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Benefits of an Online Bachelor’s Degree Completion Program

A degree completion program is designed to help college students return to school to finish a bachelor’s degree. It’s meant to help those who have taken a break from their studies return to college with a more customized degree completion plan. There are in-person versions, fully online versions, and hybrid options available. For some, online degree completion is the only option. For others, it is one choice among many.

Why consider a degree completion program? Federal agencies report that American workers earn $40k more annually with a bachelor’s degree than without. Earning a college degree helps graduates compete in the workforce.

Online Bachelor’s Degree Completion Programs by the Numbers

More than 60% of all U.S. students who start a bachelor’s degree finish in 6 years, with over 30% failing to return to class to complete the degree.

Decisions to stop school are often informed by personal reasons (job or family obligations), but financial difficulty is also a factor. Returning to a school program means sorting out those issues and finding a more personalized approach to college studies.

One option for these learners that can help? Online degree completion programs. Many colleges offer these online programs as an alternative to in-person attendance, which is a plus for anyone needing to complete their degree at the same school where they started.

Learning online also allows applicants to choose alternative schools without being forced to relocate to a new city.

What to Know About Online Bachelor’s Degree Completion Programs

The time to complete a bachelor’s degree program varies depending on several factors, including transferred credits and course load. Generally, a bachelor’s degree consists of 120 credits.  Most institutions accept up to 90 transfer credits, including credits earned through CLEP, DANTES, AP, and military training.

As mentioned at the start of this article, you can choose between a fully online program, an in-person version, or a combination of the two approaches.

• Fully online degree programs
• Hybrid online/on-campus degree programs
• On-campus degree programs

If you aren’t sure whether to commit to an online degree completion program, consider that some degrees are better suited to learning online than others. Programs that require in-person training, such as medicine or farm sciences, may be best for a hybrid or in-person option.

Even if a field of study suits an all-online degree completion program, some students feel their skills are better suited to in-person learning. Before committing, consider your strengths and weaknesses as a student.

Online Learning Pros:

• • Convenience: Online learning means the ability to learn and study anywhere, anytime, as long as you have internet access.
  • Work-Life Balance: Online learning can be a great way to earn a degree without sacrificing your other responsibilities if you have a full-time job or family commitments.
  • Affordability: Online programs may cost less than traditional on-campus programs.
  • Access to Resources: Your online program may provide a variety of access to school lectures, assignments, discussion boards, and student services.

Online Learning Cons:

• • Self-Discipline: Online learning requires self-motivation and effective time management. If you struggle with procrastination, an in-person program might be an option to consider instead.
  • Limited Campus Experience: Learning online means you won’t experience the same social aspects of college life in-person learners do.
  • Technology: Online learning relies heavily on technology. If you aren’t comfortable with computers and online interfaces, you may have some catching up to do if you’re determined to learn remotely.

Do you need to determine your ability to stay focused in an online program? If the school permits, try auditing one. You could also take a low-stakes online elective at that college to see if learning online is right for you. Some programs are hybrid options with both in-person and remote learning.

Others (such as the Claremont Lincoln organizational leadership degree) are fully remote and designed to help students learn without in-person attendance.

Who Benefits From Online Degree Completion Programs?

Some examples of students who often enroll in online degree completion programs include:

• Community college graduates who need to advance to a Bachelor’s degree
• Students who started a bachelor’s degree but did not complete it
• Adult learners with years of career experience but have no degree
• Military members and families
• Veterans

Select Online Degree Completion Programs

Some schools that appear below are paid partners of CollegeRecon.

• Claremont Lincoln University: Organizational Leadership
• Oregon State University: Liberal Studies, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Sustainability
• Arizona State University: Business Administration, Psychology, Criminal Justice
• University of Florida: Business Administration, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Psychology
• University of Maryland Global Campus: Business Administration, Cybersecurity, Public Safety Administration
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Liberal Arts and Sciences, Engineering disciplines
• Penn State World Campus: Business, Nursing, Information Sciences and Technology
• University of Central Florida: Business Administration, Psychology, Information Technology
• Drexel University: Business Administration, Nursing, Engineering Management
• University of Massachusetts – Amherst: Business Administration, Liberal Arts, Public Health
• University of Oklahoma: Administrative Leadership, Organizational Leadership, Criminal Justice
• University of Missouri: General Studies, Health Sciences, Interdisciplinary Studies
• University of Arkansas: Business Administration, Nursing, Human Resource Development
• University of Iowa: Liberal Studies, Political Science, Social Work
• Indiana University: Business Administration, Informatics, Criminal Justice
• Ohio State University: Business Administration, Psychology, Social Work
• University of Wisconsin – Madison: Business Administration, Nursing, Sustainable Management
• Michigan State University: Business Administration, Communication, Criminal Justice
• University of Georgia: Consumer Economics, Special Education, Agricultural Education
• Texas A&M University: Agriculture, Leadership, University Studies
• Washington State University: Business Administration, Social Sciences, Humanities