The top-of-the-line programs actually come from traditional universities. These programs are taught by professors who hold advanced degrees in the subject matter and also teach face-to face classes. These campuses often have "smart" classrooms that allow distance students to participate in discussions via the Internet, or download lectures at a time that is convenient.
Start your search by checking in your local area to see if any of the regional universities offer programs in your field of choice. You should check regionally first as the majority of programs have a residency requirement. This generally means that you have to spend several days during the program on campus attending workshops or lectures. This is much easier for a student who lives in close proximity of the campu, although not impossible for those living across the country.
Online education is not necessarily cheaper.Costs for an online education are highly variable. Tuition is often comparable to that of a brick and mortar institution and in some cases higher. A survey by Bnet.com showed tuition per credit hour for traditional universities to be around $239 per credit hour for online programs, roughly $700-800 per 3 hour class. A full time college student typically takes 12 hours in order to qualify for financial aid. To be considered a full time graduate student, you would take 9 hours or 3 classes typically per semester. In graduate school the price varies greatly with the program one enrolls in. The advantage of an online program economically is the savings on gas, food etc. typically associated with havign to attend face to face classes. An entire graduate degree program can range from around $13,000 from start to finish to over $50,000.00.
Is the program you are considering accredited and if so by whom? The following are the regional accreditation boards for colleges and universities. Universities from Standford to the University of Illinois are regionally accredited. Your program should be accredited by one of the following boards:
• MSA---Middle States Association
• NASC---Northwest Association of Schools & Colleges
• NCA---North Central Association of Colleges & Schools
• NEASC---New England Association of Schools & Colleges
• SACS---Southern Association of Colleges & Schools
• WASC---Western Association of Schools & Colleges
Over 80 percent of universities and colleges will not accept credits or degrees from institutions that are not regionally accredited. Even if your institution is nationally accredited, this does not carry the same wieght as regional accreditation.
East Carolina University has a comprehensive distance education program.You can find out more about the degree you are interestd in by going to www.ecu.edu. The university strives to provide programs that help the surrounding community which contains more than three military bases.
Gonzaga University has a great masters degree program in communication and leadership ( www.gonzagaonline.com).
The University of South Carolina ( see www.usc.edu) and University of Illinois
( www.online.uillinois.edu/catalog/Programs.asp)
have a number of online programs at the graduate level.