How to pursue Online Bachelor’s / Master’s Degree? | Virtual Learning – Part 2

Did you know? Though we call this e-learning, online education & Virtual Learning – this is a mode and subset of Distance Education. Why is that?

Distance Education has been there since 1700s. It has evolved with the mode of communication :

• 1840 : Sir Isaac Pitman educated others of his famous Pitman Shorthand methodology via Postal Service
• 1948 : Federal Communications Commission (FCC) promoted Distance education via Radio & Television
• 1985 : Nova Southeastern University used Internet to start its first ever Online Education

Now, with rapid advancement of Internet – Virtual Learning became a convenient medium for many universities and self-starter students

5 Key Points to note while Choosing the University/College providing Online Degree

1. Accreditation : Be it Online or On-premises Education – always check the authenticity of the College/University. Beware of fakes! You can verify if they are recognized institutions through the following websites:
   • USA : Search for the university name in CHEA(Council for Higher Education Accreditation)
   • India : Search the College/University name in Know Your College (published by HRD Ministry, Govt. of India). Do note that it can fall under Technical College or Other Higher Education Institutes
2. Quality of Online Teaching :
   • See if the Course Content matches your requirement
   • Apart from recorded videos, do they have interactive sessions?
   • Do a thorough Google Search on the Course and University. Check out the no.of Ratings & Reviews. Both matters!
3. Flexibility : One of the main reasons to prefer Online Education is for its flexibility.
   • See if their semester schedule is suitable for you
   • Check if it is completely online or do you have to visit the Institute for any session/meeting
4. Course Fee & Financial Aid : Generally, Online Degrees can be pursued from reputed universities at a fractional cost (in comparison to On-Premises). But, do verify
   • if there are extra charges apart from Course Fee
   • if you can avail a Financial Aid (Scholarship)
5. Support Services : This is key in Online Degree. Verify the following:
   • How to ask doubts with Professors? Email or quick Virtual Meeting?
   • Whether they provide Placement (Career) Opportunities?
   • If there are issues, who and how quickly will it be resolved?

Next Steps

If you are already aware of the University & Online Degree that you would like to learn – then, validate it with the above 5 key points.

If you are new to this concept or would like to explore, then you can start with the below list and validate it with the above 5 key points :

1. Stanford Online - Master of Science
2. IIM, Ahmedabad - e-Mode Post Graduate Programme in Management
3. University of the People - Online Tuition-Free University Degrees
4. eDX - Online Master's Degree
5. Coursera - Online Bachelor's & Master's Degree

Happy Online Degree Learning! Stay Safe!