An online degree is an academic degree,usually a online college degree, that tin survive earned primarily or alone through the utilization of an Internet-connected computer, rather than deal college inward a traditional campus setting. Improvements inward technology, the increasing utilization of the Internet worldwide, as well as the involve for people to cause got flexible schoolhouse schedules piece they are working cause got led to a proliferation of online colleges that accolade associate, bachelor's, master's, as well as doctoral degrees.
Accreditation
The destination of educational accreditation, according to the U.S. of A. of America Department of Education, is to ensure that programs provided past times institutions of higher pedagogy come across acceptable levels of quality. ENQA, the European Association for Quality Assurance inward Higher Education, describes the purpose of external lineament assurance inward pedagogy every bit i that "combines both accountability for the reassurance of Earth as well as an objective as well as developmental purpose for enhancing lineament inward institutions". In the surface area of online education, it is of import to avoid unaccredited diploma mills that offering mistaken degrees, every bit these are unfortunately common. Students seeking valid online degrees should obtain proof of accreditation from an appropriate national or regional accrediting body.
In the United States, online colleges that are fully accredited cause got earned a widely recognized marking of academy accreditation from i of vi regional accreditation boards. Each of vi geographic regions of the U.S. of A. of America has i of these boards, a non-governmental means that oversees as well as accredits degree-granting institutions headquartered inward their areas. The U.S. Department of Education as well as the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognize the Distance Education as well as Training Council (DETC) every bit the accrediting scheme for distance learning institutions as well as pedagogy programs that offering online degrees. However, DETC accreditation is commonly (though non universally) viewed every bit inferior to regional accreditation, as well as regionally accredited schools may reject to convey transfer credit from DETC-accredited schools to a greater extent than ofttimes than they would reject credit from other regionally accredited schools