Online College Degrees From Top Schools
Online college degrees are available from some institutions with well-established traditional reputations. Once upon a time there was substantial resistance to the notion of online college degrees, but that has lessened as technology improved. MIT offers graduate degree programs and Ivy schools including Columbia, Harvard, and University of Pennsylvania offer undergraduate and graduate degrees online.
Naturally, there are courses for some disciplines that require substantial supervised lab time or special equipment, but for many courses, a fully-online degree is a real possibility. The freedom to do an online degree from an accredited institution has opened opportunities for students who would have settled for less in the past. Online degrees are a game-changer when evaluating the ROI of a college education because many of the substantial residence costs can be eliminated. In some cases, the availability of online courses has also led to somewhat relaxed admission standards, too.
Penn State University
Penn State University was one of the first major schools to make online degrees a reality. Its World Campus offers over 70 different bachelor and masters degree programs online. Online students of Penn State can take degrees in society and law, psychology, criminal justice, turf grass science, nursing, organizational leadership and information sciences. Software engineering, education, business administration, and homeland security are on the online course catalog, as well.
Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern is competitive with some of the more established major universities partly due to its online course offerings. The school has been recognized for their online graduate degree program, in particular. Nova Southeastern offers online college degrees across a wide array of subjects, too. Students can choose from fields such as computer information systems, physical therapy, and occupational therapy, for example.
The effect of established, traditional institutions offering serious online degrees has done much to bolster the reputation of online learning. Employers don't necessarily undervalue applicants because their education was provided remotely. In fact, many online college degree programs are designed to accommodate professional work schedules, so that smart businesses can employ people who are able to improve their skillset without costly work interruptions.
To decide if an online college degree is the best option for you, have a look at our article about the return on investment of a college education.