Those completing doctoral work will want to investigate the research interests of faculty at different institutions in order to find someone whose research interests match or complement their own.
You can investigate the faculty by talking to current students or alumni of a particular school, talking to the faculty themselves, and talking to other people in the field to determine who is well
Online master degrees require less time than online doctoral degrees.
Since a Ph.D. takes longer to complete, it also requires more money. (Not that a Masters degree is cheap either!) The flip side to this is that a Ph.D. may yield a higher salary upon completion and is therefore worth the increased cost long term. school costs money (tuition, fees, books, etc.). In addition, however, there is also a significant loss of money if the student is not working or is earning low wages through assistantships or part time employment. Many people find they must either live a Spartan lifestyle for many years, or they find themselves strapped with huge loans when they graduate.Typically a full time student can acquire a Masters degree in about two years. A Ph.D.
Many students who drifted through college are surprised to find that graduate school requires a much larger commitment in terms of work and intellectual energy.Students who are taking a full course load as well as teaching often find themselves overwhelmed. And of course, the many years of school required for a Ph.D. require perseverance on a scale above and beyond what undergraduates must contemplate.The difference between college and graduate school lies in the ability of the student to focus on their field and the subjects that most interest them.
So which should you choose?If all you want is a raise, a Ph.D. is probably not the road to choose. If you love learning in and of itself, and you want to pursue a career as a professor then the work required for a Ph.D. may be worthwhile. Masters degrees tend to be more career-oriented while Ph.D.'s tend to be more research oriented since they are preparing people for research-oriented careers.A Masters degree has some definite benefits in that it requires less time and money than a doctoral degree, but will still set you apart from the crowd who only have a bachelor's. The Masters degree can allow specialization within a field. The degree works especially well for those who have been working in a particular career for some time and hope to advance or gain new knowledge that will qualify them for a different position within their field.A Masters degree can also be an excellent method of changing careers. For those who have been in the workforce and found that their career or undergraduate education are not leading them in the direction they would like to go, a Masters degree can allow them to start in a different direction by gaining new knowledge and skills.However, there are things that a Masters degree simply cannot do. For those who want to become professors, a Ph.D. is practically mandatory. Even for those few who can find teaching positions with only a Masters, most schools want to see progress toward a Ph.D.A Ph.D. degree can also be helpful outside the world of academia in today's increasingly competitive job market. Businesses are searching for extremely qualified people who have demonstrated intelligence, perseverance and the ability to learn. A Ph.D. can open doors.One of the less tangible, though very important, aspects of getting a Ph.D. consists in the ideal of creating knowledge. Ph.D. work requires original research that contributes new information to the field of study. People interested in pursuing a Ph.D. should love their studies and be excited by the prospect of meaningful contribution.
Online education opportunities are currently available in countries like Australia, Canada, Europe, and the United States, where higher education is affordable and the Internet is readily accessible. There are also many other countries, however, that do not have the resources to support higher education and would greatly benefit from accessing existing e-learning.
Affordability is the biggest barrier for international students seeking higher educational opportunities. While U.S. students enjoy a variety of financial aid options, such as savings, loans, grants, and employment, most international students may not have all these options available. At public institutions, international and other non-resident students are usually subject to a higher tuition rate.
Technological and legal obstacles also are pressing issues for would-be online students. Some countries use cellular phone technology to support their telecommunications networks and lack the necessary equipment to provide substantial Internet access. Until more developmental advances are made in the field of cellular technology, students will not be able to access the lectures and courses using their wireless networks.
Legal and regulatory issues also prevent international students from accessing e-learning. Important laws and regulations are not applicable in all regions. For example, copyright and plagiarism laws protecting authors and writers in the United States may not exist in other countries, leaving many texts and materials susceptible to copyright infringement that cannot be prosecuted outside of the United States. Leading educational institutions do not want to be victimized, but have no established system to investigate international copyright infringements, ensure international student identification, and enforce entry requirements for international students. Unclear language or vague, undefined laws need to be replaced with precise regulations to be agreed upon by both the host country and the student’s country of residence.
Fortunately, many distinguished organizations are actively developing processes and systems to combat these issues to allow students seeking online higher education internationally.
Simply put, a course management system (CMS) is used by colleges and universities in order to deliver online education.
This software allows instructors to teach online by giving them the tools to make course materials like the syllabus, lecture notes, assignments, tests and quizzes, etc. and tools like asynchronous discussion boards and live chat available online in one, easy-to-manage place. Online learners use the CMS to access course information and materials, submit assignments, check grades, as well as interact with their professor and fellow classmates by posting messages in the discussion forums and chatting in real-time.
In general, course management systems (also called LMS, short for learning management systems) may be classified into the following categories:
In August 2005, the two companies merged, causing colleges and universities, as well as some elementary and secondary schools and corporations, using WebCT to be concerned about continued support for WebCT products.
Then, in July 2006, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Blackboard a patent for "technology used for internet-based education support systems and methods" and that "patents corresponding with the U.S. patent have been issued in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore and are pending in the European Union, China, Japan, Canada, India, Israel, Mexico, South Korea, Hong Kong and Brazil."
That same day, Blackboard filed a lawsuit against a Canadian competitor, Desire2Learn, claiming patent infringement, seeking an undisclosed amount of damages and royalty payments.
In the soft drink world, Coke is the market leader, with Pepsi not far behind at #2. Together, they account for upwards of 75 percent of the entire soda industry. Imagine now that Coca-Cola buys their biggest rival.
Critics of the merger argue that decreased competition will inevitably lead to increased costs to customers. Despite reassurances from Coca-Cola that they will continue to manufacture these drinks, die-hard Pepsi drinkers live in fear that they will no longer be able to enjoy Pepsi products like Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Mug Root Beer.
Now pretend that Coca-Cola is granted a patent for infusing water with carbon dioxide. Armed with this patent, Coca-Cola then sues another beverage company, Cadbury-Schweppes, the makers of Dr. Pepper, for patent infringement. Other soft drink makers begin to worry if they're next …
"Support our troops," should amount to more than just a slogan. Given the monumental sacrifices veterans make on our behalf, we owe our servicemen and women real thanks and substantive recognition. Last summer, Congress made strides towards tangible troop support, with a piece of legislation that amped up military members' educational benefits.
The Post 9/11 GI Bill, sponsored by Virginia Senator Jim Webb, is now effective. For some servicemen, the New GI Bill coverage will amount to a full college scholarship! And, to help offset discrepancies for veterans who didn't serve after 9/11, or for those who prefer the terms of the preexisting program, Montgomery Bill benefits have been upped by 20 percent.This is all great news for veterans who are heading back to school. It's also great news for our e Learner service members, because both plans can be applied to accredited online schools.and their unique appreciation for nontraditional students.At the same time, some veterans are voicing concern about the overall complexity that characterizes these new bills. Variables including school choice, length of service, and transferability all make a big difference in determining which benefit best applies. The following outline offers a brief comparison on some key points.
Colleges and universities document and record your dates of attendance and academic grades. You can request to have a copy of the record sent to you as an official transcript.An official transcript includes information such as your dates of attendance, your major or concentration, the type degree award (if any), your cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.), and the course work completed at the school. Typically, the record is sealed in an envelope and stamped with ink to verify that the document has not be altered or tampered with in any way.
An official transcript may be necessary if you are applying for
The first step is to locate the registrar of your former school. Most colleges and universities have an Office of the Registrar, which is the department responsible for keeping record of transcripts, enrollment status, and student records. Contact the Registrar's Office to request an official transcript.
Note: some schools have separate divisions within the Registrar's Office for undergraduate and graduate level students.Be sure to confirm with the Office of the Registrar whether your classes were undergraduate, graduate, or both.
Fraud is becoming an increasing problem, but colleges and universities have taken steps to ensure your personal academic records are placed in the right hands. It is common for schools to request the following information:
Some colleges and universities charge a processing fee for transcript requests. The typical cost is anywhere from US$3.00 to US$10.00. Additionally, you may be charged for whatever shipping costs are required for standard or rush delivery to the recipients.
Without a doubt, future growth in distance learning will happen at the K-12 level. We are fast becoming saturated with online college degree programs. And, for what it's worth, we are a country that has many people of adult age who do not have a high school diploma. Likewise, we have many students of high school age that are looking for alternatives to the public schools. The dramatic growth in homeschooling illustrates that point.However, and this is what some fail to understand, the online high school phenomenon is greater than just homeschoolers. Many of the high school age students participating do not identify themselves as homeschoolers and do not come from traditional homeschooling families.Determining which online high schools to avoid can be almost as tricky as determining which to choose. You will find programs that assert that they are accredited, claim that tuition is paid for by Fortune 500 companies, and say that they have thousands of graduates.While this all may be true, this tells me a few things:
My e-mail is full of students, both high school and college students, who come to me to help them fix their mistakes. The most common mistake is investing money into a school that was not a school.
mportantly, you cannot earn a high school diploma by taking a test online. You cannot earn a high school diploma in one week or one month. High school diplomas require real work.Want to know how I used what I already know to quickly earn core credits, save money, focus on major classes towards my degree, and graduate sooner?Thousands of students across the United Adult and distance learners are usually most concerned about two things: time and money. They want to earn college-level credit quickly while avoiding student loan debt. But did you know there is a way of earning enough credit to skip the first two years of college without taking a single class, and at a fraction of the cost?Shhhhh ... distance learning's best kept secret is called CLEP, or College Level Examination Program. Long used by military service members and college students to rack up quick and cheap credit, the CLEP is available to anyone. The CLEP is meant to test your current knowledge and give you college credit for what you already know, but many distance learning students now study and cram for the CLEP. In fact, there are numerous books and web sites dedicated to preparing students for CLEP exams.There are 34 different CLEP exams, all covering material one would normally encounter in the first two years of a four-year college program. The tests are all worth lower-level college credit. Nearly 3,000 colleges grant credit based upon CLEP exam scores, but their policies can vary. Some schools limit the amount of CLEP credit they will accept, while others have no limits on credit-by-exam. Excelsior College, Thomas Edison State College, and Charter Oak State College are colleges which will allow students to earn a college degree entirely through testing. Also, not all schools award the same amount of credit for each CLEP exam. Be sure to check your college's policy on CLEP before registering for any exam.Not only do these exams offer a time savings, but they will save you plenty of tuition money as well. The cost of taking each exam is $60, plus an administrative fee which runs about $15 to $20 dollars. If you take a subject exam, that's a little more than $25 per credit hour. Not bad when you consider the average cost of just tuition at a private four-year college is $22,218. For the 2006-07 school year, the average tuition at four-year public colleges and universities is $5,836.For example, if a student were to begin a degree program at a college or university where the tuition is $150 per credit hour, the cost of taking the first 30 credits hours, or the first year of the program, would be $4,500. If the same student were to take and pass the five CLEP general exams for the same 30 credits, the cost would be $400, including the administrative fees.
American higher education is well regarded throughout the world. The United States currently hosts half a million foreign students, more than any other country.But it's not always practical for foreign students to travel internationally to study, whether because of visa issues, family responsibilities, or simply disinclination to come to the United States. In that case, becoming an e-learner is a great way to enjoy the benefits of an education from an American school while still remaining comfortably at home.Many foreign students considering applyingThey have some credit from to a school in the United States have an additional consideration.. The first step in determining which of these services to use to have your foreign credit evaluated is to consult with the admissions counselor or international student advisor at the school you would like to attend. This person will be able to recommend a specific service whose evaluation the school will respect. Larger universities may be able to evaluate your credentials themselves. Others will recommend a third party service to whom you will send your credentials for evaluation.m.The second type of report is sometimes called a course report, and is more useful for those who are seeking transfer credit. In a course report, your transcript is carefully evaluated and each course is evaluated as the equivalent of a generic course such as would likely be found at an American college or university.Please note that the services of foreign credential evaluators are in high demand, and it often takes some time for your report to be complete, sometimes as long as several months. If you plan to apply to a number of different American universities, you may wish to consider having evaluations done by both AACRAO and WES, so that when you need a report sent to a new school, all you have to do is ask them to send a copy of your existing evaluation, which they can do much more quickly.
There are many differences between distance learning students and those who enroll in traditional, "brick-and-mortar" programs at state universities and colleges. The distance learner is typically older, already working in an established career, and has a family obligations at home. For these students, self-paced online and correspondence programs are a perfect fit.Self-paced programs offer students the opportunity to pursue higher education without taking time off from work, missing important family events or being tied to a cohort arrangement in which they have to work on class projects with other students.There are typically two kinds of degree programs: term-based, which carry a time limit ranging from six to twelve weeks; and self-paced, which have courses with lenient time limits and provide students with a great amount of flexibility.Self-paced programs offered through independent and distance learning programs provide students a degree of convenience they would not be able to take advantage of in a traditional degree program.Here is a closer look at some recommended institutions which offer affordable, convenient, and flexible self-paced programs.The courses are semester-based and run 15 weeks (accelerated courses run between five and eight weeks). COSC only charges per credit hour for their courses, otherwise students pay matriculation fees which cover the cost of academic advisement, an evaluation of a student’s transcripts and maintaining a student’s new transcript for a year.The annual fees for associate degrees range from $685 to $965 for non-residents of Connecticut. COSC is regionally accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. There are numerous degree concentrations available and graduations occur every two months.
In the grand scheme of higher education, online education is relatively new. Like anything nontraditional, some people may be unfamiliar with online programs and a little skeptical of the value of a degree earned entirely online.-and-mortar programOnline colleges and universities who are accredited by an accrediting agency are required to adhere to the same standards (and a few extras) as traditional, campus-based schools. Human resources (HR) departments routinely establish institutional accreditation as a fundamental requirement when evaluating and accepting an individual's academic credentials.A school's accreditation is an important factor for HR, whether reviewing a job applicant's resume or approving a request for tuition assistance/reimbursement. Accreditation separates legitimate schools from diploma/degree mills. Because accreditation distinguishes your school from a diploma mill, let people know your degree comes from an accredited school!Online colleges and universities who are accredited by an accrediting agency are required to adhere to the same standards (and a few extras) as traditional, campus-based schools. Human resources (HR) departments routinely establish institutional accreditation as a fundamental requirement when evaluating and accepting an individual's academic credentials.
A school's accreditation is an important factor for HR, whether reviewing a job applicant's resume or approving a request for tuition assistance/reimbursement. Accreditation separates legitimate schools from diploma/degree mills. Because accreditation distinguishes your school from a diploma mill, let people know your degree comes from an accredited school!
Unfortunately and as you probably are aware, some companies on the web may be somewhat dubious and cannot be trusted with your money.Then there are others that maybe lack the expertise and equipment to make a good replica, the trouble is that they don't always tell you that their replicas are somewhat flawed because they want your business. These tend to be relatively inexpensive (middle ground) and a are probably a good deal for someone wanting a joke certificate for a prank but often not good enough to go on the wall if you want to pretend to yourself that you finished that degree you started years ago and could never complete for whatever reason..Then there are some, that although they may be honest in nature they are working on a shoestring budget to deliver a cheap product, but in an industry where you tend to get what you pay for, they just can't afford to produce good quality replicas for the money that they charge.We have gone out and compiled a list of good websites that deliver what they promise.The best ones are scrupulously honest and will level with you from the start. They have the know how and expertise, as well as all the equipment necessary to make almost anything. These tend to be quite expensive but are worth the money if you need a good replica. Don't ask them to do anything illegal because they will refuse to work for you.We have also compiled a small list of websites that have been reported to take their customer's money and deliver little or nothing and invite you all to write in and tall us of your bad experiences with diploma websites.You will find here links to get you the service you have been looking for and didn't know where to go.Here in this website we publish what the public writes to us about regarding degree mills, diploma replacement, and reproduction service companies.
It should be clear that anyone considering an online degree should stick exclusively to those from accredited institutions.Using unaccredited credentials can be seen by potential employers and others as fraudulent, and in some states, it can even be against the law. But it's not enough just to decide to select only among accredited institutions, as accreditation in the United States is an extremely complex issue.There is national accreditation, regional accreditation, and specialized accreditation. Confused?Don't worry, we'll cover the basics, list some pros and cons, and soon you'll have the information you need to make the decision that's best for you.Not surprisingly, all the schools I talked to (all of whom are regionally accredited) accept credits and degrees from other regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation is both the minimum and maximum standard in most cases. While they generally don't make distinctions between the quality of one regionally accredited school over another, some schools place qualifications and limits on the kinds and amounts of credit they will accept.Some schools put a limit on how old credits may be. Excelsior, for example, requires credits transferred into its business programs to be less than 20 years old. Walden University requires credits transferred into their graduate programs to be less than 6 years old. But this isn't always the case. "Unlike Excelsior, we transfer credits no matter how old they are," said Graham Irwin of The Union Institute. This can be an important consideration for the returning student who's been out of school for a long period of timeTwenty-five years ago, the six regional accreditors were the only agencies that accredited degree-granting institutions. Since then, other recognized accrediting agencies, often specializing in specific fields or certain kinds of education, have gotten into the business. Not having a regional focus, they are known as "national accreditors." (The fact that "national" denotes a level below "regional" is another confusing and counter-intuitive aspect of accreditation.) Relevant to our discussion is the Distance Education and Training Council, or DETC. DETC began in the 1950s as the National Home Study Council. Its original purpose was to establish industry standards for correspondence schools offering primarily trade and vocational courses. As time went by, some of its members began offering specialized associate's degrees. By 1980, the agency accredited two bachelor's-granting programs. Today, DETC accredits dozens of schools that grant degrees, including a few offering professional doctorates.Because DETC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, it satisfies the conditions of GAAP. Despite this, DETC accreditation has always been controversial and has never gained the wide acceptance of regional accreditation. Still, when I asked seven schools if they accept DETC-accredited degrees or credits, I was surprised that the response was so uncontroversial: almost unanimously, they do not.
Our educational experts investigated hundreds of online colleges and universities across the globe before choosing the top twenty . Some award only online degrees; others are traditional colleges and universities offering both campus-based and online education. All are fully 
accredited by agencies recognized by the United States Department of Education (not the “bogus” agencies listed on some websites).
Every one of our top twenty distance education colleges offers financial aid to qualified students, and many offer scholarships and/or tuition installment plans. As you will see, alm
ost everyone can afford the cost of online education.
Many offer accelerated degrees, credit for life experience, and/or credit by examination. In fact, we think you will be very pleasantly surprised by how quickly you can earn a fully accredited degree online, and by the variety of online degrees available. Our rankings were determined by a team of experienced educators who investigated more than 200 online colleges and weighed factors which include overall 
academic quality, breadth of degree offerings, availability of academic and other student support services, willingness to consider life experience and/or military credit (DANTES), accelerated degree options, overall cost, scholarship availability, tuition installment and financial aid options, institutional stability, and overall reputa
