Your Questions About Business Online Degree Programs

Jere answers:

See college reviews at RipOffReport.com. Employers often automatically reject job applicants listing any for-profit school or any online degree. Ashford is a commercially operated business, thus it’s considered less credible. I’ve even heard some recruiters call it “trashford”. It should also be noted that a degree in physiology should require lab work that must be done in person, not on the internet.
As a general guideline you should also avoid any online degree programs. Here’s why….. There have been widespread reports of students cheating in online programs by hiring an impostor to take the courses. As a result ANY online degree is considered somewhat bogus, even if from a legit school. Obviously it is far easier for a student to cheat in an online program versus a monitored classroom. It has been said that the “distance learning” student only learns to be distant from any decent learning!
A far better solution would be to attend college in person. No online program can be as good as the learning experience and personal interaction of the classroom. Attend college in person-You’ll be glad you did!

Jere answers:

Make ads, post your proposition on different sites and forums.

Jere answers:

Yes, a bachelor’s degree will be an asset to you and a future employer. However, don’t get it from a strictly online school though. These will be for-profit schools and they usually overcharge. It is better if you can get your degree from a state school. The degree you earn from a state school will be no different than a degree earned by an on-campus student.
Here are some schools for you that have online programs. Most of the following are state schools.

Http://www.fhsu.edu/virtualcollege/
http://www.peru.edu/offuttafb/degreeprograms/onlinelearning.htm
http://outreach.uwyo.edu/ocp/
http://www.distance.msstate.edu/
http://www.distancelearning.ufl.edu/degrees.aspx
http://www.apu.apus.edu/index.htm
http://www.online.uillinois.edu/
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/ode/CollegeOverview.asp

When you choose a school, make sure it is at least regionally accredited. You can check accreditation at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/search.asp You can learn more about accreditation at http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html

There are a couple of forums online with members who have obtained their degrees online. Some have gone pretty far with their online degrees. The forums are free to join but you can read the forum without joining. You just won’t be able to post. Http://forums.degreeinfo.com and http://www.instantcertonline.com/forums

Good luck,

Jere answers:

Congratulations on thinking about furthering your education, you won’t regret it.

The state universities and community colleges will be the best and least expensive way to further your education online. Usually degrees obtained online from state universities and colleges will be no different than a degree granted to a student sitting in class.

Stay away from the for-profits because of high cost. Some will be reasonable, but most, like University of Phoenix, overcharge.

If you are just starting your college education or have less than 60 semester credit hours, try your local community college first. They may have an online AA degree program. If they don’t, try other community colleges in your state.

Once you have an AA degree, you can enroll in an online bachelor’s degree completion program at one of the state universities. Many state universities now have online degrees. The following are some websites to get you started.

Http://www.fhsu.edu/virtualcollege/
http://www.peru.edu/offuttafb/degreeprograms/onlinelearning.htm
http://outreach.uwyo.edu/ocp/
http://www.distance.msstate.edu/
http://www.distancelearning.ufl.edu/degrees.aspx
http://www.apu.apus.edu/index.htm
http://www.online.uillinois.edu/
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/ode/CollegeOverview.asp

Finally, when you choose a school, make sure it is at least regionally accredited. You can check accreditation at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.asp

Good luck

Jere answers:

Although Troy is not AACSB accredited, it is an AACSB member. It could be working toward accreditation. I doubt you would have a problem getting into an MBA program after earning a degree from Troy. However, MBA programs accept students with a bachelor’s degree in any undergraduate field. They prefer students who do not have a business major because they give you the business training but they cannot provide the broad background that managers should have. The best majors are in the sciences, engineering, or math, but other majors are also suitable. Any field of endeavor can use good management. The reason for avoiding a business undergraduate degree is that it results in too much duplication with the MBA and leaves you with a narrow focus. On the other hand, companies hiring MBA graduates are looking for those who earned the MBA but can also communicate with the people that they have to manage as they advance in their jobs.

MBA programs prefer students with 2-4 years work experience after the first degree. Some accept students right out of college if they have good grades and a high GMAT score. Some MBA programs are designed specifically for new college graduates without work experience. But in those programs you don’t get the benefit of learning from other students who have work experience. A lot of valuable learning takes place through class interaction. Also when you graduate your job offers will be about the same as a business undergraduate gets because you have no work experience, and you’ve been two years out of your undergraduate field so it’s hard to get work in that area.