What the Best Online University Should Have

Written by admin on November 22nd, 2010

Every student who has decided to pursue their higher education online is hoping to study at the best online university, so that their degree will be widely accept in the job market, making easy for them to find & secure their dreamed career after their graduation. But, what are the criteria that make the best online university? You need to know them before you start search for one that meets your education goals. During the searching process, make sure your selected university does have these criteria:

1. The University Is Accredited

The best online university should have accreditation from one of the six regional accrediting associates (Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern, Western). These associates make up the most important accreditation in the United States. Universities that are getting accreditation from one of these associations have proven the quality of their degree programs and their degrees are fully recognized in the job market.

2. Proven Online Success

Although many universities have made their degree program available in online format, their online learning system may still have major glitches in term of convenience and efficiency. You may get very frustrating when you find the online learning system is hard to navigate from one page to another, and it’s hard to download learning materials or upload completed assignments. Therefore, when selecting an online university, you should consider an easy setup of their program and does not require much, if any technical support. It would be better if the university lets you try their online learning system in demo mode to ensure you are satisfy with the system before you sign up with its degree program.

3. Certified Online Faculty

Many online universities may simply recruit local classroom teachers to teach in online environment. Since these teachers have not received training to facilitate a productive online classroom, they may have a problem to delivery effective teaching in online format. Therefore, make sure the instructors of your selected online university have the necessary qualification and certified for online teaching.

4. Financial Aid Options

Earning a degree does involve a substantial investment of money. Although online students might have fewer options in getting financial aids, there are still many attractive financing packages offered by online universities, which you can apply for. Make sure your selected online university does offer low-interest financing options or scholarships to its student.

5. Satisfied Graduates

Is the online university you are interested in pursuing your degree good? Don’t believe of what the university claims because every university will say they are good. Try to get the mouth of words from current students and alumni on how they look at the university. You can also request the results of post-graduation surveys from students and alumni as the reference to evaluate the university before you sign up its degree program. If you do not know a graduate of the university, ask the university to provide some names of graduates you can contact.

Summary

The best online university should have at least the above criteria. Therefore, when you look for an online university that offers your desired degree, evaluate the university against the above criteria before you sign up its degree program.

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