A good friend of mine is interested in getting her masters degree by taking college courses online. She has a full-time job, but she wants to become more marketable by getting her MBA. The company that she is currently working for does not pay for their employees to get their MBA, so she is planning on paying for this on her own. Due to time and monetary constraints, she thinks that taking college classes online is her best option.
Without ever taking online classes myself, I don't really know what advice to give her. Does an online degree give you the same education that going to classes on a college campus would give you? How do you decide which school to take online classes through? How do I tell if it is an accredited college?
There are so many online schools advertised on the internet and television today that it is hard to distinguish one from the next. Some of the most popular online schools are Walden University, Keiser University, and Kaplan University. Other online schools include AIU Online, Virginia College, and University of Phoenix. Many of these schools offer Associate, Bachelor, and Masters Degrees. They also offer degrees in healthcare, business, computer systems and education.
Do you know of any online schools that did not make our list? If so, please tell us about them. Are you looking for a place to get an online degree? Try searching online schools on AOL Search. To find out if any of these online schools have corporate offices in your area, search the school's name and your city using AOL Yellow Pages.
Top Searched Online Schools on AOL Search:
1. Walden University Online
2. Keiser University Ecampus
3. Kaplan University Online
4. Argosy University Online
5. AIU Online
6. University of Phoenix Online
7. Grand Canyon University Online
8. Fisher College Online
9. Virginia College Online
10. Westwood College Online
More Sponsored Links For: top online colleges, online accredited colleges, online college programs
COMMENTS
Grand Canyon University; The school is ranked as one of the top online education programs by OEDb (Online Education Database)1 and as one of the top five online colleges for entrepreneurs by Fortune2. With a total enrollment of approximately 15,000 students, GCU emphasizes individual attention for both traditional undergraduate students as well as the working professional.
Currently I am an online student and it's the best experience I have had. The teachers are great as well as the classmates. It's a sound education too.
By b on Sep 14th 2008 at 8:09PM
How could you compile a list of top online universities without includinbg DeVry / Keller? They are #1.
By Rick on Sep 14th 2008 at 8:15PM
OK, I have one for you and I am taking classes through this school as we speak. Everest University. This college is based out of Florida. The reason that I love this school is one of two simple things that I love.
#1 This is a real school, it is acredited and it is a totally online line school. You can go for your two year, 4 year degrees and these are real courses.
#2 If you like to be hounded and being made sure that your are doing your school work, then this is for you too. I have a student advisor who checks on me weekly and the professor keep it up too...
#3. The reason that I love this school is that the semester is broken up into 6- 2week periods. in that time you have to be apart of a disccussion, do your homework, be appart of a teamwork assignment and read your lecture and slide show..
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me..
Mike
Boston0261@aol.com
By Boston Mike on Sep 14th 2008 at 8:50PM
Saint Leo University is another school. I graduated with an Accounting degree online. They also offer a Master's Degree online. If you have a military base nearby, there is a good chance that there will be classes that you can attend in person.
By anglcaks on Sep 14th 2008 at 8:30PM
I have researched tons of college's both campus and online. I attended University of Phoenix for a Bachelors on campus and was very pleased though when I attend online classes for a Masters degree, I was told that the career I was looking to get into matched the degree program they offered. With only having 3 classes left of completeing my Masters I found out that the prgram did not match my career choice. I spoke with my academic counselor who did not know what courses are involved in relation to the career field. I spoke with other advisors at UOP and was told to just finish my degree even if the degree did not apply to my career field. So i dropped and wasted a year of my time and lots of money. UOP online advisors have turned into a Sales and Marketing scam to get people signed up even if it's not the career you want. They do not care about the person only the money. I know of 10 other people who have dropped from this college as well.
Check with the schools and ask if they are accredited and what kind of job placement they offer, this will help you to decide better. I have chosen Capella University which a Accredited College. I am so far pleased with their online classes. Capella's advisor's spend time with going over every question and the best route for me to take according to my career plans and overall goals.
Good luck on your journey.
baha65
By baha65 on Sep 14th 2008 at 8:35PM
I attend Canyon College online for my bachelor's degree and am very happy with the program.
By Paula on Sep 14th 2008 at 8:36PM
I have heard that The College Network is great for helping nurses continue their education. They have ASN, BSN, and MSN degrees and lots of others that are all acredited.
By wsn915 on Sep 14th 2008 at 8:39PM
I just completed my first online quarter at Kendall College (Chicago, IL). I feel that the online classes were very challenging and equal to those I've taken in person. In an online class, you are required to participate in discussions and are graded on the quality of your participation -- in a regular class some can just sit back and let others do the talking. It required much more work than I anticipated, but it was a great experience.
By Dee on Sep 14th 2008 at 8:44PM
Best advise??? Avoid these diploma mills..most of the degrees they grant are not worth the paper they are written on. Accredited colleges and universities will not accept their credits and I have reputable employers just laugh. Do a google search for the school and complaints.
By Olive Branch Soap on Sep 14th 2008 at 8:49PM
I attended Kaplan University for almost two years while earning my associates in Paralegal Studies. While it was a little more expensive than other options I feel that I learned more through online schooling than I ever did while at the community college. I first researched University of Phoenix and spoke with an academic advisor who told me that they had a paralegal program online when in fact they did not. Wasted a couple months of my time going back and forth with their academic advisors and admissions office while being lied to the whole time. I would not recommend University of Phoenix online schooling to anyone.
By Amy Evers on Sep 14th 2008 at 9:06PM
I recently graduated from University of Phoenix with a Bachelors in Finance. It was a great experience and the staff and faculty were very supportive and helpful. I was one of those individuals who believed that online classes were easier and did not carry as much substance as conventional classes. However, this changed the day that I sat through a statistics class without the use of any visual aides or lectures. Although it is very demanding, the first year is the hardest and you have to be very disciplined and organized with your time to succeed. Unfortunately, there is still some stigma attached to UOP and online learning so I have chosen to get my Masters from Nova Southeastern University which is known as a "brick and mortar" school (don't tell anyone it's online)to solidify my education.
Good luck.
By Norma on Sep 14th 2008 at 9:31PM
I am getting an MBA through Jones International University in Colorado. The classes are designed by experts in the field and facilitated by educators and working professionals from around the world. My first class was in globalization. The professor was a European working for a Japanese firm. He was very involved in the class. Everything is done on line. Each course is 8 weeks long and involves weekly assignments and discussion.
By Susan on Sep 14th 2008 at 9:36PM
Try Charter Oak State College. You must have a least 9 credits though to do online classes. I love it. It's cheap too!
By Tracy on Sep 14th 2008 at 11:26PM
well i'm taking a 4 year college course in early childhood education at ashworth university and i love it i'm going for my associates degree. i have 3 more years to go hip hip haray
By Monique on Sep 15th 2008 at 12:18AM