Since it was first introduced to the student population around a decade ago, online education has gone from strength to strength. As a result, today’s students have a huge assortment of options to choose from when it comes to enrolling in an online degree program. Whether you’re looking to work in health and social care after graduating from your online MSW degree, want to start your own business, become an engineer, or even start your new career as a teacher, these are just some of the many career paths that you could successfully get onto by learning online. We’ve put together some top tips to help you choose the perfect online degree program for you.
Cost
When choosing your online degree program, the cost is probably going to be a large priority for you. Since college tuition is currently at an all-time high, it’s no surprise that more and more students are doing everything that they can to avoid racking up high levels of student debt, including studying online. As an online student, you can usually save around a third on the cost of your college tuition. But, be sure to do your research first, as you could find a masters in social work online for even less.
Teaching Standard
Just because you are studying online, this does not mean that you will not be able to access a physical teacher. In fact, quite the opposite – many online students report a high standard of teaching from their remote program, with a more than satisfactory amount of one-to-one contact time with a professional tutor or professor. Before you enroll in an online degree program, it’s important to determine how much contact time with a tutor that you need. Whilst some students are excellent at self-directed study, others need to ensure that they’ll have access to a helping hand.
Proximity
Although one of the main beauties of online education is that you can study at almost any college around the country that offers online programs, it’s often a good idea to consider the proximity of the college campus to your home address when applying. For example, if you need to go to campus to sit exams, you’ll find it much easier if the college is more local and choosing a campus close to home means that you will be able to take advantage of campus facilities such as the library, student gym, or even social groups and clubs.
College Reputation
Since there are now so many different online learning programs available such as an online associates of arts degree, it’s important for potential students to conduct research to ensure that they’re attending a college with a good reputation. It’s a good idea to stick with colleges that also offer campus-based programs since these tend to be more established than online-only colleges. However, this isn’t always the case and some online-only colleges are certainly worth considering. The most important thing that you need to ensure is that your qualification will be genuine.
These are just some of the main things to consider before you enroll on your online degree!