Thursday, January 5, 2012

Cruise Through College With Online Classes

Most people decide to go back to college because of how much getting a degree can improve their career and boost their income. The faster returning students can complete that degree, the quicker they can be on their way to more money, a potential promotion or a new job. Colleges online allow students to move as fast (or as slow) as they need to through a degree program.
That's flexibility is one reason online college appeals to professionals interested in taking college courses. Distance students can choose their schedule and complete the course work when it's convenient. That means the students can attend college and still fulfill their job and family obligations. It also means the student has to be disciplined and manage their time well.
Some people choose to finish their online bachelors degree in two years or less. Since in Internet-based college you go at your own, you can take as many classes as you want. If you can handle a heavy class load, you can earn your degree in half the time of a traditional four year college.
There are also accelerated online degree programs. In an accelerated program the information is presented in a condensed time period. The student may take one or two classes instead of several classes simultaneously. This really speeds up the process. A bachelors degree can be finished in two years and a masters in a year or 18 months instead of two to three years.
There are also ways to make your work and life experience earn you college credit. The College Level Examination Program, CLEP, allows students to get college credit for what they already know. If you pass the test, you can earn between three and 12 college credits. Twelve credits is equal to one semester at college. And since the CLEP test costs $72, that's quite a deal compared to a semester of tuition.
Some colleges offer college credit in exchange for work experience, allowing professionals to skip introductory classes in their field. For example, a business school in Minnesota offers students with professional marketing experience credit for undergraduate business courses if they pursue a marketing degree. These credits for work experience can shorten the time it takes to get a degree.
Professionals have the option to ask their employer to pay for their college education. Many companies have tuition reimbursement programs. Your boss may be more willing to refund your tuition expenses if a college education will make an employee more valuable to the company. Also check to see if your company takes part in any programs that offer tuition discounts to employees.

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