The Online Degree Dorm Room

Associate Online Degree Programs | Are we really non-traditional?

Posted by bposton on November 26th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

I really dislike the “labels” that some people give others.

One “label” I really don’t like is the label called non-traditional…the one that all of us in the online degree dorm room seem to get.

That’s because everyone beleives that we’re not the typical college student.

Well, that may be true, but here’s what the latest Sloan Foundation report found:

There’s a lot of information to suggest that online degrees appeal to a different type of student from those who go with face-to-face classroom instruction. 

Online students tend to be older, and often hold additional employment and family responsibilities, as compared to the more traditional student.

OK - you got me - that description fits me to a T

However, do those differences mean that online students are taking different types or levels of courses or are they studying at different types of institutions?

Accord to the study, the the general population of online students is a close match to the overall higher education student body, but the mix of schools where they study is not.

Students getting their degree online, like the overall student body, are overwhelmingly undergraduates.  And the amount of graduate-level students is a little higher in online education relative to the overall higher education population.

Now, who was it that said online eduction is not for undergrads? A dean from Stanford, I beleive. - HA! - take that, Stanford!

One difference the study did find is that online undergrads are more likely to be studying at Associates institutions than are their face-to-face contemporaries.

More on that later…

Ben

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Engineering Degree Online | Stanford’s Online Masters Program

Posted by bposton on November 24th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

I just read about Stanford’s online master’s degree program.

The program is call the Honors Cooperative Program. It’s a degree that you can earn over 5 years by completing 15 courses - and it’s offered as both an on campus or online program. It’s open to 250 students, most of which live in the Bay Area, but quite a few of them live all over the U.S. and overseas.

Students hail from as far away as China and India. All foriegn students are required to hold a valid student or visitor U.S. visa, and they must be proficient in English.

The online students that are admitted to Stanford are held to the same academic standards as on-campus students. This degree which is offered through Stanford Online, established in 1996, is identical to those of other students.

Ben

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Engineering Degree Online | Housing Bust creates online learning Opportunity

Posted by bposton on November 11th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

OK, I guess I shouldn’t call it a Bust…:-)

But the fact is that housing sales are down. Ah, but there’s a silver lining…

Why am I taling about housing sales and what does that have to do with an online degree?

Well, just hear me out my door room buddy, especially if you’re a Realtor…

The fact is that sales are down pretty much everywhere. According to the October 2006 Freddie Mac Economic & Housing Outlook, home sales for this year are expected to fall 9 percent from 2005 figure.

And projected sales for next year are even worse. To prove the point, sales of existing and new homes in August were down 12 and 15 percent, respectively, from 2005.

So what’s a Real Estate agent to do?

Try going back to school for that degree!

If you’re an agent who wants to remain competitive, then you should think about these points made by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics:
 
1. As real estate transactions have become more legally complex, many firms have turned to college graduates to fill positions.

2. A large number of agents and brokers have some college training.

3. College courses in real estate, finance, business administration, statistics, economics, law, and English are helpful.

4. For those who intend to start their own company, business courses such as marketing and accounting are as significant as courses in real estate or finance.

Here’s some more facts and figures:

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Member Profile, back in 2001 about 26 percent of Realtors had bachelor’s degrees and they earned 30 percent more than Realtors without degrees.

The 2005 NAR Member Profile now shows that 20 percent more Realtors (46%) now have at least a bachelor’s degree.

So if the market is slowing and your workload is decreasing, maybe now’s a good time to consider getting that online degree.

Ben

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Engineering Degree Online | A Three Part Primer about Online Degrees - Part 1

Posted by bposton on November 8th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

Someone stuck their head in the online degree dorm room last night and asked:

So, Ben - can you give me a quick primer on taking online courses or getting a
degree online?

Well, it’s going to take a few posts to complete it but here’s the first part:

Part One - Make sure your program is legit:

Ok, so I hope you know by now that taking courses online is a great way to further your
education while keeping your day job.

But how do you separate the reputable programs from the diploma mills that are just out there  to
make a profit from giving you a worthless peice of paper?

If you’re considering getting an online degree, the most important point to research
is the school’s reputation. The first thing I’d do it I were looking in to an online program is its accreditation:
If the school has not been properly reviewed, your diploma could be meaningless in the eyes of potential employers.

Here’s the thing - Online colleges and graduate programs are expected to meet the same standards
as traditional institutions. so they should be reviewed by one of the six regional associations that are
recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

You’ll probably see this accreditation somewhere on the home page of the programs’ website.
If you can’t find it, here’s what you need to do:
Locate the school’s physical headquarters through its website, and
then check with the accreditation association that covers that region.
You also can search the Department of Education’s list.

The next thing you should do is find out how long the college or university has been offering online
courses and/or degree programs.

Even if it’s an established and reputable traditional colleges or grad schools, if they’re first starting
out with online programs then they might not have their act together just yet, and their fumbles can hamper
your learning. I mean, who wants to have to deal the technical difficulties when you’ve got a paper to write?

OK, that’s about it for part 1. In my next post I’ll discuss the type of PC skills you need
Ben

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Engineering Degree Online|A degree in less than a year???

Posted by bposton on November 3rd, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

Is it really possible to start from nowhere and earn a bachelor’s degree in less than a year?

Actually, yes.

And I mean a legitimate degree from a legit university - not a diploma mill

Notice I said “possible” - not “easy”

But you can do it - but you’ll have to be a darn good test-taker, and spend a lot time on this.

Of course it helps to already have some credits under your belt too.

First up, look for a college that will accept unlimited credit, and gives credit for an assessment of your portfolio, as well has credit for testing.

Before you go off and spend a couple of weeks looking for such a college, I can tell you that they’re rare.

Very rare.

But here are three that do actually meet this criteria:

· Thomas Edison State College (New Jersey)

· Excelsior College (New York)

· Charter Oak State College (Connecticut)

What’s unique about these 3 colleges is that they have no minimum residency requirements, and if you play your cards right you won’t even have to take any classes. That’s because you can earn enough credits for college throught the following means:

1) portfolio assessment
2) examination
3) any units that you may already have.

Again, these are legit colleges, but you need to make sure they have the program that meets your needs.

But if you already have some credits, and have taken some CLEP tests or other exams that earn credit, you should
consider them in your search.

Ben

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