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Getting Your Master’s Degree Online

Getting Your Master’s Degree Online

Earn Your Online Master’s Degree

Earning a master’s degree, whether from an online program or a traditional campus-based program, is an excellent way to increase your knowledge and skills in a particular field. As such, many employers give considerable weight to an advanced degree when considering promotions and pay negotiations.

Is an Online Master’s Degree Hard?

Distance learning is not new; correspondence schools have been prevalent since the late 1800s in various forms, from shorthand courses to adult education. The University of Chicago started its distance learning program in 1892!

An online master’s degree allows students to tailor their academic work to their schedule. For many, this means continuing to work and/or attending to family obligations while earning their degree. For others, it is an opportunity to accomplish an accelerated learning path and earn their master’s degree in as little time as possible.

In addition to the flexibility that online master’s degrees afford, it is also important to note that most online programs cost much less than their traditional campus-based counterparts.



 

What Master’s Program Is Best for Me?

Should you earn your advanced degree based on your undergraduate studies? Should you seek a master’s based on your current career field and work expertise? How about branching out and studying a subject you’ve always been passionate about?

People go to school for different reasons; determining your goal of earning a master’s degree will help decide which program best fits. It is often possible to earn your master’s degree for career advancement while taking additional classes for personal enrichment.

Some employers have specific educational requirements regarding pay. Conversely, sometimes all that is needed for a pay raise is the completion of an advanced degree, and the field of study is less important than the degree itself.

This is especially true in civil servant positions such as teaching and law enforcement, where a master’s degree may earn a significant pay increase. Still, the advanced degree typically does not have to be from a related field.

Many choose to stick with a field of study that enhances their occupational skills and knowledge. Still, others choose to study for a degree outside their current profession to earn an education and a job in an entirely new field.

What Type of Accreditation Should I Look For?

When earning an online master’s degree, it's important to know whether that degree is from an accredited institution. Degree factories, aka diploma mills, are an unfortunate scam that prey upon those seeking to better themselves and their careers. In particular, some institutions have less than transparent practices as they attempt to recruit valuable military veteran students and their GI Bills.

RELATED: School Accreditation: What You Need to Know

Contact affiliated veteran-student organizations for valuable feedback on schools and programs you are considering.

The VA and DOE Do Not Accredit Educational Institutions or Programs

Remember that the Department of Veterans Affairs and US Department of Education do NOT accredit educational institutions or programs. If an institution claims to be accredited by the DOE, be very suspicious. The DOE does provide oversight and review of all federally recognized accrediting agencies to ensure that accreditation standards are enforced effectively and equitably.

The US Secretary of Education and the DOE determine recognized accrediting agencies to be reliable authorities on the quality of education provided by the institutions they endorse.

Accrediting agencies are private educational associations that offer accreditation both regionally and nationally. Don’t be fooled by semantics-often times, regional accreditations are more desirable.

Regionally accredited institutions are typically state-owned (public) colleges and universities or non-profit (private) institutions. National accreditation is usually reserved for career track and training schools and for-profit institutions.

Research a program’s instructors. Quite often, the same great instructors who teach campus-based classes will also teach online courses. However, be wary if a college is only offering online instruction with less experienced faculty members.

The accreditation of a school and its online programs should be a determining factor when deciding on an online master’s program. The GI Bill can be used at both accredited and non-accredited institutions so be very careful before signing over rights to your very valuable funds.

For many online master’s programs, especially those from public universities, there is no distinction as to how a degree is earned, whether online or campus-based. A master’s degree from an accredited post-secondary institution is the end goal and can be achieved judiciously from various online schools and programs.

 

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