Monday, January 2, 2012

Key Facts About Online Masters in Educations

Many people have turned to online learning, or distance education, to complete their studies. Some people are now using this avenue to pursue a Masters in Education, because they can attend class without leaving their home. Some people have benefited from this, and can earn their masters degree online.

Part of the appeal with online masters in education programs is the flexibility in time as you can schedule your own classes. 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.

It isn't all sunshine and roses though, and a lot of people feel that doing a postgraduate qualification online has its disadvantages. Firstly, many students find it extremely to get motivated when they do not have physical pressure to attend class. However, the biggest drawback is the fact that you might get scammed.

One should consider the merits of an online master degree in education program, and to do this, you have to pay a close look to accreditation. All good courses go through this test process which evaluates the standard of education that you can expect to receive. You can think of accreditation as a sign that the course itself has passed the test and has met various checks and standards.

If you take a course that is not accredited, you are looking for trouble. A non-accredited degree means nothing to potential employers, and you won't be able to get any credit for all of your work at another school. Also, your boss doesn’t have to help you with your tuition fees if you are not working on a recognized degree.

Remember that not all accreditations are equal, and some are government approved while others are not. In America the Department of Education has nothing to do with accreditation in these kinds of courses - a separate body figures out the standards. However, the government checks the quality of these accreditation-giving agencies through the Council of Higher Education Accreditation and US Department of Education.

Also, you should always check of the accreditation is limited to a specific field, region, or country. In most cases, regional accreditation is the standard for graduate education. Most legit online schools that offer a master's in education program will present their accreditation information in a way easily noticeable on their website.

Look out for diploma mills - these are schemes that pose as schools where you will receive a diploma in exchange for cash. A tell tale sign of such a scheme is the fact that they give little or no schoolwork. 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. 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. The worst thing they may do is to create their own ‘accrediting agencies’ to encourage public confidence.

Even though doing your master in education online can be incredibly helpful, you always need to exercise caution. Always check the URL of the site that you are consulting, as bogus schools cannot get a valid address. Keep an eye out for the '.edu' suffix that denotes a legitimate academic institution.


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