How To Go About Obtaining A Master Degree Education Online

A Master's education degree is a either a graduate or post-baccaluaureate degree which is awarded to a person once they have completed either 1 or 3 years of concentrated study in an education field. Obtaining a master education online and then obtaining a degree at the end can mean entry into a profession or the chance for promotion within an existing company. Certainly for the 3% of working adults who have attained a degree, they find that the letters MA or MS on either a business card or letterhead commands respect from their peers.

But the best thing about a master education online is a great option for those adults who are looking to return to school in order to advance themselves. This particular form of learning allows them to balance both family and work life as well as their education all at the same time. Today 30% of all adults returning to school in the USA are getting their master's degree online.

When looking for a university that offers a Master of Education online degree you need to look for one which is accredited. These particularly universities will offer you a Master Education online program that includes education, curriculum design, e-education, educational leadership and teaching. Such programs are often particularly designed for teachers, corporate instructors, military trainers and anybody else who shares a passion for both learning and they want to be at the forefront of modern educational methods. Also the accredited universities will provide you with your study material as well as online counseling and you will even be able to take your exams online. Because of these features it means that a student no longer needs to be present at a given time of year in order to take their exams and they can be adjusted in case they have any particular work commitments that they need to deal with.

In order to qualify for an Master education online course you need to apply for the course you may also need to take a specific test for the type of degree that you wish to obtain. But like any traditional degree program you will need to have obtained either a High Bachelor's degree in order to be able to take a Master education online degree program. But do not worry as you do not actually need to have the same Bachelor's degree as the Master's degree that you want to take. So for example no matter what bachelor's degree you have obtained you will be able to take a Master's education degree online.

Stephen Chua is the webmaster of EducationForLifeNow, which provides tips and information on adult online education. Please visit http://educationforlifenow.com and download your free copy of "Grants and Student Loans" report.

Online Accreditation - The Mark of Quality

As you consider the details of your educational future online, accreditation should be at the top of your list. Anyone can put together a web page, but serious online education institutions will be certified by legitimate accreditation organizations.

How Accreditation Works
Accreditation organizations look at every detail of a school, making sure it meets standards to give you the best education for your money. These accrediting agencies aren't connected to the schools, so they can offer an unbiased opinion. They use a specific procedure when considering a school for accreditation.

Do Your Accreditation Homework before You Begin
Accreditation is an important consideration when choosing the institution from which you are planning to pursue your online degree. Accreditation is a tough and expensive process to go through; thus, it can be considered a good measure of integrity. It makes sense to do your homework regarding accreditation before you decide on the online program that's right for you. The U.S. Department of Education provides a list of approved accrediting agencies, which will easily provide the information regarding the legitimacy of the school in which you are interested.

Make Certain Future Employers Will Recognize Your Completed Degree
To ensure that your future employers and other schools recognize your online degree as credible, you should seek a degree from a reputable accredited college or university. The Universal Council for Online Education Accreditation (UCOEA) is one of the primary online accreditation organizations.

The Accreditation Plan

Standards Set: Together, accrediting agencies work with educational institutions to establish standards for evaluation. Think of it as a study group for schools.

Self-Evaluation: The institution is given time to prepare for an in-depth self-evaluation, and prepare to be evaluated by the agency.

On-Site Evaluation: A team visits the institution in-person to be sure that established staff and education standards are met.

Monitoring: Once an institution receives accreditation, it is monitored to be sure standards remain high.

Reevaluation: Periodically, accrediting agencies return to the institution with updated guidelines and standards for the school.

How Schools are Accredited in the U.S.
Accreditation in the United States is awarded by private accrediting agencies, not by the government. The U.S. Department of Education defines an accrediting agency as "A private educational association of regional or national scope, which develops evaluation criteria and conducts peer evaluations to assess whether or not those criteria are met. Institutions and/or programs that request an agency's evaluation and that meet an agency's criteria are then 'accredited' by that agency."

The Purpose of the Universal Council for Online Education Accreditation (UCOEA)
The primary purpose of UCOEA is to promote high-quality distance education by identifying standards that outline the best practices in education. UCOEA provides guidance for both established and developing distance education institutions to ensure that online colleges and universities are providing the quality online education promised to you through their promotional literature.

Newer Schools Are Often in the Process of Becoming Accredited
It is also important to note that accreditation is a lengthy process and can take years to fulfill all the necessary requirements. This means that newer schools often haven't completed, or even begun, the process. So the fact that a school does not have its accreditation doesn't always mean that the school is fraudulent or not reputable.

Select the Accredited College or University That Fits Your Personal Needs
Whether you are interested in earning your associate, bachelor, masters, or your PhD, selecting the college or university that best fits your needs and interests is certainly an individual decision. The choices are quite numerous – there are colleges and universities of all types offering online degrees in almost any field you can imagine.

However, since all of these institutions might not be fully accredited, with the assistance of the Universal Council for Online Education Accreditation (UCOEA) and the U.S. Department of Education, you can identify the reputable, accredited schools offering degrees.

Graduate with the High-Quality Education you Expect
It is very important to research the credibility of the accrediting agency for the college or university you choose so you will graduate with the quality of education that will meet your expectations. Discover the wide array of degrees available to you at online accredited colleges.

Nancy Lambert is an executive for Accredited-Online-Colleges.com Accredited-Online-Colleges.com provides information on hundreds of degrees offered online through accredited colleges and universities. From online certificates to Associates, Bachelors, Masters and PhD degrees, Accredited-Online-Colleges.com helps students and adults discover the advantages of earning their online degree.

Where Can I Take Classes Online? 5 Places to Look for Internet-Delivered Distance Learning Programs

When searching for distance learning programs, you might think your choices boil down Google, Google, Google. However, youd be wrong: you have more choices than you think. In fact, depending on what you want, the search engine of your choice could be exactly the wrong method to use.
First of all, it helps if you know what you want to study. That covers what subject, to what level, and for what purpose.

Is it for pleasure, or better job prospects?

Is it an academic subject like math or English, or is it hobby-related, such as journaling, creative writing, or scrap booking?

Offline sources:Magazines and Newspapers
Once you have those questions covered (and 'Im not sure' is a perfectly good answer, because you dont know whats available at this stage), a very good offline source of answers is your magazine store. Head for the section covering the subject youre interested in, and go to the classifieds. There's likely to be details of online courses offered. A quick survey in my local store revealed courses in languages, interior design, memory improvement and chiropody, for example.

Online sources (1): Search engines and indexes
You know this one: you navigate to the entry window of your favorite search engine or index, and type in something like 'distance learning programs', 'online courses', or 'online classes' followed by the word or phrase that sums up your subject. You get the first ten results from millions of pages which contain those words somewhere (usually not together!). You need to do a thorough research job, because you will get blog entries, news items and other paraphernalia touching upon but not directly relevant to what you want. The pages containing details of courses (and where you can enroll for them) are mingling in there somewhere -- you just have to be patient and search. If you want an example, just try entering the letters TEFL, and see how many entries you get for teaching English as a foreign language.

Online sources (2): Newsletters, ezines and specialist sites
These are good for hobbies and interests, but also sometimes for more academic or work-related themes. Many are also affiliated to distance learning programs, or are occasionally sponsored by them. (This does mean that the site makes a small profit when you buy following their link, but the money helps keep the newsletter going. You might feel there may be more courses to choose from though, so don't necessarily stop your search here.) The way to find them is to type 'newsletter' or 'ezine' plus the word or phrase that best sums up your subject. Once you find a few, visit their sites, and follow not only the links to the courses, but also links to related sites, because there might be details of different courses there.

Online sources (3): The establishment itself.
This one applies when youre perhaps more interested in the prestige of a degree from a particular establishment, such as one of the Ivy League Universities. Or you dont trust the label 'accredited' (though theres no reason not to). Or you find what you want in a general search engine trawl, but you didnt spot the name of certain bricks-and-mortar colleges or universities you know about. So you type a university name followed by 'online classes', 'online courses' or 'distance learning programs' and the subject name, and see what comes back.

You may get nothing reasonable, in which case try deleting the subject name (in case they call it by another name, such s 'Hispanic Studies' instead of 'Spanish'). If you still cant find what you want, you could email the establishment to see if they have any recommendations. (It could be that they act as an accreditation body, effectively guaranteeing the quality of learning of a smaller educational body or college. The online classes will be every bit as good as those offered in the real world by the university or college.)

Online sources (4): Forums
Our final source of information about online courses are online forums. Theyre great places to ask questions of any kind related to the subject youre interested in studying. That includes questions about recommended courses.

So there you have it: five places to find out where you can take online classes. Happy studying!

Roger White helps you get clear about the hows, wheres, and whys of learning. For more details about choosing online courses and distance learning programs, go to http://www.DistanceLearning4All.com now!

Go Online For High School? Be Prepared Or Drop Out!

Do you have what it takes to go to high school online? It is not for the faint of heart or the weak of spirit. It will be just as demanding, actually more demanding, than traditional high schools.

If I have not scared you off, here are six points that you need to reconcile before you make the attempt to be an online high school student:

1. Being an online high school student is at least as difficult as being a traditional student and most find it more difficult. There are a number of reasons for this including you needing to be the primary motivator to get the work done (as opposed to the teacher).

2. You need to choose the right model for you. If you know that you will need extra time to complete courses, do not choose a program that is semester-based. If you know that you need set deadlines in order to complete work, do not choose a program that has open-ended or far in the future deadlines.

3. Choose a collaborative arrangement that works for you. If you work best in isolation, do not choose a program that requires group work. If you need the support of other students, do not choose a program that is primarily independent study.

4. Choose a program that uses the type of media which works for you. If you need audio and video files, find the programs that offer those resources.

5. If you are an adult and want to be in a program that focuses on adults, choose one. If you are a teen and do not want to be "in class" with adults, select a program that only allows the under-18 crowd.

6. Commit to doing the work. The #1 reason for students failing to complete a program is a lack of commitment. You can do it. You need to decide that you will do it.

Online learning can work at the high school level, but you must go in with your eyes wide open. Understand your limitations, understand the limitations of learning online, and understand the limitations of the specific program.

Thomas Nixon is the author of Complete Guide to Online High Schools. In it, he details how to earn a high school diploma online. The companion website, BestOnlineHighSchools.com, is the premier source of information on online high schools. Tom is also the manager of the college support website, CollegeAdvocates.com. His website is ThomasNixon.com.