Online Degree in USA

An Online Degree is an academic degree that can be earned primarily or entirely through the use of an internet connected computer, rather than attending college in a traditional campus setting. Improvements in technology the increasing use of the internet worldwide, and the need for people to have flexible school schedules while they are working have led to a proliferation of online colleges that award accociate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.



Accreditation of Online Degree:.
The goal of educational accreditation according to the United State Department of Education, is to ensure that programs provided by institutions of higher education meet acceptable levels of quality. ENQA , the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, describes the role of external quality assurance in education as one that combines both accountability for the reassurance of the public and an objective and developmental role for enhancing quality in institutions. In the area of online education it is important to avoid unaccredited diploma mills that offer fake degrees, as these are unfortunately common. Students seeking valid online degrees should obtain proof of accreditation from an appropriate national or regional accrediting body.

Quality of Learning Online:.

Online education enables individuals living with physical disabilities,busy full time employees, soldiers, those living abroad and stay at home parents, among other to have access to accredited higher education.
The perception of the quality of online degrees compared to on campus degrees varies. While most major online colleges are regionally accredited, the public estimation of their quality is in dispute. A national survey of hiring representatives showed that a preference toward on campus degrees experts argue that degrees in certain fields are more accepted online than in others, while some programs are less suited for online online schools.

Prevalence of Online Education:.
The National Center for Education Statistics conducted a distance education study based on the 2001-2002 academic year at United States 2 year ad 4 year degree granting institutions that were eligible for U.S. federal student aid. The study reported that 56 percent of institutions surveyed also found that public institutions were more likely to offer distance education than private institutions were.