Obtaining an Online Bachelors Degree

James Stephenson

Attaining a degree has never been easier than it is now, with many colleges and universities now offering online bachelors degree programs. The internet has allowed students to study remotely at home and work at their own pace. When taking the traditional route, a bachelors degree takes a minimum of four years, and many times it takes closer to five and six years to complete. Some courses are only offered at certain times, putting you at the mercy of the school schedule, and that of your instructor. By getting your degree online, you can work as little or as much as you want, and many times can complete an online bachelor’s degree in fewer than the traditional four years. This type of convenience is needed to make higher education available to everyone. A great number of students are non-traditional older students, who are married and have families in addition to a full time career. Online bachelors degree programs make attaining an education possible to people who could not do it in the traditional manner.

Online bachelors degree programs offer a variety of curriculums to choose from, and offer many of the same types of courses offered by traditional four year universities. Two years or at least sixty semester credit hours of general education is required in addition to the sixty or sixty-five credit hours required for completion of a bachelors degree in any chosen area of study. General education credits include studies in the liberal arts and sciences, including sociology, mathematics, natural sciences, biology, communications, and the humanities. Online bachelors degree programs should be accredited and promote academic excellence; many are affiliated with traditional colleges and universities across the country, and others are online only. The credits earned at these online institutions should easily transfer to traditional schools, and a degree earned online should be treated as the equivalent of earning it in an on-campus setting. Therefore, it would serve as a prerequisite to pursuing a masters or doctorate degree, which you can also complete online.

There are many online institutions for you to choose from, and as an example, I checked out degrees available through the University of Phoenix, Capella University, Kaplan, and Walden University. The online bachelors degree programs offered include bachelor of arts, bachelor of science in business (in accounting, marketing, management, e-business, and administration), criminal justice, human services, nursing (RNs only), health care services, information technology, and general management. Fields of study that require hands-on clinical skill training like nursing cannot be taught via the internet, which is why for the bachelor of science degree in nursing, the student must already possess the skills and hold licensure as a registered nurse. Start looking around now if you are considering pursuing an online bachelor’s degree. Many online learning institutions offer courses like the ones I just listed, and others offer studies related to specific fields, such as computers, or graphic arts, or fine arts. In depth information regarding class curriculums, credit hours, fees, etc., and is  available to help you make the right choice in selecting your online bachelors degree program.