Category: Finding the University for You

Fake Degrees Do Not an Education Make

– Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer

It could happen to any of us – when we’re caught at a weak moment. Falling into a trap, being lured into a scam, taking the bait meant for a sucker, being taken for a ride, ending up with egg on your face – there are varied ways to say it, but they all mean one thing – some one has made money at your expense!

Online education is one of most lucrative playing grounds for fraudsters, simply because you never have to set foot in the campus. The whole experience is hidden behind the veil of the Internet, a vast domain that masks identities and intents. So if you’ve decided to take the online route to getting an education, ensure that you are actually earning a worthy degree, not just a fancy piece of framed paper.

Besides confirming the proper accreditation, check the background of your preferred school thoroughly; the Better Business Bureau usually has a list of complaints against suspect institutions – steer clear from them.

Too much money, too little time, a degree in your hand – this is a cocktail that spells trouble. Don’t touch it with a bargepole, it’s a definite scam.

Talk to people who have been to the same school, find out a little extra about the staff and other personnel. And do not be taken in by fancy websites that look authentic. They’re often facades for something more sinister.

The Most Happening Colleges – Wire-Wise

– By Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer

Here’s one situation where a relative unknown has come out on top of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Villanova University has grabbed the top spot on the list of “Most Wired Colleges” in the United States. The list, compiled by PC Magazine and The Princeton Review, was based on the extent technology is used in educational institutes for online learning, faculty computer training, and other programs.

Villanova emerged a winner because of its policies that allot freshers laptops that are replaced in their second year, provide PDAs for nursing students and tablet PCs for engineering classes. Classes, lectures and exams are available online, and technical support questions are answered within 24 hours.

MIT came in a close second, thanks to its own operating system and its open courseware, while the Indiana University took third place for a podium finish by virtue of owning the fastest university-based supercomputer and the largest disk-based storage facility. Others in the top ten as reported by E School News include:

Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, Creighton University in Nebraska, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Michigan Technological University, the University of Southern California, Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, and the University of Oklahoma.

Online Aspect Creeps into Traditional Bastions

– By Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer

Come the spring term of 2008, and a few students of the University System of Maryland will find themselves walking into virtual classrooms rather than brick-and-mortar lecture halls. The university is in the process of revamping at least three of its courses in order to comply with space and cost constraints. Accordingly, Social Psychology, Introduction to African-American Literature, and Approaches to Cultural Materials in the Hispanic World will incorporate more online assignments and support study materials. Social Psychology may even go completely online, according to Donna Hamilton, dean of undergraduate studies.

With this pilot program, the institution is hoping to free up large lecture halls that are fully occupied when a course is popular and the number of enrollments large. It also seeks to address the issue of students not getting enough out of the course because of the sheer number of enrollees, and dropping out as a result. 

As many as 11 schools of the 13 public universities that belong to the University system will take part in this first-of-its-kind attempt in the United States, said officials. The courses are being redesigned with help from the National Center for Academic Transformation, which has been retained under a three-year, $100,000 per year, contract.

Student and faculty response will be used to gauge the relative success or failure of this endeavor; the first six months should offer a reasonably clear picture of the way the land lies, according to Donald Spicer, system spokesman.

Trouble Transferring Credits?

Transferring credits between institutions is a bother at times because one school does not recognize the accreditation of another. This often happens when you try to transfer credits earned at a college accredited by the Distance Education Training Council (DETC) to one accredited by any one of the six regional agencies.

While the DETC is accepted as a valid accreditation agency by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the United States Department of Education (USDE), there are a few regionally accredited schools that refuse to accept credits earned through the DETC.

So before you enroll in any school, it makes sense to check if your credits will be accepted there. The Higher Education Transfer Alliance (HETA) exists just for this purpose. HETA is a group of institutions that do not make their transfer decisions based only on the accredited status of the prior college. While a definite transfer is not assured, at least discrimination is not made on the basis of the accrediting body.

Follow this link for more information.

New President for Northcentral University

The Northcentral University’s board of directors recently appointed Dr. Claudia Santin as the President of the institution. The University is a leader in accredited 100% online education programs. The programs offered here range from bachelor’s to master’s and doctoral degrees. Dr. Santin has a strong background in Online Education and is expected to lead the growing accredited online university into a bright future. The appointment came into effect from 1st September 2006

Dr Santin has been as a university staff member since 2004 when she was appointed as the Dean of School of Education. She was instrumental in launching the master’s, Ed.D., and Ph.D. online education programs at the university. Later on she became the Academic Vice President, Provost and Chief Operating Officer at the university. The appointment was announced by the founder and president of Northcentral University, Dr. Don Hecht. PR Web reports:

Santin’s ascension to the President’s position comes as NCU is expanding rapidly. Northcentral University is achieving steady growth in enrollment, thanks in large part to its solid reputation as a premier accredited online university.

Online Education Directories

There are a few online education "directories" out there (such as WorldWideLearn and eLearners), but most are just shady "fronts" for affiliate programs. Degree Tutor bucks the trend and provides a hell of a nice user interface for finding whatever kind of program you’re interested in. You can search by degree level, school, or program subject. They also have a nice library of articles for anyone who wants to learn more about online education. Bookmarkworthy.

Treasure Trove of Accredited Schools

Still on the subject of accreditation, this site has invaluable information about accredited schools in each state. You can gather details of legitimate degrees and schools, besides becoming aware of the diploma mills you should steer clear of.

Accreditation from Other Countries

It is perfectly legal and permissible to obtain a degree in the United States that has been accredited by the proper authority in another country. John Bear, who penned Bear’s Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning, advocates that you follow the Generally Accepted Accrediting Principles (GAAP) to check if institutions are properly accredited.

Why Should You Look For An Accredited Program?

Online learning and virtual classrooms – make this form of education very prone to scams. So what can you do to ensure that you sign up to a good course with a good university? The answer is to look for accredited universities and programs. Search no further than our online university degree finder, which searches a complete directory of accredited online university programs:

Search Online Degrees

What are the benefits of accreditation?

If you need federal financial aid sign up with an accredited college. Federal and state governments look for accreditation to extend financial aid. Accredited courses after a successful review by the government are qualified for financial aid.

Credit Transfer: In order to transfer credits to an accredited school, employers also look for people who have received a degree through an accredited academic program. Even the eligibility to apply for a job may be jeopardized if you have a degree from non-accredited school.

If you would need to acquire state licensure keep in mind that states require that a college, university, or program be accredited.

In the United States, the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) have the job of reviewing accreditation.

Accreditation ensures a basic level of quality in the education you receive from an institution. It also ensures your degrees will be recognized for it’s true value.

Educational institutions are forced to set higher standards and maintain good quality education. As accreditations also boosts confidence in the public as it makes the universities or courses accountable to a certain extent.

As online degree programs become more and more predominant in the world of higher education, students in around the globe should be aware of the advantages of signing up with an accredited school.

So, now that you have decided to enroll with an accredited college you are on your way to good education with good prospects with all the advantages of online educations on your side. All that remains is for you go through the course and finish the program to move up in the world.

Checking Colleges, Courses

How many times have you found yourself taping a checklist to the door of the refrigerator so that you will not forget that all-important chore? A checklist is just a mnemonic that aids us when human fallacies like forgetfulness take over our normally efficient brain. Such a list will also come in handy when you decide to enroll for an online degree, the only difference being that this particular sheet of paper should be chockfull of questions that you should get satisfactory answers to before making your school and degree choice. I can almost read the question in your mind now, what questions should this list incorporate? The following suggestions are not exhaustive, but they should give you a good starting point, after which you can tailor your questions to the institutions and degrees you narrow down.

  • Find out if the institution is accredited. If it is in the process of being reviewed for accreditation, ensure that the process will be complete before you enroll.
  • Calculate your expenses for the entire study period taking into account your tuition fees, the scholarships and federal loans you may be eligible for, the cost of your books, and any other costs you may incur. Be sure to check for hidden and additional costs thoroughly before you commit yourself to signing up.
  • Obtain details about the instructors who will be handling your online classes. If possible, get firsthand information on their teaching methods and skills from alumni of the course. Also enquire about the number of students that constitutes a class; you don’t want to be one in a crowd.
  • Get adequate information about your hardware and software requisites before enrolling for a particular course.
  • The size and history of the school do matter, because, all said and done, a school that’s been around a longer time has more experience to offer. So do some probing to find out the strength of the college and how many graduates it has produced.
  • Make of list of phone numbers and email ids of people you can approach for academic or administrative aid. Most important, find out when they will be available for guidance; you don’t want to be interrupting their personal life just because your degree is flexible.
  • Though most schools promise an expedited graduation process, go through your course requirements thoroughly, assess the pace at which you can complete the work, and estimate the time you will need to complete the course. Allow enough latitude for unexpected contingencies and unavoidable delays.