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• Accredited Degree Programs
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• Online Masters Degree

Given the poor state of the economy these days, many people are looking to update or upgrade their skill set to make themselves more appealing to current or future employers. There are many ways to add new skills to your resume: taking on new tasks at your current job, shadowing a coworker in different department than the one you work in, attending training classes related to the field you work in or even in a different field that you may be interested in, and obtaining a college degree, just to name a few.

Choosing to earn a college degree can be a very wise decision, especially as far as your financial future is concerned. Research suggests that college graduates earn almost twice as much over the course of a lifetime than their non degreed counterparts. There are other benefits to earning a college degree as well. College graduates tend to have a higher rate of savings where their earnings are concerned, increased professional mobility, a higher quality of life for themselves and their offspring, and engage in more hobbies and leisure activities.

All of this probably sound very appealing, but at the same time impossible. How can a person earn a college degree if he or she is working full time? Perhaps and online degree could be the answer. As soon as you start searching for online degree choices, you will quickly realize that there are so many options to choose from, it is almost overwhelming! Following are the top three tips in helping you choose an online degree program that is right for you.

1. Is the program accredited? – Probably the number one priority in choosing an online degree program is the program’s accreditation. There are six accrediting associations: Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern, and Western. If the online degree program you are looking at is not accredited by one of these sources, you should probably look elsewhere. Earning a degree from a non accredited school could be a complete waste of time and money because many employers do not recognize non accredited degrees. Additionally, if you wish to pursue a graduate degree after obtaining an undergraduate degree at a non accredited institution, you may find that your undergraduate degree is not valid in the eyes of many graduate degree programs.

2. How long has the program been in operation? – It is always prudent to look at the track record of any online degree program you are considering. Obviously, online degree programs that have not been in operation for many years are not automatically terrible, but it is more difficult to verify the validity of the newer programs than the well established programs. Therefore, it may be wiser to choose a degree program that has at least five years of operation experience so you are better able to form an opinion on the reputation of the program.

3. Are the program educators qualified? – It is a good idea to take the time to investigate the educators employed by any online degree program you are considering. You will certainly get a better quality education and have a better learning experience from quality educators. It is also important to note whether or not these educators have been trained in facilitating online courses.