Online degrees offer some wonderful advantages. You can take classes at whatever time of day is convenient for you. You can work full-time and still earn a salary while getting your degree. You can bring your laptop with you and study and send in homework assignments while you are on the bus or subway, at the beach, or at the coffeeshop. You don’t have to spend time and gasoline driving to a college campus, looking for parking, walking half a mile to your building, walking back….
However, online nursing degrees do have their limitations.

First of all, there is currently only one online program in the country that we know of – the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh – that allows a person with no healthcare degree or certificate to get their nursing degree. They take a limited number of students, they require you to have a previous bachelor’s degree, you must have completed a number of science and other prerequisites, and they grant an accelerated second bachelor’s degree. Most of the program is online, but you must go to the campus in Oshkosh several times, AND not every state offers the clinicals that are required for the program.

What is much more common are programs that allow an LPN or a paramedic to take a “bridge” program which allows the LPN to complete their associate degree and become a registered nurse. An example of this is Chamberlain College of Nursing. Excelsior College and many others offer these opportunities as well.

You can also, after you get your associate’s degree in nursing, take online classes to get a bachelor’s of science in nursing. This frequently will result in a higher salary, and also, if you want to progress into managerial positions, you generally need at least a BSN.

There are online nursing degree programs which grant master’s degrees in nursing as well.
Also, you can take many of your prerequisites online – English, psychology, nutrition, etc. You need to have those completed before you are accepted into an LPN to RN bridge program.

Associate degrees in civil engineering can be found in vocational, trade, and technical schools for students that do not have previous experience in engineering. A high school diploma or GED is required. Students in vocational and technical Civil Engineering Schools should anticipate courses in fundamentals of engineering, math, physics, chemistry, structural design, surveying, and related engineering subjects. Associate degrees allow for entry-level positions in fields of Civil Engineering.

BS degrees in the field of civil engineering from four-year Civil Engineering Schools require additional liberal arts and sciences courses to complete the degree requirements for a broad, well-rounded education. BS degrees prepare students for entry-level positions with fair measures of responsibility.

Master and doctorate degrees in Civil Engineering Schools provide students with advanced engineering design and management skills. Graduate level students can choose to specialize in areas of civil engineering, such as geotechnical, structural, environmental resources, and transportation engineering. Some graduate studies in civil engineering offer internships that prepare students will real-world experience in the field.

Degreed professionals in fields of civil engineering design and supervise construction of industrial and commercial buildings, bridges, tunnels, roads, dams, irrigation systems, and systems for moving water, sewage, oil, gas, and more. Designing and implementing projects requires the civil engineer to consider regulations set by local and federal governments, public impact, and potential environmental problems that a particular structure may encounter in its lifetime, such earthquakes and flooding.

Master and doctorate level courses in Civil Engineering Schools prepare students for supervisory positions on construction sites and administrative positions. Graduates of Civil Engineering Schools may become responsible for quality of materials, designs, and entire projects; estimations of time and costs of a project; and for completion of projects in a timely manner. Civil engineers must be prepared to meet challenges and solve problems of traffic, urban development, pollution, and community planning. Assignments may find civil engineers at computer work stations, in public hearings, or on a project sites. Good Civil Engineering Schools prepare students to anticipate all such challenges in the workplace.

Only until recently, students enrolled in online degree programs were ineligible for federal student aid unless at least half of their program was campus based (a law established in 1992 and known as the 50-percent rule) but that has changed. And you want to make sure your online school choice does have accreditation, which means the institution has passed a certain level of standards through a recognized organization for upholding quality education.

It is The Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation that recognizes the Distance Education and Training Council as the accrediting organization for distance learning institutions and education programs that offer online degrees.

Many established colleges and universities are now offering online courses and online degree programs and they are usually accredited. One of the greatest benefits of online degree programs is that you can work at your own pace at any time of the day on any day at home. If you’re already working and would like to earn a degree, then the opportunity is there more so today than ever before and with more credibility.

Make sure to ask the educational institutions you’re considering for references. To determine whether or not you’d be a good candidate for an online student ask yourself if you’re someone who gets things done ahead of time or tend to put them off until the very last minute.

Some of the types of online degrees available include: a business administration degree online, online computer degree, online marketing degree, online biology degree, online doctoral degree, online nursing degree, online education degree, online psychology degree, online IT degree, online criminal justice degree, electrical engineering degree online and online theology degree.

Ask the counselors or representatives who handle the accredited online degree programs or bachelor degree online programs what the job prospects are if you’ll be seeking a job or better job after completion. Graduates of the online degree programs are a good source of recommendations. And ask them if there is anything they think you should be aware of. Important– make sure that any online credits you earn are transferable; ask someone you trust at the institution that you plan to transfer to, because most schools vary from course to course and with the individual school policy. You might want to get it in writing.

Try to find online degree forums or chat rooms with students who are attending the school you have in mind. Its been reported that employers feel that an employee who receives an online education degree compare favorably, in terms of the knowledge learned, to someone with a resident degree. Make sure to find out if you have to go to a campus to take any of the exams or complete any of your online coursework. And would you have any difficulty getting to the campus in the evening or on weekends?

When you’re doing your research, it’s important to recognize and avoid diploma mills that churn out fake degrees at a high cost. Also there are online schools that are complete, stand-alone online universities with no campuses, no football teams or fraternities. Whether you want to earn an associate degree online, a bachelor’s degree online or a masters or doctorate degree online, know that most online programs are fully accredited, but make sure to check it out before you enroll.