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| You've Just Earned an Online Degree...But Will Employers Accept It?(by Gerte Brandley) | For a variety of reasons, many people have opted to do their college studies online, and receive a degree for successfully completing the coursework in their respective fields. While that system offers a great convenience, there may be some drawbacks to it when the time comes to pass that degree on to a prospective employer, leaving some to be concerned about whether or not their online degree is actually worth the time and money that it took to earn such a document.
The most important thing to do first, before you commit to an online degree program is to confirm the accreditation of the college. If this college is not fully accredited, your degree may be useless in the job market. If you enjoyed the courses, learned a lot for your personal life, that is fine. However, if you expect your degree to be the stepping stone for entry to a good job, and career advancement, you will probably want to make sure you are dealing with a school that is accredited by the proper agencies.
Accreditation is also important if you’re considering transferring to a different institution, either now or in the future. In order to qualify for transfer credits, the online school through which you’re earning your degree must be properly accredited, or any credits that you’ve earned will be lost. If those requirements are met, then you can not only transfer to a different school, but will have a degree that’s the equivalent to that which you’d earn in a traditional brick and mortar environment.
One of the accreditation agencies that handles online schools is the Distance Education and Training Council. If this agency has approved and accredited the online school, then your eventual degree will be accepted by some employers and school, but rejected by others, depending upon their specific policies and attitudes toward such learning approaches. Although most employers have ultimately come to accept an online degree, not all do - and the same is true for traditional colleges. Statistically speaking, approximately 66-67% - or two-thirds - will accept your degree.
Sometimes, many online schools are accredited by a professional organization such as the American Library Association. This degree is only accepted by organizations that specialize in that profession. If you have your online degree in Library Sciences, for example, most likely it'll be accepted by a library, but maybe not by a government body or school system to work in the library of the system. These accreditations are limited, and therefore their acceptance usually is as well
Schools that are not accredited at all probably won’t be accepted by any employers or other schools. Especially large employers, who probably have their own policies regarding educational requirements would not consider them valid. If you apply with a smaller employer, however, you may have the opportunity to prove that the course content will qualify you for the job. It may hinder you if an accredited degree is required by an employer later in your career or if you intend to go on for more education.
It is encumbent upon you to make sure that the online college of your choice is either accredited or that you are prepared to defend your degree to employers who question its validity. There are many valid online schools from which to choose your degree. But, the sense of inferiority of online degrees still exists in many cases, so make sure you are not wasting your time and your money. Do your research and make sure that your inline degree is going to be of value in your career search, or your further education.
About the Author: Gerte Brandley is the webmaster and operator of HK Degree which is a top resource on the Net for Degree information.
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