Monday, January 2, 2012

Analyzing The Online Masters in Education

Thanks to the internet, it seems that online learning has replaced distance education, and that it is here to stay. People who are doing their Masters in Education can now do so from the comfort of their own homes. Some people have benefited from this, and can earn their masters degree online.

For most people, the fact that you can schedule your own classes is a very attractive possibility. Anyone can take advantage of this opportunity, from full-time moms, professional with full-time jobs and those wanting career changes. Unlike conventional campus courses, doing an online course is normally more affordable, and you get direct, personal attention.

However, there are two sides to every story, and many people tend to feel that online learning, particularly at a postgraduate level, is very limited. Firstly, many students find it extremely to get motivated when they do not have physical pressure to attend class. What's worse is that you could get scammed.

You should only consider courses that have the right accreditation. An accredited course has gone through a lengthy approval process that evaluates the quality of education on offer in the course. This process means that all courses have met a certain standard, and the accreditation body has found that the course is acceptable.

The problem starts when the student ends up taking up a master's program from a non-accredited school. The major problem with this situation is that potential employers won't recognize the degree, and you cannot transfer with the credit that you have earned. Furthermore, a student must attend an accredited school to receive tuition fee assistance from employers.

However, accreditations vary: some are performed by government, some are not. Across the United States there is a separate body that controls the accreditation process - it is not run by the Department of Education. The Council of Higher Education Accreditation and US Department of Education do have the final say though.

When you are comparing online masters in education learning options, you also have to consider the aspects of national, regional and specialized accreditations. The majority of graduate courses have regional accreditation. A good sign for any online school is the fact that they display all of their accreditation information on their website where it is visible to all visitors.

In terms of scams, you need to be aware of diploma mills, where you can get a diploma instantly for cash. Usually, these programs give little to no coursework. They tell the students that they can complete the degree by using their work experience or personal career for course credit.

You should also think twice about schools that have very low admissions standards, or very short courses where you can get your degree far quicker than usual If the school says that you could earn a master's degree in education in one semester without past course credit, you are being scammed. False accreditation agencies are sometimes set up to add to the appearance of professionalism.

Before you agree to any online masters in education, you need to do some thorough research so that you reap real rewards. Always check the URL of the site that you are consulting, as bogus schools cannot get a valid address. A valid academic URL will have the '.edu' suffix.


When in need of reliable info about masters in education programs, do not hesitate in hitting the links.