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Friday 26 September 2014

Should I Get My Bachelors Degree Online?

With the proliferation of the internet access to higher education has become easier than ever before.  Many adults and even young people who never had the chance to obtain their Bachelor's Degree can now do so through various distance learning programs in an almost unlimited number of subjects.  Online education can offer many advantages, especially to those where a traditional school is not an option.  Still, there are some important things to keep in mind before you jump into an Online Bachelor Degree program.

Just like traditional schools, not all online bachelor degree programs are the same.  There are those schools that are ‘virtual' and don't have an actual physical presence.  Then there are ‘distance learning' variants from traditional schools.  Distance learning programs from established schools have the advantage of having the same value and reputation as the school that issues the degree. This can be great if you obtain a degree from a major institution that offers an online option.

In the job market, school reputation can be an important factor in gaining interviews and competing against other job seekers.  Some nationally recognized traditional schools that offer great Online Bachelor Degree programs include Adelphi University, Boston University, Berkeley College in New York , several of the UC Schools in California, Colorado State University and New York University among others. These online variants of traditional degree programs are nice in that no one will know that your "NYU" degree was gotten online.  It will hold the same weight as if you lived in NYC and completed it in person.  But with the added prestige of obtaining a degree from one of these schools also comes the reality that they typically are more expensive than lesser known online programs.

For that reason many people choose to pursue their Online Bachelor Degree from one of the many quality ‘virtual' schools such as The University of Phoenix, Devry, Kaplan or WGU.  These virtual schools offer much of the experience of the traditional schools but without the cost and often with more lax admission standards.  One important factor to consider however is whether or not the institutional is accredited.  Accredited institutions usually only accept course credits from other accredited schools.  This can be important if you plan on pursuing a Masters Level Degree down the road.  For this reason, I would definitely recommend you steer away from non-accredited programs.  While they can save you money, they limit your options and might not be as respected in certain career fields.

One thing to keep in mind when considering obtaining your Bachelor Degree online is whether employers will accept the degree as readily and with as much respect as a traditional degree program.  For most liberal arts related fields that are not top tier firms this usually will not be an issue.  In fact, most employers will not even know your degree was achieved online.  In certain fields however, it will make a difference.

Those areas of study that require hands-on practical experience as well as mandatory hours of intern or externships such as nursing and certain physical sciences might not be accepted by employers.  Additionally, one should remember before one embarks on a fully online degree program that you will be missing out on many of the internship, network building and personal growth experiences that one does when in a traditional school.  A great number of people get their first career job after college through internships and personal connections they made during school.  This should not be downplayed.

With that said, for certain individuals an Online Bachelor Degree can be a good choice.  Especially for those already working, those where funds or time preclude a regular school, or those that already have a traditional degree but want to simply learn a new subject where the reputation of the school or the benefits of a ‘brick and mortar' institution are not important.  Online Bachelor Degrees open up the world of higher education to a broader audience than ever before.

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Thursday 25 September 2014

The Differences between Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science

Many universities offer both Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS), some schools even do so for the same career track. You might be able to get a BA or a BS in psychology, for instance, which can be very confusing for students that are trying to decide what to do for the rest of their lives. It can be a lot of pressure to have to make a decision that big so it is very important to ensure that students have an information framework big enough that can allow each individual to make an informed choice that fits with his or her lifestyle, personality, and skills needs.

Choosing a Bachelor of Arts: The Perks and the Downfalls

The Bachelor of Arts is currently the most common degree among students attending a university for the first time. Bachelors of Arts degrees usually take about four years, but they might take only three years in several countries, particularly in the European Union. Bachelors of Arts can be in liberal arts, science or based on a comprehensive curriculum that covers both of these subjects together.

A Bachelor of Arts usually has more electives than its Bachelor of Science counterpart and, in short, this basically means that it is likely to be the best option for those students that wish to explore things outside of their degree or have not completely made up their mind yet about what they want to do for the rest of their lives. A few universities around the world do require that the student take a foreign language course before graduating with a BA. Individuals with this type of degree tend to go into the arts, sales, business, media, and communications among many other industries.

Choosing a Bachelor of Science: The Perks and the Downfalls

Unlike a BA, a BS can take up to five years, but it might take only four, depending on the location. Getting a BS degree is more restrictive by nature since it was created to give students a solid technical background and this involves many less electives than those available for a person getting a BA degree. The BS is designed to give students an edge when applying for grad school and it can help to give them specialized information in their field. However, Bachelor of Science degrees are usually very restrictive and they might not be ideal for everyone. Many universities suggest that students that intend to go onto higher education courses, like Medical School, from BS degrees, also plan an alternative career path since admission to these schools is uncertain and the ability to go depends on more than one factor. This type of degree is particularly recommended for those with a very strong interest in science that wish to expand their horizons in that regard. Additionally, many young professionals and career advisors think that in a science setting a BS undergraduate degree will give a student an edge over a BA undergraduate degree.

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Wednesday 24 September 2014

Career Changers, Here's How You Can Finish Your Bachelor Of Science In Nursing In As Short As 1 Year

According to a New York Times article, nursing is one of the top five professions for those who want to change careers. It's easy to see why this is so.

or one, nurses are in high demand these days. The economy is currently very unstable, with the real estate market crash causing layoffs in many industries, from mortgage companies to construction, but there is a nursing shortage nationwide which is projected to continue for the next couple of decades, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Registered nurses also receive good wages, and they have a variety of specific areas to choose from -- whether in a hospital, clinic, nursing school, and others. This sounds better than many boring desk jobs.

And don't be discouraged even if the bachelor's degree you hold is one in a totally unrelated field. Because of the demand, there an now accelerated programs for a second bachelor's degree.

These type of programs can be completed within a year -- from one summer to the next. Other programs are a bit mre lengthy, but still only 18 months long.

Yes, that is a very intense program, and you will have to put everything else aside for that year. No work, and a very understanding family, are a requirement for success in a program like that.

You know however that by the end of those long 12 or 18 months, your efforts will be rewarded because by then you will have earned your Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. This career will provide opportunities for you to work in hospitals, clinics, doctors' offices, schools and even research facilities.

There are some courses that you will need to have completed beforehand, but since you already have a bachelor's degree, you will most likely have already taken at least some of them - psychology, history, English, and possibly the science and math that you will need.

Nowadays it isn't uncommon for an individual to obtain a second bachelor's degree through accelerated programs. According to a May 2007 article on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing website, the courses are offered in 43 states, the District of Columbia and Guam - with 37 new programs in the works! They also found that in 2006, there were 8,493 students enrolled in these programs nationwide - up from 2,422 students in 2004. So clearly the popularity of these programs is skyrocketing in response to the great demand for registered nurses nationwide.

The web article also goes on to differentiate the second bachelor's degree students from those first time students. The career changers were found to be more focused and motivated on their goals. If you have these traits and are considering nursing as a second career, contact your State Board of Nursing to find the accredited programs in your area.

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