All About Online Bachelor's Degree Programs

You would like to earn a bachelor's degree, but do not have the time to commit to four years in residence at a brick and mortar college or university. You could always enroll in an online degree program - and here are a few things you might like to know about earning your undergraduate degree online.

What is a bachelor's degree?

A bachelor's degree, baccalaureate degree, or undergraduate degree is a degree usually consisting of 120 credits or semester hours. It prepares students for a particular occupation or enables them to go on to pursue higher education such as a master's degree.

What makes an online bachelor's degree different from a traditional bachelor's degree?

An online degree is something new to the field of academia, and has only attained prominence over the course of the last several years as internet use becomes widespread at all levels of society. Such a degree program enables students to 'attend' all of their classes from their own homes or places of business or even from a public access internet computer (such as is found in a public library) for students who do not themselves have access to the internet. This type of arrangement is especially convenient for students who are employed and/or have family commitments, as they are not required to live on or near a college campus. Another convenience is that most online classes tend to be scheduled during evening or weekend hours, as it is presumed that the majority of students will be working full-time.

What types of courses must I take to earn my online bachelor's degree?

Just like in a traditional bachelor's program at a brick and mortar college or university, the online bachelor's degree requires that a student complete a certain number of 'core' courses in general knowledge subjects such as:

• Natural Sciences and Mathematics

• Social Sciences

• Communications

• Humanities (includes literature, art, and music)

Coursework will also be required in a major subject area - the difference being that an online student typically selects a degree program before enrolling, whereas a student at a traditional college or university tends to enroll in the school first and may take a year or two before declaring a major.

What types of bachelor's degree programs will be available to me online?

There are a wide variety of programs available online these days, in most of the subjects you could study at a traditional college or university. There are, of course, exceptions, as certain subjects (studio art, theater, and music, amongst others) cannot be taught without hands-on experience. You can, however, find a number of online degree programs in such popular subject areas as as English, History, Sociology, Psychology, Computer Science, and Criminal Justice.

Applying to College - Tips for Choosing a College

Applying to college may feel overwhelming since there are many universities, colleges, and specialty colleges to choose from. This article lists questions that can be used to help you choose a college.

As you prepare for your senior year in high school, you will face the decision of choosing to which colleges you should apply. Choosing a college is an important decision that should be based on a variety of factors.
Things to consider when choosing a school and applying to college:

• What degree programs are offered? If you wanted to continue your higher education, do they offer a master's degree or doctorate degree program?
• What are the costs of tuition and housing?
• What is the cost of living in the area where the school is located?
• What kind of financial aid is available?
• What is the average class size?
• What is the university's ranking (compared to other universities)?
• What kind of extracurricular activities are available?
• What are the campus safety ratings?
• What is the graduation rate?
• What are the statistics of the freshmen admitted from the previous year?
• What is the composite of the student body (including diversity and gender ratios)?
• How large is the undergraduate student body?
• Which major programs is offered?

Many of the answers to these questions can be found on the school's website. You can also get more information through U.S. News by visiting www.usnews.com. If you still need more information, call the school's admissions office. They should be able to answer any questions that you have.

The Truth About Online Degrees

By: Kyle McBride

Online degrees. You’ve heard about them I’m sure. In today’s fast paced world it is becoming harder than ever to find the time to go back to school, finish that degree, and get ahead in the workplace. So you may have thought about enrolling in an online institution. Good news my friend. Solutions for finally earning that ever-elusive diploma have actually never been better! No matter how busy your current schedule is. But there are a few things you should know before getting your feet wet…

Let me tell you a quick story. I have a friend named James. James is a real smart guy that put himself through 2 years of college at an away school, was pre-med, and then learned that his mother had a rare autoimmune disease and she’d be bed ridden for the foreseeable future. Well, James was an only child and his father passed away when he was young so he was really the only person that could take care of mom. He moved back home and cared for his mother while getting a part time job as a vet’s assistant to keep the bill collectors off his back. All his dreams of med school and finally becoming a doctor seemed hopeless.

Luckily for James, we are in the internet age. His mother, though bed ridden, spent a lot of time online and never gave up hope that James would one day be a doctor. She encouraged him to apply to some “online distance schools” so that he could complete his bachelor’s degree and get into med school. Sure enough, after only 15 months of distance learning with an accredited 4 year University, James is now with a bachelor’s degree and in his first year of med school.

Now there aren’t any online med schools just yet, but fortunately for James his mother is doing better these days and she should be able to see him achieve his dream after all.

How does this story have anything to do with you? Well, it just goes to show that no matter how difficult your life may be, no matter how little time you feel you have, as long as you have an internet connection and the will to succeed, you can achieve your goal of a college diploma.

You “go to class” whenever you can. Of course, going to class means logging into the school’s computers and receiving the lesson plan for the week. Most online degree programs allow you to complete the work at your own pace so you can do a years worth of schooling in either 6 months or 24 months. It’s up to you completely.

Schools do have minimum targets that you must achieve but in may instances they will construct a loose lesson plan for you to follow throughout the course of your “year”. You normally would be allowed to enter “class rooms” (which are specific chat rooms) to discuss class notes with both the professor and your other classmates. All efforts are made to make your learning experience either equivalent or better than traditional learning institutions.

Is the world of online degrees and internet learning for you? You’ll have to do your research to find out but the potential benefits of this type of learning are truly endless. Do yourself a favor and research the world of online degrees today!

Kyle McBride makes it easy to research the world of Online Degrees. Learn the ins and outs of distance learning by reading his free newsletter found at:

http://www.online-college-degree-news.info

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The Fraud of Purchasing Online Degrees

By Daniel Harrison

Last month I wrote a piece titled “The MBA Conundrum” which has subsequently appeared on more websites than I have the time or patience to continually check up but most of which are ironically disguises for cheap marketing operations for purchasable “Online MBA’s” using genuine articles on genuine MBA programmes to give the impression of authenticity.

Whether purchasing an online degree is technically fraud or just a misleading con is currently the subject of intense debate, but one thing is for certain: if it doesn’t defraud an unsuspecting employer looking to hire on the basis of academic qualification, it certainly defrauds the purchaser of the online degree.

In the midst of the current workload of my MBA programme at the BI in Oslo, there has been some considerable complaint from some of my contemporaries that it is difficult to actually “learn” anything when one is being required to read and write far beyond what appears to be a rational schedule. To this criticism, the Harvard educated teacher of our Strategy class responded last week that although it seems as if there is no actual process of “learning” taking place, there is actually far more than if courses were just structured in a steady, leisurely format with plenty of time for analysis and interpretation of every assignment. “I don’t mean to be unsympathetic,” she announced to a belligerent ochlocracy, “but this is the way it ‘goes in’ best”.

As much as I am reluctant to admit it right now, sitting up at two in the morning between three unfinished assignments, there is a degree of truth to what the Professor says, and it is the same degree of truth that separates purchasing a title and actually earning.

In another class last week, an interesting discussion concerning the epistemology of Plato’s phrase “Know Thyself” came up when I mentioned that the truer interpretation of the Greek, “γνωθι σεαυτον” was probably “learning how to be oneself”. The subject came up as a result of Jim Collins’ attribution of the quote in his management bestseller “Good To Great”, which charts the development of organisations that have consistently returned successful results over a fifteen year period and have at one point made a gigantic leap without using the dubious artificial processes of stock manipulation or creative accounting.

What makes for a great degree is much the same as what makes for a great organisation: the process of discovering oneself within the structure of the current climate. Purchasing an online degree is akin to bolstering the balance sheet of a company through illegal means – such as Enron, Worldcom and numerous others in the competitive market climate of the turn of the century: while there may be some fantastic short-term benefits, the consequence can only ultimately end in tears.

The confusion comes from people’s inability to distinguish between success and experience. Success is what comes out of experience, which is ultimately, what leading a full, complete existence is about, whether one ends up with an MBA, a PhD, or host of stories which make for fascinating telling. It is a sad fact that a competitive society spawns such vagrant hoaxes in the infrastructure, for, predictably enough, it is not the hoaxers who end up missing out – they usually pay penance and end up cashing in again at some point - but those who are hoaxed.

Read Daniel M. Harrison's blog at http://danielmarkharrison.blogs.com. Exciting stylish and controversial

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Bachelor Degrees in Healing Arts

By: Michael Bustamante

If you desire a career helping others to achieve overall wellness and spiritual harmony, a Bachelor Degree in Healing Arts may be the right step to take towards your own personal fulfillment.

A Bachelors Degree in Healing Arts includes the study of a wide range of techniques that promote natural healing, including massage therapy, yoga and other forms of therapeutic exercise, homeopathy, herbology, iridology, bioenergetics, nutrition, and more.

Students acquiring a Bachelors Degree in Healing Arts study alternative medicines that view the body as a "whole," that is, as one mind, body, and spirit. Healing Arts can improve energy flow through the body, achieve a balanced anatomy, treat musculoskeletal pain, and enhance mental function.

The study of Healing Arts includes alternative medicines and treatments that assist in the healing process naturally. A Bachelors Degree in Healing Arts can be achieved in two years of study. A degree from an accredited School qualifies the graduate for a vast spectrum of healing arts professions, and prospective employers consider a Bachelor’s Degree to be very desirable.

If you are interested in learning more about a Bachelors Degree in Healing Arts and programs of study, search our site for more in-depth information and resources.

Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved Michael Bustamante, in association with Media Positive Communications, Inc. for SchoolsGalore.com

Notice to Publishers: Please feel free to use this article in your Ezine or on your Website; however, ALL links must remain intact and active.

Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association with SchoolsGalore.com. Find Bachelors Degree in Healing Arts at SchoolsGalore.com; meeting your needs as your educational resource to locate schools.

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