Online Degree Completion

Accredited Online Degrees

Accredited online degrees come from two basic sources. The first is simply the online version of the program you would follow if you were in residence at the actual college or university. The second type comes from universities or colleges that are actually virtual (or nearly virtual) organizations. The choice of which type of program you choose is entirely up to you, but there are reasons to consider both.

If you are following the online version of a degree course that is offered by a university or college, you may find that there is a residence requirement in earning the degree. This means that the school may require that you spend a small portion of your studies at the actual school. In some programs this could be as small an amount as one week per year. At the other extreme, you may be required to take some of your courses at the college, or to come to the school for class meetings once a month or more.

The benefits to following a degree that is offered by a physical university or college are similar to those that you would have if you went to the actual school. You will have the cache of the school’s name on your degree, access to all of the school’s resources, and, if you live in the same area, the chance to participate in the school’s other myriad activities.

A virtual university has the benefit that you will not have a residency requirement since there is nowhere to go! No matter what type of online studies you pursue, the most important thing to verify is that the degrees you are considering are accredited online degrees if you want to be able to verify for employers that you have received a quality education.