Distance degrees: update your skills without setting foot in a classroom

T+D, March, 2004 by Vicky Phillips

To protect yourself, make sure you understand what accreditation is, as well as the value of different types of accreditation. Degrees earned from regionally accredited universities receive the widest acceptance. For a crash course on accreditation, including how to spot and avoid a diploma mill, visit GetEducated.com's online FAQ on distance learning and college accreditation or GO TO "Top Ten Sign That an Internet University Is a Degree Mill" Intelligence, June 2002 T D.

GetEducated.com also offers comprehensive guidebooks to accredited online degrees for free online.

www.geteducated.com/articles/dlfaw.htm

www.geteducated.com

Hot Career Specialties

* George Mason University

Certificate in migrating traditional training to online delivery reskills old-school instructors to teach online

http://ocpe.gmu.edu/certificate_programs/migrating.html

* Jones International University

Certificates and master's degrees in e-learning research and assessment, corporate training and knowledge management, facilitating online learning, and managing the e-learning environment

www.jonesintemational.edu/ourPrograms/program.php?prg=2

* Portland State University

Certificate in distributed learning systems that covers instructional design and management and ends with a hands-on course in which you apply what you've learned to develop a course prototype

www.ceed.pdx.edu/distributed_Irng

* University of Maryland University College

Certificates and master's degrees in corporate training at a distance, teaching at a distance, and distance education in developing countries

http://www.umuc.edu/grad/mde

* University of Washington Extension

Certificate in distance learning design and development http://www.extension.washington.edu/dl

Vicky Phillips, CEO of GetEducated.com, is the lead author of Best Distance Learning Graduate Schools and Best Distance Learning Undergraduate Schools. She has been researching and consulting on e-learning since 1989; vicky@geteducated.com.

Send submissions to Development, T D, 1640 King Street, Box 1443, Alexandria, VA 22313-2043; development@astd.org.