6 Persistent Myths About Earning An Online Degree

Online education has been associated with a number of fallacies. From the value of a degree earned online to employers' willingness to hire those who graduate from web-based colleges, numerous myths persist. Meanwhile, the number of students enrolled in such schools continues to climb. The Sloan Consortium reported in their 2009 study "Learning on Demand: Online Education in the United States" that 4.6 million people were taking web-based classes in 2008. They further stated that this represented a 17 percent increase over the previous year.

With this in mind, it's worth taking a moment to debunk several myths that have endured over the years. If you're considering online degree programs, but are hesitant due to things you have heard, the following details may prove helpful.

The education you'll receive from a web-based school is as good as that which can be received from a traditional school. Both online and off, there are good and bad universities, courses, and instructors. The curricula is often identical, though it is delivered in different forms (online versus lecture). Much of your experience will be based on selecting a college that can meet your educational goals.

It's also worth remembering that many of the top schools in the country, including MIT and Harvard, now offer web-based courses. The line between the two types of education continues to blur.

As long as you take classes from a college that has received accreditation from a reputable accrediting agency, your credits should transfer to nearly any school. While the decision to accept credits is ultimately left to the receiving school, accreditation plays a key role. It implies that an educational institution has met certain academic standards.

A common concern among would-be e-learners is that attending online classes will deprive them of interaction with their instructors and other students. First, every course is different, and the amount of exposure you have to others will depend on the instructor's teaching method. Many instructors encourage students to interact by email, chat session, phone, and on the class's message board. Some even require team projects and web conferencing.

Second, the level of interaction you experience will be based, in large part, on your own willingness to reach out to others. Be proactive.

Many online schools will allow you to work at your own pace. For some students, this means completing a 4-year degree in three years. Others may take twice as long. The point is that you can earn a degree from a web-based college more quickly by keeping a more aggressive pace.

The ease with which you finish your education depends on you and the courses you take. As with traditional colleges, some instructors teach classes that are easy while others are difficult.

Years ago, most degrees earned from online colleges were considered nearly worthless. The reasons vary, but most were based on a lack of accreditation and the existence of degree mills. The issue concerning accreditation has since been resolved. As noted earlier, a small group of reputable agencies ensure that schools meet specific standards.

Degree mills ("schools" that essentially sell degrees) still exist, but are much less of a problem today than they were in the past. The reason is because of accreditation, or in the case of mills, a lack thereof.

Employers are now able to verify that a job candidate's online degree was earned from a school that received its accreditation from a reputable agency. The degrees are valued accordingly.

Not everyone is a good candidate for attending an online school. It requires diligence in order to complete assignments and stay on track with tests. It also requires an ability to work alone without feeling isolated (getting to know other students helps). The decision to pursue an online degree is a personal one that should be based on a realistic assessment of your goals, strengths, and limitations.

Millions of people have found that web-based education offers an ideal alternative to attending classes at a traditional brick-and-mortar school. Set aside the fallacies above to make the decision that is best for your circumstances.