- Best Online Bachelor’s Degree In Psychology Programs
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- Types Of Online Bachelor’s Degree In Psychology Programs
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- Why Should I Pursue An Online Bachelor’s Degree In Psychology?
- Areas Of Specialization For Online Bachelor’s Degree In Psychology
- Why Should I Pursue An Online Bachelor’s Degree In Psychology?
- Types Of Online Bachelor’s Degree In Psychology Programs
- Areas Of Specialization For Online Bachelor’s Degree In Psychology
- Why Should I Pursue An Online Bachelor’s Degree In Psychology?
- Areas Of Specialization For Online Bachelor’s Degree In Psychology
In this article we discuss online bachelors degree programs, the advantages of getting one, how to get one, why get a bachelor’s degree, what is the difference between an online and an on-campus degree, etc. We also investigate the other aspects of getting a bachelors, like the cost of getting an undergraduate degree, the time required to get one what are the requirements of getting into a bachelor’s degree, how long does it take to get the bachelor’s degree, what are the financial aids available for bachelor’s program and how to pay for it. Apart from that, we would also discuss the career prospects post an online bachelor’s degree, look at the roles one might play post the course, and discuss the salaries post a bachelor’s degree. Getting a bachelor’s degree can open access to job opportunities, expose you to new ideas, and boost your earning potential. Per Fred‘s data, in 2020, college graduates’ weekly wages were approximately 84 percent more than those of high school graduates. Also, a bachelor’s degree would give you the ticket to get associated with professional organizations which would give you professional connections to pursue and further your career as well as continuing and furthering your education and keeping pace with the happenings of the industry. Post a bachelor’s degree in accounting one can join the American Accounting Association and five years’ experience in accounting would make professionals eligible to take the CPA examination and get a license to practice public accounting. So, if you are a student who has completed an associate degree, or you have just graduated or going to graduate school soon, this article might be of interest to you.
What is an Online Bachelors
Degree Program?
A bachelor’s degree or baccalaureate is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by accredited colleges or universities upon completion of a course of study lasting typically four years. The two most common bachelor’s degrees are the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science. An online bachelor’s degree is pursued online off-campus. Nearly 7 million college students enrolled in online classes in 2018. Thanks to the many benefits of an online bachelor’s degree, distance learning has only grown in popularity in recent years. An online bachelor’s degree prioritizes flexibility and convenience. Distance learners complete their graduation requirements in an accessible format, suitable for working professionals and busy students. An online bachelor’s degree is as much recognized in the industry as any on-campus bachelor’s; hence, students are very keen to pursue online bachelor’s degree programs in recent times.
Why get an Online Bachelors Degree?
Apart from getting intricate insight into the subject and exploring it from aspects that students have not seen before, an online bachelor’s degree gives a lot of exposure to students about their subjects of study making them more employable and in turn increasing their earning potential. Per Fred’s data, in 2020, college graduates’ weekly wages were approximately 84 percent more than those of high school graduates. Hence, as you can see investing time and money in education would be a very prudent investment. Also, a bachelor’s degree would be the basic degree required to join a few services, many states, and federal bodies would mandatorily require a bachelor’s degree to practice a related profession and professional organizations and bodies would require at least a bachelor in a relevant field to be members of their organizations. Hence, it should answer the question of why students should get a bachelor’s degree.
Online Bachelors Degree Programs Vs On-Campus
Bachelors Degree Programs
While both modes of study are good, it depends on the requirement of the students to decide which model will work best for them depending on the requirements they have. If you are pressed for time, then probably an online course could work for you, but if you are looking for an on-campus experience and networking then an on-campus course might work for you. Below we discuss a few advantages and disadvantages of both modes of study.
| On-Campus | Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Flexible | Traditional on-campus courses are subject to strict timelines. Though it has its benefits like it’s very interactive and students can learn from discussions in the classroom, they are not very flexible per the student’s requirements. | Online courses can be asynchronous- meaning you can “attend” class at any time by watching recorded lectures at your convenience and hence more flexible. This works great for working professionals and working parents whose time is at a premium and they can work according to their available time. |
| Discussion Forums | On-campus courses would be a bit biding to the class and its student teacher’s forum as these are general classes of just full-time students. | Students have an online forum of online degrees, which can pull in information across the globe and can cut across working professionals’ full-time students etc., which in turn brings in a lot of different perspectives. |
| Time | You could live on-campus or outside, and it takes time for you to commute and attend classes. | Online classes cut that commute time to zero. If mobility or transportation is a challenge for you, going to school online completely removes this obstacle—plus it significantly increases your choices for where to go to school. |
| Cost | On-campus courses have a lot of cost components like lodging in dorms, parking, gym subscription (even if you don’t use them), etc. These are significant costs as much if not more than tuition. This shoots up the cost of your degree. | In online courses, you just pay for tuition, which keeps the cost significantly lower. |
| Lab Facilities | It would have the state-of-the-art lab facilities | This mode of study will lack lab facilities and hence a lot of STEM courses cannot be run using this mode of study. |
| College library | Physical libraries have a few big benefits you won’t get from the comfort of your computer: 1. People who can direct you to the exact resources you need. 2. Books and resources that only exist in print. 3. The ability to borrow textbooks you need for class instead of buying them. 4. Quiet places to study. | Digital libraries are helpful when you need peer-reviewed articles for your research paper. But libraries can get complicated too—there’s an entire field of library science dedicated to organizing massive amounts of information. If you get stuck online and have trouble finding something, it is difficult to navigate if you do not have technical support, which is rare for schools to have. |
| Course selection | The courses available will always be more than the ones available online. The primary reason being all online courses need to be filmed and put up online. There is a huge cost component to it. The second reason is, some STEM courses need lab time, which is not available online hence that is one hindrance as well. | To make a fair point for online courses, nowadays, more and more courses are available online. And the only hindrance would be to get them accredited by authorities. |
| Teaching Staff | You get the best of the faculties on-campus. They are at your disposal physically in the classes as well as online like in class chat rooms and emails. So, the accessibility of teaching staff is great. | In online courses, students don’t have direct physical access to teachers. Also, online courses might have different instructors than the same on-campus course. |
| Group Projects | The on-campus course has the advantage where you can take up student group projects, wherein students form a group, and they have a teacher who guides them till the completion of the project. This gives a lot of exposure to teamwork coordination and networking skills. | Online courses lack the facility of group projects. Students have their own time to work on their course and they work on projects on their own as well. |
| Networking | On-campus courses allow students to network with the subject community and make the contacts and links which helps beyond one imagination. | Online courses have subjects’ forums, but they lack the networking community required to connect for jobs and opportunities. |
How long are the Online Bachelors
Degree Programs?
How to choose an Online
Bachelors Degree?
Choosing a bachelor’s degree strictly depends on a mix of the student’s love for a particular subject and his/her aptitude towards the same, the universities offering the course, etc. Below we have listed a few key points that students need to consider before picking up an online bachelor’s degree.
- Deciding on your major: Depending on the affinity and a student’s aptitude for a subject, select your major.
- Be aware that not every university offers all majors and not all are available online.
- Choose the institution of your choice and check admission requirements to see if you qualify for the same. Also, check to see if previous college credits will transfer.
- Compare tuition, fees, and financial aid. Investing in education is like investing in your future. Ask the right questions. What does tuition cost? Do I have to pay out-of-state tuition? What financial aid is available?
- Ask about the faculty credentials. Who is teaching the online courses? Are the same faculty who teach on-campus teaching online?
- Find online student services. Online students can’t walk into a campus office and ask for help. Make sure the institution has services and resources available specifically for online students.
- Research accredited colleges and universities, as not all institutions are created equal. Learn more about accreditation on the U.S. Department of Education website https://www.ed.gov/accreditation.
How to apply for Online Bachelors
Degree Programs?
Cost of Online Bachelors
Degree Programs
Financial Aid for Online Bachelors
Degree Programs
For prospective students considering online college programs, the cost may be a concern. An old but lingering misconception is that financial aid for online degree programs is limited compared with aid for in-person programs. But in fact, colleges structure the financial aid process for distance students identically to that of their in-person peers. Experts say, when researching online programs, students must choose one that is accredited by the U.S. Department of Education to take advantage of federal financial aid.
Eligibility for federal financial aid is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. Some colleges and states also use information from the FAFSA to award their aid. Students enrolled in online courses must be careful to meet other requirements for federal financial aid such as being a citizen or an eligible noncitizen and maintaining satisfactory academic progress. To receive most financial aid, experts say, students must be degree-seeking or certificate-seeking and meet the institution’s minimum enrollment requirements.