Online High Schools and Accreditation: Make the Right Choice

By: Thomas Nixon

Choosing the right online high school involves more than just picking a school. It involves selecting a school with the right accreditation. Choosing wrong can damage your chances at getting into the college of your choice. Choosing right can get you where you want to be.

Accreditation can be confusing for those in the business. I can only imagine how it looks from the outside. There are both regional accreditors, national accreditors, and other specialized accreditors. While one would think that national accreditation would be the standard, regional accreditation has the reputation as being of the highest quality. Whether that is true is a question for a different time and article. However, there are most definitely colleges that would not accept a nationally-accredited diploma.

There are six regional accrediting bodies that accredit schools. Being accredited by one of these is the form of accreditation that is most widely accepted by colleges and universities in the United States. Oddly enough we have an accreditor of accreditors called the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA.org). It is responsible for governmental recognition of accreditors.

The six regionals are:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA)
Commission on Secondary Schools
www.css-msa.org

New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC-CIHE)
Commission on Public Secondary Schools
www.neasc.org/cpss/cpss.htm

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACASI)
Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement
www.ncacasi.org

Northwest Association of Accredited Schools
www.boisestate.edu/naas

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Council on Accreditation and School Improvement
www.sacscasi.org

Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Accrediting Commission for Schools
www.wascweb.org

In addition to the regional accreditors, there are specialized accreditors. The most well-known of these is the Distance Education and Training Council (www.detc.org). Located in Washington, D.C., it has the advantage of focusing solely on distance education. It's prominence is growing within accrediting circles and it is likely that one day it will be considered equivalent to regional accreditation.

Regardless of which accreditor you end up with, you should make sure that it is either a regional accreditor, DETC, or any other accreditor listed at CHEA.org. The only other option would be a high school that is recognized by a state department of education or a public school district. Make sure that it is the state's education department and not just a business license. Most anyone can get a business license to open a school, but it requires a much higher standard to be recognized by the department of education in a state.

Thomas Nixon is the author of Complete Guide to Online High Schools and is manager of CollegeAdvocates.com and BestOnlineHighSchools.com, an online high schools directory. He can be contacted through his website at ThomasNixon.com.

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A Criminal Justice Online Degree - Would You Dare To Take The Step?

Have you ever considered taking a criminal justice degree online? Let's do

A Little Thought Experiment

It's Monday night, and it has been a hard day at work. You left the cube farm and fought the freeway monsters to get home as fast as possible and you're beat. You grab a bag of potato chips and a Coke, and sit down to watch CSI. You love this series, especially the Miami show. Some version of CSI is always on some channel every night during the week, and you rarely miss it. Sometimes you dream about being a CSI Investigator yourself, but it's simply not possible.

Unlike most of us, it's not the blood-and-guts that make CSI fascinating to you. It's the forensic science the criminal investigators are applying. You'd sure rather be solving forensic puzzles than balancing profit-loss statements at your old office or wherever you work, but it's not possible, it's only a dream. You would you ever think that you could become a forensic detective?

Why the heck not? Why couldn't you be a CSI investigator? Yes, you probably would need to get a certain degree, probably in criminal justice or something like that. However, It's not impossible. You can get a criminal justice degree on the internet these days. If you think about it, getting a criminal justice degree from the net would remove most of the barriers to accomplishing that dream of yours.

When A Dream Comes True

But you as the rest of us have bills to pay, you say, and you can't just quit your job and go to school. That's all right. Nobody will stop you from continuing to scoop poop in the cube farm while you get your criminal justice degree online. You just take the classes when you're available. You might have to miss an occasional CSI episode or two to fit it in, but you'd be studying the real thing.

But there are years since you have been to school, and you're scared you won't succeed and your cube buddies would laugh at you. Please let me encourage you a bit here. Online education is made for adults. Many students will claim that it's more learner friendly that ordinary classroom education. New teaching technology combined with the internet makes it accessible and interesting and nobody has to know what you're doing until you are ready to tell them. You learn in the comfort of your own home. As far as I can see, it's the perfect solution.

It is possible indeed. You can make your dream come true. You could get your criminal justice degree online and become a CSI Detective. Or you can keep watching TV and making excuses, and four years from now you'll still be working in the cube farm. It's entirely up to you. You can do it if you really want to. Therefore, I think you should go for it. Yes, go for it!

Nic Haffner likes to publish accredited online degree articles. You can go to the website Online-Accredited-Degrees.net for more.

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How To Avoid Wasting Money on Online Degree Scams

By: David Dunlap

For every person hoping to achieve success and get an online education, there are many more companies and people trying to scam unsuspecting individuals. It goes without saying that these should be avoided at all cost. Of course, the best approach to avoiding online degree scams is to know your product before you buy.

Prospective online students should be on the lookout for things inside the degree offer that tout the benefits of distance learning, but provide little in the way of support for the student. A degree based on life experience alone may often not be worth the paper it is printed on. This can often be very hard for a "graduate" of diploma mills to understand, but most human resource managers would give you a blank stare if you mentioned this as a competitive qualification for employment.

A "money back guarantee" can mean nothing if the small legalese boilerplate says that only in extreme circumstances can you actually get your money back. If the work materials are out of date, poorly written, or the grading standards too harsh or unfair, to whom might you complain? The job market right now is extremely competitive. Gaining any kind of degree or credential that has questionable legitimacy can reduce your chances of being hired, promoted or recognized in your respective field.

Think about what you would do if your money was charged or your check for the "degree" cashed, and you received no diploma, certificate, or any documentation at all showing educational progress. Can you afford to sue a website or a company? Ask yourself before you enroll in any online program if there is not a more legitimate and trustworthy institution available. Why would you want to furnish identity information such as your name, address and telephone number (and IP address), credit, and social security data to strangers over the Internet anyway? Can you hire an attorney to travel to the place where the business is headquartered? Do you have a fine understanding of the legalities of suing a company that accepts money for 7-day high school equivalency courses? It’s likely they are ten steps ahead of you for any legal recourse.

Shop around and see why the "big" online schools near you don’t offer the same program, or call them and ask why. Often a look at the fine print will tell the story. Are there foreign or offshore company names, paragraph after paragraph of disclaimers, unlisted faculty, or minute clauses that state that the work being paid for is only coaching or instruction toward the goal of a degree and cannot be termed education? In order to prove you passed a course with a suspect, or possibly fraudulent, online company, could you produce screenshots of every question you answered correctly? Could you prove that these programs came from the company listed on your credit card? If you don’t receive a quality teaching experience, have you really achieved anything more than a piece of paper?

If you feel there is an online service you want to check, research the "school" or find discussion boards that tell about other student’s experiences. Do not trust testimonials from that site. Contact your state board of education or the county education offices where that school claims to be located. Ask the personnel there if they know of the school or have processed any inquiries or complaints. Keep in mind that a high school diploma obtained in another state may be legal there, but not where you live or work.

The worst thing about education scams is they injure the very people who are most deserving of help; the ones who are trying to better themselves and do what’s needed to get ahead. It is recommended that students act in their own defense first and contact local public school counseling offices or boards of education for advice first.

Looking to finally finish the degree that has been eluding you to this point? Wait no further - complete your online degree today! Get all the information needed to begin today at http://onlinedegreeservices.com

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How To Choose An Online Accredited Degree Program

By Steadman Issenburg

With the rapid proliferation of both online and off line schools that offer advanced degree programs, it is more important than ever that you choose a fully accredited school in order to get the best education possible. So let's discuss what accreditation is, how you benefit from it, and how you can use it to select the best online schools and degree programs.

First of all, there's a need to understand the accreditation process. For a school to be legitimately accredited means that it has been validated by a peer review process and found to be providing a high quality education according to accepted established educational standards. In other countries, schools are often accredited by some form of government agency. However in the US, these evaluations are made by private accrediting agencies instead, many of which are regional in nature.

So when you are comparing online degree programs, accreditation is perhaps the first and foremost issue that you want to address. For an online college or university to be accredited means that you will have all the tools at your disposal that are necessary to help you get a high quality education in the field that you are pursuing. And since the accreditation is awarded according to established educational standards, if you have to transfer from that school to another accredited school later on, all of the credits that you have earned up to that point should be able to transfer along with you without your having to repeat courses that you have already covered.

So why is accreditation so important? Simply put, there are a lot of generally worthless college degree scams commonly known as diploma mills set up to take students hard earned money and give them very little quality education in return. Even though you may get an online degree from one of these schools that are not accredited, it will most likely do you very little good when it comes time to try to get employment in that particular field as the quality of the education that you have received cannot be verified or validated.

So obviously then, it's vital to make sure that any online degree program that you consider is a fully accredited school that offers a high quality education in the field of your pursuit. But how do you make sure that is an accredited school? Perhaps the easiest and quickest way to verify accreditation for any particular school is to go to the web site for the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or CHEA. This agency is not affiliated with the government, but helps coordinate research on accreditation issues. So all you have to do is enter the name of the school that you wish to research and see if it comes up as having been accredited by a reliable accrediting agency. If a school or online degree program is found to not be accredited by a reliable agency, it's usually best to avoid it at all costs.

Hopefully the information in this article will help you understand how imported accreditation is in the education field, and how you can protect yourself by making sure that the online college or university that you choose is fully accredited and validated.

Steadman Issenburg writes on many consumer related topics including education. You can find online accredited degree programs and accredited distance learning programs and more by visiting our education website.

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Tips for Receiving Online Accredited Degrees

By: John Higginbotham

While a great many individuals dream of getting a degree, it is sometimes seemingly impossible to interrupt your career and or family life to go back to school. Many of us, of course, have jobs and find that the traditional schedules offered by community colleges and universities often make it impossible for us to juggle our schedules to attend. Or perhaps we have family members, kids more than likely, that we simply must dedicate our time to. These are the very things that are making online college courses ever so more attractive. And don't think for a second that the colleges and universities across the country aren't recognizing this and responding in kind.

A great alternative for the person who desires to attend college classes is to go the route of an online accredited degree. This is a degree from a college or university with accreditation, which means it meets the state's guidelines and is deemed to be every bit as credible as a brick-and-mortar earned degree.

The programs offered in the form of online degrees very greatly. It is advised that anyone pursuing this avenue of higher learning do their homework and learn as much as they possibly can before making their decision as to which classes to pursue. There is ample information to be had, so by all means request as much as you feel is necessary to obtain the information that you're after. We must remember that there are so many degrees offered through the online accreditation process that your choices are becoming ever more diversified. Degree levels include Associates, Bachelors, Masters and Doctorates.

The advantages to getting an online degree are virtually endless. You do not have to commute and there is no need to schedule classes and reshuffle your life around someone else's schedule. The only thing you really have to do is be on yourself to stay disciplined to get your work done.

I will again repeat what I said earlier because of its great importance. It is absolutely paramount that you make sure that the degree that you are pursuing and the classes that you are taking are indeed accredited. There's nothing worse than wasting your time and money taking classes that you will not get credit for, unless of course you are doing it for your own edification.

If you were ever considering getting a degree to improve your chances of landing a job, or getting paid more, or even to perhaps change careers completely, now is the time to do it. The future is promised to no one and now with the advantages of online accredited degrees, there really is no excuse for not pursuing these wonderful opportunities. Most of these online classes are delivered by way of computer. Don't be intimidated by this if you are not computer savvy. A simple computer and Internet connection will be more than enough to get you through. So now you know. No excuses, get out there and get it done.

John Higginbotham has been on the internet for over 6 years and has extensive knowledge on internet marketing as well as obtaining an online education. You may visit his website at http://www.degree-online.info/.

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Career Information for a Chef's Degree or Certification

If you can express your creativity through food, and if you have an exceptionally discerning palate, you might succeed in a Chef's Degree or Certification program. People who have completed this program may be qualified to enter the following career fields: cook, pastry chef, and caterer.

For some, cooking is a chore; for others, cooking is a chance to make art in the form of food. Standing on your feet for long hours in a hot kitchen is not for everyone. But, if you have the passion, you will find working as a chef a rewarding profession. In this program, you can expect to spend anywhere from fifteen to forty hours a week in the kitchen on top of other course work; in addition, you need to be prepared to work as a team that often reports to a kitchen at 6am. In this major, you will find you have to be thick-skinned to take criticism from teachers and other students. But as long as you have a passion for food and a desire to please others, you will Certification may be qualified to enter the following career fields: cook, pastry chef, and caterer.

Cook

Cooks season and prepare a wider variety of foods ranging from salads, soups, entrees, appetizers, and desserts. Working for restaurants, catering firms, schools, and offices, they specialize in providing large quantities of food to groups of people. According to a 2002 study by the U.S. Department of Labor, there were over 3 million jobs for cooks and other food workers-mostly in restaurants and other food establishments. According to that same study, jobs will be plentiful for the next 8 years, but interested applicants should be aware that competition is quite high at the more lucrative establishments. Earning a degree in culinary arts or culinary science is an effective way to increase one's job prospects. Exact earnings vary dramatically, depending on the area you work in.

Pastry chefs

Under the food preparation category, pastry chefs are professional bakers who provide desserts and breads for restaurants, supermarkets, food establishments and general pastry shops. They tend to work normal hours (except during holiday seasons), and enjoy flexibility and creativity. According to the Career Education Advisor, overall employment will increase, because of the growing number of bakeries, specialty stores, and consumer interest. According to this same study, pastry chefs' incomes are quite varied depending on region, specialty, clientele and experience. In 2000, the median salary was about $20,000. Most chefs earned between $15,000 and $25,000, with the richest earning over $30,000. Earning a degree in culinary arts or culinary science will probably place applicants in the upper income bracket.

Caterer

Catering is a fun job for those with skills in hospitality and customer service. The job allows you to often work on your own hours, and out of your own home. There are catering services you can work for, but many prefer to freelance. The sky is the limit in this job, and you may find yourself preparing for huge banquets, wedding services, and even personal dinners for two. You must be willing to deal with time crunches, picky customers, and be able to come up with back up plans in case things go wrong at the last minute.

For more Career Information for a Chef's Degree or Certification, or for related programs, visit the US Bureau of Labor, www.bls.gov, or College Board, www.collegeboard.com.

Online Graduate Schools: What You Should Look For in an Online Grad School

Would you like to pursue a postgraduate degree, but you do not have the time to attend classes at a college or university? Many graduate degrees can be obtained online these days, but you need to ask some questions before you pick a program.

So you'd like to earn a master's degree? In the past you'd often have to quit your job in order to do this, and in some circumstances even relocate to the site of the college or university where you planned to study. These days, however, there is a cheaper, simpler option - you can pursue a graduate degree online! Before you enroll in the first degree program you find, though, there are a few factors you need to consider.

Is the program accredited?

Always look for accreditation - regional accreditation is fine in some cases, but certain professional degree programs require additional certification - if you plan to sit for the bar, you'll have to make sure your law degree is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) . Likewise, a degree in library science will be much more likely to land you a job if your program has been accredited by the American Library Association (ALA).

Does the program require any resident time?

Some online programs nevertheless require a certain amount of time spent on site at the college or university - this time can range from a few days per year to a number of weeks or even months (usually during the summer). Be sure you can commit to the time and travel involved before choosing such a program.

What is the cost of the program compared to similar online programs?

Online degrees are not necessarily inexpensive, and can cost as much as the tuition were you to attend classes on site. The savings to you comes in the fact that many classes are scheduled during night and weekend hours, permitting you to keep your day job, and of course there are no commuting costs, nor do you have to relocate. This being said, the fact that you are not limited by geography as a factor may allow you to choose between a wider range of programs, some of which may be less costly than others. If you find a program which is much, much cheaper than all other similar programs, though, beware - and check carefully into the cause of the lower price. Do they save on faculty salaries by having less-qualified instructors do online teaching? Or is the program in some way subsidized by a grant, in which case the lower price might be entirely legitimate? Just do your homework - before as well as after you enroll in a graduate degree program!