A student earns a degree from an online university in much the same way as a student earns a degree from a brick-and-mortar college. You apply for admission into the school, enroll in a degree program, complete the required online courses with satisfactory grades, earn the required number of credits for your program and receive a degree after graduation.
Admissions
Like traditional college, each degree program at an online college has requirements a student needs to meet before they can become enrolled in a school. One online education leader, the University of Phoenix, has a page on their website that explains the requirements for the school’s associate and bachelor’s degree programs. The list provided shows that potential students should have their high school diploma or GED, be employed or have access to a work environment, be a U.S. citizen or have a valid visa, submit standardized test scores, and fulfill other requirements for foreign students or requirements needed by certain states. Other colleges may want to interview applicants about their educational needs and goals.
While other online colleges may have different requirements, most will be somewhat similar to this. If you have earned college credits, degrees or certificates from another accredited school, you must turn in all transcripts to your online college to transfer those credits if you don’t want to end up re-taking courses.
Choose and Complete a Program
There are many online degree programs to choose from, preparing students for some of the hottest careers available. American Intercontinental University, for instance, offers online degree programs in business administration, criminal justice, education, healthcare management, information technology, marketing and visual communication. Online schools are constantly expanding their offerings, so search several quality online schools to see what programs are offered.
After you’ve chosen which online degree program you want to pursue, an advisor will be assigned to assist you with which classes you should be taking each semester, quarter or module in order to complete the program on schedule. Students are given a username and password to log in to the software program that houses their courses. Students can access this program anywhere they have reliable high-speed Internet. Accessing this software program allows students to receive their assignments and communicate with their professors and fellow students.
Receiving Your Degree
Once you have finished all the requirements for graduation, you will receive your diploma from your online university. Some online colleges even offer virtual or real-life commencement ceremonies for students who have completed programs. Some colleges that are both online and campus-based, like Liberty University, allow both online and traditional students to attend commencement together.