I guess a bacelors degree is better than an associates degree - why????????? I went to a community college 22 years ago and am one class short of my associates degree in data processing - hated it and the last class was a class that I had to do a presentation - at that time I hated being the center of attention or talking in front of a class - now I am thinking about finding out from the college if I can take an alternative class so I can get that degree. I am interested in DL education - I have been doing credit and collections for the past 10 years and would like to get a bachelors degree in business - but don't know in what - management - finance ?????? Also, what are good schools for this program - How many classes did everyone take a semester? and did everyone like DL education - What is RA? Sorry so many questions .................I know someone on these boards can help me out and point me in the right direction. Thanks.
A bachelor's degree requires more work than an associate's. Therefore, it is "better". In alot of the DL programs you can finish your degree without having to speak in front of people. Also, most of the programs involve taking one class at a time, from 5 to 12 weeks. When you are done with one class, you move on to the next. RA means Regionally Accredited. There are 6 of these agencies that are responsible for specific regions of the U.S.. although there are many accreditations that are approved by the Dept. of Education, RA is considered to be the gold standard. Hope this helps...I would consider buying Dr. Bears book. www.degree.net
OK, I'll take a shot at it. RA means Regional Accreditation. It's a kind of quality control for colleges. Some on this forum will say it doesn't mean much but most will say that going to an RA school is a good and important thing. There are many business oriented degree programs around. Which one is right for you? It's hard to say and depends in part on what you want to do once you've earned it. Go to a local college that offers business degrees (even if they're not DL degrees) and talk to them about their programs, what courses are required, how long it takes, how their graduates are employed after they finish their degrees. There are also career counselors that you can talk to in order to help you make these decisions. Once you feel more certain of your direction you can begin searching for specific DL programs/schools. There are many reasons that people become interested in distance learning but I think it's safe to say that all successful distance learners feel comfortable in working independently and tend to be especially motivated in reaching their academic/vocational goals. Does this describe you? Hopefully it does because I'm not certain how many of those 22 year old credits will be counted towards your degree. The forum members who are more familiar with the portfolio and assessment process will be better able to answer that question. Two things you should do next: 1)Go out and buy John Bears book, Bears Guide To Earning Degrees by Distance Learning (it's the single best source of information on DL) 2)Search through the archives of this forum for threads/posts related to your area of interest - all of the questions you've asked, and many more, have been asked and answered many times over. Good luck, Jack
From a practical standpoint, a Bachelor’s degree is frequently a requirement for employment, particular if you aspire to be on a management track. A Public Speaking or Speech Communications class is usually general education requirement for many degrees. Most Bachelors programs in Business will require at least one or two courses. It might actually be easier to take this course at your local community college. If taken via distance learning, I know of some institutions that require you to submit videotaped speeches that you have to give infornt of a live audience. Don’t feel pressured to choose a business major right away. You’ll have ample time to discover what aspect of business you like most while taking the mandatory business courses. And there’s always the option of a degree in General Business. One good source is Distance Learning Business Degrees. It lists almost 200 different accredited business programs. Distance learning isn’t for everyone, but the flexibility of it can’t be beat. There are, however, many different ways distance learning classes are offered, and one is sure to match your learning style. I suggest starting slow, and take only one or two classes at a time. RA stands for Regional Accreditation. It is the standard for quality assurance for higher education in the United States. Rich Douglas, a frequent poster to this forum has written a good article concerning accreditation entitled Accreditation and the Transfer of Credits and Degrees. A link to the article can be found at http://www.degree.net . On a final note, most of your questions (and many that you haven’t even thought about), are answered in Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning - 14th edition (also available at your favorite online bookseller or local retail store). Your local library may also have a copy, but it may not be the latest edition, and hence, out of date (it still will have volumes of useful information, however). I suggest you purchase a copy. At this point, it is probable the best single investment you can make in your future educational endeavors.
I too will take a stab at it... The United States is divided into six academic regions. Each region is covered by one (of the six) regional accrediting bodies. For example, The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is the regional body that is responsible for accrediting the colleges and universities that are in the southern portion of the United States. The six regional bodies are responsible for determining if colleges and universities meet the academic and financial criteria to be RA. Most schools that are ”regionally accredited” (RA) will not accept college credits from another school that is not RA. Additionally, many government bodies will not accept a college degree unless it is RA. For example: You cannot become a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army without a RA Bachelors degree. You cannot be a sworn officer at my police agency without an Associates degree that is RA. You cannot be hired by my city/county government without a RA Bachelors degree (menial jobs excluded). There are also other impediments to obtaining a college degree that is not RA. Associate degrees are a recent phenomena. They didn’t exist 50 years ago. They were invented in the United States and I don’t know if they have ”caught on” in other countries or in Europe. Many jobs require a Bachelors degree as an entry-level requirement and, thus, an Associates degree won’t get you in the door. However, many companies are wising up and are establishing an Associates degree as an entry-level requirement for certain positions. This is an excellent idea for those jobs that require more than a high school education, but less than a Bachelors degree. A Bachelors degree is better than an Associates degree because it opens more doors. Others who are more qualified will have to answer this question.
Is a bachelors degree better than an associates degree? Depends, in Alabama an associates in nursing will get you 40-50K/yr. With a bachelors in humanities, psychology, etc. you can stand up in front of people and say "may I take your order please?"
MCSE will get you more than an MSW, and likely more than a PhD in Philosophy. In the same field, however, there is no question.
thanks everyone for answering my questions - I really appreciate it - Tomorrow I will go buy John Bears book and Howard I will remember to ask "can I take your oder please" the next time I have to speak in a meeting - I have no problems now talking in front of a group of people - guess all those years of working and being in meetings - I got used to it - Thanks again.
You may also want to pick of US News or some other reputable university ranking. There are a plethora of undergraduate business programs available via DL from schools ranging from the accredited but not respected to some fairly well respected universities.
