Guide to Taking Your Bachelor Degree Online

Earning a bachelor's degree online can be an ideal way to earn a diploma, or it can be a disaster in the making – it all depends on the student, the field, and the school. Navigating the difficult task of choosing a degree program takes care and good research, and this guide is meant to help students understand everything they need to know to make an educated decision. We cover the pros and cons, what to expect in an online college, how to choose a program, and who excels in this environment. Good luck!

Quick Facts about Bachelor Degree Programs Online - The Advantages - The Disadvantages - What to Look for in an Online Bachelor Degree Program - Is This the Right Path for You? Characteristics of the Most Successful Students

Quick Facts about Bachelor Degree Programs Online

As is true at a traditional college or university, students can earn a Bachelor of Arts, which is most often a four-year degree in the fine arts, social sciences, literature, or music. A Bachelor of Science typically also takes four years online and includes chemistry, biology, physics, and mathematical sciences. (BrainTrack)
Roughly half of the 4,500 campus-based colleges and universities in the United States now also offer online programs. (Sramana Mitra)
Teachers and schools have at their disposal streaming lectures, web chat, forums, video conferencing, online discussion, computer programs, email, and broadcasts in addition to traditional textbooks in their classes for students. (CoolToolsforSchools.com)
In 2008, around four million students in college were enrolled in classes online. (The Sloan Consortium)
Online colleges are seeing an upswing in their enrollments as a result of the current economic recession. Adults of all ages are returning to school to earn a degree and hone their skills in order to be more competitive in the job market, and see online schools as a convenient way to accomplish this goal. (Cable News Network)
In the 2006-2007 school year more than nine million students were enrolled in college-level credit-granting online courses. (National Center for Education Statistics)
Approximately 11,200 college-level programs were reported as available for students to complete solely through distance education in 2006-2007. (National Center for Education Statistics)
Some online colleges and universities offer conferences and events for students, faculty, and staff to meet and interact with one another as a way to enrich students' online learning experiences. (Capella University)
A recent report conducted for the U.S. Department of Education that studied mainly higher education found that “on average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.” (The New York Times)
The most popular online bachelor's degree programs are: Human Resource Management, Nursing, Business Management, Computer Science, Criminal Justice Administration, Visual Communications, Information Technology Management, Software Engineering, International Business Administration, Computer Network Management, Safety Engineering, and Marketing. (ULinks.com)

The Advantages

The most obvious advantage of an online bachelor's degree program is the convenient schedule it affords. Students can mold their academic schedule to meet the needs to their personal or professional lives.
Students don't have to leave home – all work can be completed from their home if they have a computer and Internet connection. This might be ideal for anyone with a disability or sickness that inhibits their movement, or for someone who likes having his or her own work space in one location.
A degree program can be completed in a longer time frame if need be, and is convenient for those who are, for example, raising children, working long hours, or juggling many time commitments.
Work can be completed from any location with an Internet connection, which is ideal for someone who moves around or travels frequently.
Online schools are sometimes less expensive than campus-based programs, and involve fewer fees and costs that get passed on to students who attend a campus, like building maintenance, campus grounds clean-up, etc.
Because students don't attend a brick-and-mortar institution, there are no commuting, travel, or relocation costs that come along with earning a degree.
Some online colleges and universities have simpler admissions requirements than traditional schools, sometimes depending on a student's status. Not all require letters of recommendation, SAT scores, or resumes like most brick-and-mortar schools do.
Students can sometimes complete a degree more quickly than they might at a campus-based school if they have the time and motivation to do so with accelerated programs, enrolling in more classes, and not taking breaks or vacations.
You can get a degree in virtually any subject online, whereas a your closest local college or university might not offer the degree they want.
Online school can be good for students who lack the confidence or skills they might want to display in a real-world classroom environment. A student who is shy, quiet, or less inclined to speak up in front of a big class full of peers may feel much more comfortable doing so in an online classroom setting.

The Disadvantages

A lack of in-person classroom interaction is a major downside to earning a bachelor's degree online. Many claim that students fundamentally can't engage with and learn from teachers and other students in the same way, even with the help of video and chatting technology available today. This interaction is especially valuable in some courses, such as writing, acting, or medicine.
Students miss out in a major way when they aren't able to build relationships that are solid and lasting with their peers, classmates, and faculty at a school where they all work and study together in a real-world environment.
Students get no experience of a campus lifestyle. The ins and outs of daily life on a campus – living in the dorms, eating in the cafeteria, attending campus events, studying at the library, etc. – are invaluable, and admittedly an extremely enjoyable part of college.
At a brick-and-mortar school, students work in laboratories, create in studios, act on stages, and present in classrooms in ways that student cannot when attending an online school. Online students don't learn these marketable skills in realistic settings that can be valuable later in the professional realm.
Students miss out on practical real-world training with the internships, externships, practicums, field placements, volunteer positions, and jobs that campus-based schools can arrange or facilitate for them, often as a part of their coursework.
Online learning is ill suited for some subjects like acting, culinary arts, nursing, agriculture, medicine, or virtually any degree that requires tangible subjects or resources to learn and operate. It also difficult where classroom demonstrations by professors require that students practice with equipment in lessons.
Students face a serious lack of direct guidance from their professors in a day-to-day sense, which can be key to many students' motivation, organization, time management, and discipline.
Online degrees are sometimes thought of less highly than those earned from traditional schools, even if the online college or university is fully accredited. Other schools or employers are wary of something earned through the Internet because they know little about it.
Sometimes credits are nontransferable to another school where a student might want to earn a higher degree, like their master's or doctoral degree.
There are fewer networking opportunities for online students because they don't interact face-to-face with professors, staff, professionals, and other students and their families who might help them land interviews or even jobs after graduation.

What to Look for in an Online Bachelor Degree Program

Accreditation is absolutely crucial for any program a student enters – the school should be listed with the U.S. Department of Education as one that has undergone rigorous testing and review to prove that it is a reputable place of learning.
A strong reputation lets students know that a school is trustworthy and offers a good education because it has earned a name for itself that denotes respect and value. Employers will recognize their bachelor's degree as being valuable, too.
Students should look for a compelling curriculum, especially in their desired degree area. Ask to see course listings, read course descriptions, and understand class requirements. Prospective students should ensure that classes are offered in specific areas where they would like to receive training.
Excellent professors are key to any strong college education. They should be well educated, have experience in the field, and a strong teaching background. Especially for bachelor's courses online, teachers should have knowledge of and experience with online education and online student-teacher interaction. Ask for teachers' email addresses and inquire with them about the program.
A reasonable cost differs student-by-student, but you should nonetheless weigh the cost of tuition, fees, and materials at each potential online school before enrolling.
Students should seek a strong, broad academic foundation in the courses required in an online bachelor's degree program. While you may dislike English or can't stand trigonometry, subjects like these provide invaluable training and skills that are applicable to any subject or career. Look for schools that offer a variety of courses in addition to those needed for the specific major.
A variety of learning formats is the richest way to learn – lectures, discussions, tutorials, book work, research, and assignments are just a few of the many formats teachers can use to help students engage with a curriculum. It is important that online teachers vary what they use in a class so that students with various learning styles can excel. Call schools you are thinking of applying to and ask which techniques their professors employ.
Positive student reviews offer the perspective of insiders about why a school is good, which is indispensible for potential school attendees. While random, unreliable remarks do pop up on review websites, you should pay attention to schools and programs that receive lots of enthusiastic (or consistently negative) comments.
Good rankings are an easy way for students to tell whether a school or particular program is highly regarded. The better the ranking, the more valuable the degrees are likely to be on the job market in the eyes of potential employers.
Schools should provide help you reach your career goals after graduation. Through skills training during classes, online workshops, teacher guidance, and the availability of a Career Center or Counseling Center, schools should offer students a multitude of resources to learn how to apply their bachelor's diploma to a career path.

Is This the Right Path for You? Characteristics of the Most Successful Students

Below are 10 traits usually held by strong students in online bachelor's degree programs. These links provide prospective or current students with tips and insights to improve in these areas.

Self-motivation is crucial for online learners because they have no one but themselves to rely on. There are no parents, no counselors, and no teachers to lean over your shoulder and ask whether assignments have been completed.
Organization is truly the key to success: students are encouraged to keep an agenda, maintain a calendar of due dates and exams, sort coursework into different binders, pay attention to syllabi, and maintain a tidy work space, among other habits.
Strong computer skills are helpful given that coursework, classes, assignments, and communication all happen with the aid of computer technology.
Discipline helps students put nose to the grindstone and read their books, finish their assignments, and study for exams even when they would rather be doing something more enjoyable.
Effective time management is key since students have to juggle their work, school, home, and social lives. Because they do not attend a campus, it is more difficult to separate these lives and time management helps students complete their work in a reasonable time frame.
An independent learning style is crucial because students cannot rely on a group, team, or leader to guide them. This comes naturally to students with an innate curiosity about the subject, be it U.S. History or advertising strategies.
Good research skills are useful since students spend so much time studying independently, especially using computer technology. Learning how to locate, understand, and remember information is invaluable.
Clear communication with other students, professors, and staff is crucial since there aren't opportunities to interact face-to-face. Students should learn how to communicate effectively by other means, get their questions answered, and engage fully with their education.
Punctuality is important for any student, but especially those in online schools where virtual lessons, lectures, discussions, debates, and chats are scheduled to meet the needs of people in different places and time zones.
Good study habits are crucial: complete homework on time, study in a healthy environment, avoid distractions, be focused and present, take notes, ask questions, have a routine, etc.