Your Questions About Business Online Courses

Jere answers:

Stuartess, or a pilot

Jere answers:

The best college program will be one that is NOT online. There have been widespread reports of students hiring impostors to take online courses for them. The school has no way of knowing who is actually sitting at the computer. Is it the student, the impostor, or both? That means that ANY online program is considered questionable. Avoid ANY online schools or any for-profit schools, since they are not well accepted in the job market or for transfer to a legit university. Employers are known to automatically reject any job applicant that lists a for-profit school or online school. As a former job recruiter, I can say that we would never hire anyone with an online degree or anyone from a for-profit school.
If you want some of the convenience of online classes, try taking blended courses where some of the study can be done online, but all tests or lab work is done in an actual classroom where a photo I.D. Is required for entry. That helps prevent cheating. These types of classes are often available at public community colleges.
I know a woman who got her fashion merchandising degree at a large state university. She went on to become the manager of a woman’s clothing store, and eventually became the regional manger of a large chain of women’s clothing stores. She minored in business, so that was also an advantage in the job market. Look for a university that has regional, NOT just national accreditation. Regional accreditation is a far higher standard. Also look for public or non-profit colleges, since they are far more accepted in the job market. Avoid any for-profit schools like U. Of Phoenix, Kaplan, BrownMackie, Capella, ICS,APUS, Everest, PennFoster, FullSail, Ashford, etc.
There are tons of for-profit schools that try to lure girls into their “fashion” programs, but many are outright scams. See RipOffReport.com for reviews on colleges to avoid.

Jere answers:

Online courses tend to vary in price, so we could say they are more expensive, but that is relative. Of course they are more expensive that a community college, but less expensive than Harvard. The price range varies.

Suggestions for selecting online schools
The key is to make sure the college/university is accredited. I have three basic recommendations for everyone looking into online/distance education. They all have to do with exploring; after all, you have to defend your assets.

1. Make certain that you have triple checked their accreditation. First, they tell you what it is, then you go to that accrediting body’s website (not through the link provided by the school), and thirdly you would visit the department of education to see what they have to say. Do your diligent research into the institutions once you have narrowed down to a couple. You can look at the Better Business Bureau for more information on the college.

2. You must have extreme self motivation and be able to teach yourself per say. This means that you will not have someone telling you verbally, so it is up to you to get the information from the course room, text, and other resources. The best way to look at it is like a guided independent study course.

3. Review your goals, personal and professional. Make sure that the school that you are going to offers the programs that match your goals. Do not settle. There are many programs that are similar, but you have to make the ultimate decision. Do not let it be based on finances and length of program, but the fact that when you are finished or near finished you will be able to assume your proper place in the career field sought.

You should market yourself and not the degree or university. There are many traditional universities offering degrees that can be earned through online methods. Distance Learning Alliance has a list of these traditional online schools. Look at that if you are truly concerned with the name of the school. Good luck on your search!

Jere answers:

Yeah,
you need to get somebody who isn’t related to you and has at least an associates degree. I used my brothers girlfriend. You can use whoever, they just have to fill out a short form and the school confirms that they’re a college graduate

Jere answers:

Full Sail is not regionally accredited. That means that a lot of employers won’t see its degrees as real, and you won’t be able to transfer your credits to another college should you need to. I’d avoid them.