The Validity of Online College Degrees
If you are a person who skims the internet on a somewhat regular basis then you have probably seen advertisements for online college degrees. While some people may dismiss such educational programs out of hand merely because they are different from the traditional manner in which education is pursued, you have a bit more of an open mind and question the validity. Now, in this particular context, questioning the advertisement does not mean that one is casting dispersions on the degree programs, it means that one is simply seeking clarification for the validity of the online college degrees. That is to say, before one even considers whether or not to undertake such an educational program one needs to make sure that the program is credible. This is, of course, not being cynical. It is simply a way of being a smart consumer of educational institutions. Of course, this does bring about the serious question as to which online college degrees are valid and which ones are not. In order to answer this, a simple examination of the programs is in order.
Accredited Online College Degrees
Probably the most important factor in regards to establishing the validity of online college degrees would be to examine whether or not the degree program is accredited. If the degree program is accredited by the same agencies that accredit the traditional brick and mortar schools then there is really no difference between the two different degrees. Now, if the degree is not an accredited degree then it is probably not a degree that is worth much whether it is an online degree or a traditional degree.
Also, if one is concerned about whether or not the online college degree is valid or not, then one should seek online college degrees that are offered by well respected traditional institutions. For example online college degrees offered by a state school that has been around for decades is merely an extension of the school's education from the traditional medium to an online multimedia version. The quality and validity of the degree would not be in question because it is coming from a solid established institution. This is not to say some of the smaller online educational institutions are not solid sources of quality education. It simply means that the reputation of the more established entities is easier to validate. Ultimately, the quality of the degree will online be equitable to the quality of the school so checking up on the validity of the school equates to checking up on the validity of the degree it offers.