-year degree requires less invested time and money, but can produce job and salary opportunities similar to associate and bachelor’s degree holders.

Check out available online degree programs and jumpstart your career today!

Source: Dēmos, “Gradated Success: Sustainable Economic Opportunity through One and Two Year Credentials” by Jennifer Wheary & Viany Orozco, http://www.demos.org/pubs/graduated_success_Final.pdf

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Online Diploma Mill Credentials in the Working World

Sandra Proulx — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:43 +0000

The team at WalletPop recently went to work conducting some unofficial but wildly insightful research into just how widespread online diploma mill credentials are currently being used in the professional world.

By cross referencing the names of seven well-known unaccredited online diploma mills with individuals’ profiles on LinkedIn, they found:

23 people cite Almeda University on their credentials, including the managing director of a leading hotel
Amstead University claims 12 graduates
Belford University appears on 500 LinkedIn profiles
475 people claim degrees from Rochville University
St. Regis University is named on 27 LinkedIn profiles
Williamstown University was named on 27 profiles

According to the research, some of the people sporting these degrees hold highly-paid executive jobs in industries such as the military, government, pharmaceuticals and education. Education! How hypocritical is that!?

This has nothing to do with “getting caught” buying credentials from a diploma mill. Think about it - would you want your child, parent, or friend to be cared for by a doctor whose degree is not legitimate? Would you want to fly in an airplane that was inspected by an engineering who did not go through the proper schooling and training to ensure your safety?

Do yourself a favor and do your research. Did you know that many unaccredited institutions may claim accreditation by an agency that they completely made up? Visit the Department of Education’s database of accredited institutions. Each of the postsecondary educational institutions and programs contained within the database is, or was, accredited by an accrediting agency or state approval agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a “reliable authority as to the quality of postsecondary education.”

Or, research the accreditation agency in question. Look through the list provided by the Department of Education to determine if your chosen college is recognized by the right kind of agencies.

For more information on diploma mills and accreditation, visit these related posts:

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Get a Green Job in Only Two Years

ttopor — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:40:44 +0000

Everywhere you look, companies and products are “going green”. The amount of green jobs is on the rise. More colleges are offering certificate programs, and two-year degrees for green jobs. Part of this increase is due to the recession, as many students can’t afford to attend four-year colleges. They want to earn their degree from a two-year school, which is faster and more affordable. These two-year schools are preparing individuals for practical professions, which are useful in our rapidly changing job market.

An article from Fortune Magazine from November 2009 projected that the amount of renewable-energy jobs could double during our lifetime, if there continues to be an expansion of environmental policies. In 2007, there were 9 million renewable energy jobs, and the 2030 projection is for 19.5 million jobs!

What is a Sustainability Major?

There are several areas of focus for a Sustainability, or Green Degree, including:

Green MBA – concentrates on sustainability, the environment, and renewable energy
Sustainable Entrepreneurship – concentrates on producing successful green businesses in our society
Sustainable Living – concentrates on the principles of organic agriculture, renewable energy, and other fields within sustainable living
Sustainability Management – focuses on people and organization skills needed for management green projects and operations

Since “going green” and taking care of the environment is starting to encompass all aspects of our society, earning a degree in engineering or environmental science will also help prepare you for a green or sustainability job. Scientists and engineers are focusing on many different issues concerning our environment including sustaining natural resources, improving air and water quality, and increasing energy efficiency.

If you care about the environment and want a job which allows you to further preserve it, check out our sustainability degree programs!

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Online Education Continues to Grow

ttopor — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:32:10 +0000

At the start of the 2008 to 2009 school year, more than 4.6 million college students were taking at least one online course according to U.S.News. That’s a 17 percent increase from 2007, or more than 1 in 4 college students!

Most of the growth for online education is coming from existing traditional schools that are offering more online courses. Community colleges and master’s programs are also increasing their number of online offerings. Between 2007 and 2009, the higher-education population grew 1.2 percent, as college-educated workers are in high demand. As our economy continues to struggle, people who have been laid-off are looking to better their careers and online education programs seem to be an easy, inexpensive solution.

With the recent H1N1 outbreak, most colleges and schools developed plans to deal with a possible outbreak on their own campuses. Of those plans, 67 percent included substituting classroom learning with online courses, which would protect the health of their students, faculty, and staff.

Online courses allow classes and learning to go on as usual, and do not depend on a static physical location like the classroom. If students have access to a computer, then they are able to participate in online education programs.

Many universities are making their presence known on websites like YouTubeEDU, which has categories for specific courses like business, education, law, mathematics, and journalism, among others. Lectures and other videos are posted, so students can use these as resources.

More and more professors are in favor of online education. A study published by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, found that one third of public university professors taught online courses, and that one half had told their students to take online courses.

If you are interested in taking online courses to further your education, check out our available online degree programs.

Source: http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/online-education/2010/01/26/study-online-education-continues-its-meteoric-growth.html

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A National Fight Against Diploma Mills

CRodgers — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:00:13 +0000

We’ve talked about diploma mills before. They are responsible for those tempting emails we often see in our email boxes that award college degrees for life experiences. Although we know of the importance of accreditation and are weary of any degree program that requires little to no work, there are many people out there that unknowingly fall for diploma mill tricks. This has allowed diploma mills to generate around $500 million a year on the sale of fake degrees.

National Efforts to Stop Diploma Mills

While diploma mills have not yet left the education scene entirely, some steps have been taken in an effort to rein them back in. Last Thursday, US Congressman unveiled legislation that aims to stop diploma mills. The major points in the bill intend to:

Define diploma mills and accreditation mills.

Bar federal agencies from using degrees from diploma mills to provide jobs or promotions that depend of candidate’s educational credentials.

Give the federal trade commission more authority to define and crack down on deceptive practices of the diploma mills.

This bill, which is further explained in a recent Inside High Ed article, is part of the nation’s much needed effort to stop unauthorized colleges and degrees. Until now, it has been very difficult to prosecute diploma mills (and those who purchase from them) without a legal definition of what one is. This new legislation will also make passing a fake degree off as an accredited diploma for personal gain a crime.

A recent Businessweek article reports that individual states are also taking matters into their hands to protect the legitimacy of their own educational institutions. In the state of Wisconsin, for example, lawmakers are considering a bill that would crack down on both the manufacture and use of phony academic credentials. Unauthorized schools would also be prohibited from using the words “college”, “university”, “state” or “Wisconsin” in their names. This bill would give regulators and law enforcement officials more power to stop diploma mills and those who do business with them. If this bill is passed, Wisconsin would be the 12^th state to make it a crime to use a fake academic degree.

Not only can you be prosecuted for selling fake degrees, you can also get in trouble for purchasing them. Because of this, it is very important to know about diploma mills in order to avoid getting scammed- or in trouble with the law.

Things to Know:

There are two rules of thumb to avoid getting a fake degree online through a diploma mill:

Make sure the online degree program you are considering is an accredited program offered by a legitimate, accredited school.

No legitimate college degree program will offer you a degree without you submitting and completing coursework and examinations.

While working towards a legitimate college degree will require your time and hard work, there are many different program options that you can choose to fit your goals and lifestyle. So save your time and money for a legitimate degree program, and stay far away from that diploma mill’s tempting email offering a quick and easy alternative. “Quick and easy” will not win in the world of higher education.

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Bill Gates Praises Online Learning

ttopor — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:46:38 +0000

Bill Gates Praises Online Learning

In Bill Gates’ recent 2010 annual letter, he states that many different elements of the Internet, including online video and interactive lessons, should be integrated into the curriculum of K-12 and higher education courses. Gates says that there needs to be a way to organize and rate all the educational content online, so that it’s specific to the student’s needs. If students are having trouble understanding certain material in the classroom, additional information and tutorials online can be assigned to help them with their studies. And if a student is ahead and wants to learn more, then additional online material can be assigned to them as well.

Various innovations for online learning are already taking place. More colleges post their lectures online for free, some software programs mediate certain learning processes, and interactive digital whiteboards are being used to teach lessons to students who aren’t physically in the classroom. The release of the Apple iPad will also be a significant resource for students in schools, since it has enhanced multimedia and reading features.

Online education programs are growing nationwide, increasing by 75 percent from 2001 to 2008 according to U.S.News. Online learning programs are different that the traditional school system, because they don’t treat students the same as their peers. The coursework covered in these programs may be specific to the student, and will require online and classroom work. Students are able to take classes according to their schedules, and from anywhere they can access a computer. Interaction among students in greater with online learning, because they must participate in discussions in order to get credit for the course, and they also feel more comfortable contributing to the discussions since there is a sense of ambiguity.

There are many accredited online schools to help students further their education, so check out our available online degree programs.

Source: USNews.com, http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/online-education/2010/01/28/online-learning-gets-high-praise-from-bill-gates.html

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