Monday, January 2, 2012

Discussing 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. For example, you can now complete a Masters in Education without ever having to sit in an actual classroom 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. Apart from the fact that it tends to be cheaper than the conventional on-campus education, it lets students be taught in a more straightforward and personal environment.

Even though distance learning does have a number of benefits, it is imperative that you are aware of some of the limitations of these postgraduate courses. Firstly, many students find it extremely to get motivated when they do not have physical pressure to attend class. Arguably, the major drawback to online programs is the possibility of being scammed.

The first thing that you need to look at is whether or not your chosen online master's degree in education program is accredited or not. All good courses go through this test process which evaluates the standard of education that you can expect to receive. An accreditation is a sign that the course conforms to all of the accreditation body's standards.

If you take a course that is not accredited, you are looking for trouble. 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. Also, your boss doesn’t have to help you with your tuition fees if you are not working on a recognized degree.

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. Having said that, the government does run quality checks on all of the accreditation bodies via the Council of Higher Education Accreditation and US Department of Education.

A secondary consideration is whether the online masters in education course that you have chosen is nationally or regionally recognized or limited. The majority of graduate courses have regional accreditation. Look for a school that shows their accreditation details on their home page.

In terms of scams, you need to be aware of diploma mills, where you can get a diploma instantly for cash. In general, these programs involve little or no coursework. Also look out for scams that offer you course credit for work experience - this is indicative of dodgy practices.

To add, such a school’s admission standards often appear to be very lax or may tell students that they can complete the degree for a shorter time than what is normally required to earn the degree. So, if you get offered an online master's in education that you may complete over one semester without previous course credit, something is wrong. The worst thing they may do is to create their own ‘accrediting agencies’ to encourage public confidence.

Indeed, taking up an online master's in education program seems a fantastic option, but one should be very careful these days. To avoid being scammed, pay attention to the website URL because some bogus schools use sophisticated websites or imitate the website layout of some popular schools to lure their potential victims. A valid academic URL will have the '.edu' suffix.


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