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            Chapter IX

Distance Education

(NEW) Before you begin your distance education search, read this full report first: Accredited-online-colleges.

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“With the onslaught of electronic communication, distance education is no longer distant,” said Charlotte Thomas, Career and Education Editor at Peterson's. “Technology has irrevocably altered the relationship between student and professor and even what is considered a classroom situation.”

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There are very few geographical boundaries today. Note the following examples:            

• Georgia Institute of Technology Tech enrolls hundreds in distance education that ends in a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering.

• The University of Phoenix enrolls some 200,000 students around the world, both online as well as at one of their 170 campus sites throughout the country.

• Stanford University offers an online degree in engineering available from every area of the world.

• The online student population of the Graduate School of Management at the University of Dallas represents 50 countries.

• California Virtual University boasts nearly 30,000 students online. Most are working adults with jobs and families. Its Web site includes over 5,000 online courses available from California State Colleges, the University of California, the State’s community colleges plus 71 private schools.

• Endicott College in Endicott, Massachusetts, and the University of Maryland University College in College Park, Maryland, offer online degrees and give students the opportunity to earn legitimate college credits based on work and life experience. See Credit for Life. When a student completes an academic career assessment, the university gives him or her recommended study programs and the opportunity to select from thousands of available courses. Students enrolled at Endicott College may petition for up to 30 proficiency credits for work and life experience. Students without any previous college history can take entry-level courses and earn their degree through EC Online at Endicott.)

• University of Maryland University College UMUC has a cooperative education program and offers up to 15 upper-level course credits toward a bachelor’s degree.

Some educators argue that distance learning is more stimulating and encourage more critical reasoning than traditional large lecture classes because of the interaction that takes place in small-group settings. According to Jerald G. Schutte, California State University, Northridge, CalState, test scores for both mid-term and final examinations were on average 20 percent higher for online students vs.  those students in a traditional classroom.

A study published by eCollege, noted that 85 percent of the faculty respondents said their students learned equally effectively online as on campus, and some did even better.

Hundreds of students are enrolled in America’s first fully accredited virtual institution, Jones International University. JIU has no campus, no pretty buildings and no student union.  Instead, the school delivers a virtual classroom electronically to participants wherever they live via the Internet. For more information on earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree online, call 888-811-5663 or log on Jones International.  

Another method for awarding certificates and degrees was developed by the planning board for Western Governors University. The Governors of eighteen western states and one US territory founded the virtual institution with a vision of making higher education more accessible. Thousands of courses are available through WGU from hundreds of participating schools. Based on knowledge of a particular subject, a student can earn a degree or certificate by demonstrating a superior grasp of that subject through a WGU assessment. Instead of being credit-based, Western Governors University is a competency-based institution. More information may be found at Western Governors.

In Distance Degrees, Mark Wilson notes that both accredited Excelsior College and Thomas Edison State College in New Jersey (Edison) will grant a Bachelor’s degree based solely on credits earned from passing equivalency examinations and/or from life experience.

Other notable accredited schools online include:

                  Auburn University (www.auburn.edu)

                  Colorado State University (www.colostate.edu)

                  Columbia University (www.cvn.columbia.edu)

                  Duke University (www.fuqua.duke.edu)

                  Golden State University (cybercampus.ggu.edu/)

                  Iowa State University (www.iastate.edu)

                  Stephens College (www.stephens.edu)

                  Syracuse University (www.suce.syr.edu)

                  U of Arizona, (www.asu.edu)

                  U of Colorado, Boulder (www.colorado.edu)

                  U of Massachusetts, Amherst www.umass.edu

                  Washington State University (http://online.wsu.edu)

Online Schools (NOT IN THE BOOK) 

Here's a link to find hundreds of schools participating in online Distant Ed.  Click on Online Colleges.

Dr. Debra Mertz at World Wide Learn is an online graduate and offers tips on how to succeed in getting your degree online:

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As more institutions are accredited, students are discovering the multiplicity of courses and degrees available online. It is critical however, that the institutions have been accredited by either the federal government or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation CHEA.

“Don’t get pulled in by one of those sham operators,” warns Mark Wilson “There are illegal schools that essentially sell worthless paper [degrees].” For a list of accredited online education providers, check out Distant Ed from the American Educational Guidance Center. For a complete listing of the regional accreditation agencies including the states they represent see Accreditation.

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Some of the institutions accredited by DETC include schools that offer courses on interior design at Rhodec. Other students may venture out and study to be a Graduate Gemologist at GIA, earn a Bachelor of Science in Health Services/Management at Independence, or an Associate’s Degree in criminal justice at Andrew Jackson. For a complete listing, call the Distance Education & Training Council at 202- 234-5100.

As distance education continues to grow, students are also able to earn their Bachelor's or Master's Degree online at Moody or Liberty. For an updated list of schools offering online degrees, log onto ClassesUSA. 

Nursing Online (NOT IN THE BOOK)

Chamberlain College of Nursing in St. Louis now has four active student campuses plus a new degree online program for those unable to attend in person.  For more information, log onto Chamberlain.