Accelerated bachelor’s degrees online accredited are not just the stuff of degree mills advertising phony degrees or fraudulent schools, but do actually exist. Schools from local community colleges to top “Almost Ivy” institutions use online courses to open the doors to non-traditional students who otherwise could not put in four full years on campus in order to obtain their degree. Whether a returning student seeking to complete a degree while balancing work and life obligations, a current undergraduate trying to speed things up, or someone at an inconvenient distance from the nearest campus, online degrees are the real deal!s
How Real Acceleration Works
Though the process differs from school to school there are legitimate, accepted ways to earn college credits without actually having to take a course. Though it’s not “Burger Flipper U,” such acceleration methods can reduce or replace entire semesters or even a whole year’s worth of classes.
Credits from high school curriculum completed under either the International Baccalaureate or Advanced Placement programs. Requires official transcripts with GPA.
Credits from previous college courses or from a completed associate degree or applied sciences degree may be treated as transfer credit between accredited institutions.
Credit for military training must come from official DOJ service transcripts such as the JST (Joint Service Transcript).
CLEP (College Level Examination Program) and DSST (Dantes Subject Standardized Tests) examinations offer the chance to skip entire courses and still receive up to 12 credits per examination.
Previous, documented training as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), in law enforcement or corrections officer, certification in advanced technological specialty (such as Cisco’s CCNA, CCNE), and other training programs may provide credit.
Certifications are accepted for transfer credit by institutions affiliated with the American Council on Education. Requires an institution that accepts ACE-recognized certificates and training for credit.
Credit is available for career RNs having either completed a diploma of nursing, completed an associates or associates of applied sciences in nursing (ASN or AASN). Official transcript and work history required, and a current NCLEX may be required by some schools.
Life credit, though sometimes derided as “Burger Flipper U” is a valid method of awarding academic credit based on life experiences. For instance, if you spent five years managing a restaurant or running your own small business, that might well count as credit toward a business major. Life credit is often constructed through assembling a portfolio of essays for evaluation by faculty.
A Quick Look at the Top 10 Accelerated Online Degrees
Accounting: With a median pay of $63,550 per year and a steady demand for accountants, the BSA degree is one of the surest bets for the future. While everyone thinks of the accountant at tax time, the field offers many interesting careers such as budget analysts, cost estimators, financial managers, forensic accountants, and tax examiners in both the private and public sectors. Future accountants will need not only strong math skills, but strong analytical, communications and organizational skills, too. Licensure as a Certified Public Accountant is handled by AICPA, who administers the examination for all 50 states and territories.
Business: Business majors graduating with the BSB (Bachelor of Science in Business) or the BSBA (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration) have a wealth of career opportunities from which to choose, making the BSB the most popular degree awarded. Management positions in sales, marketing and advertising, as well as positions in finance, analysis, and even public relations are great starting spots for the new baccalaureate to begin their careers. Energetic, articulate people with strong analytical and critical thinking skills will need to communicate, organize and lead effectively. Often seen as the springboard to the prestigious MBA (Master of Business Administration).
Criminal Justice: Criminal justice is a field with more choices than law enforcement, bailiffs or corrections officers. All aspects and levels of the justice and correctional system have varying needs. Crime scene investigators, forensic computer technicians, criminologists, court reporters, and paralegals are all a part of the justice system, and needed just as much as police and sheriff’s officers, Border Patrol and TSA officers. A more broadly educated candidate is the preferred standard, and will need to be calm in the face of stressful situations, communicate clearly and effectively with many different people, and have critical and analytical thinking skills.
Education: A BSE is not just for teachers. While it is a prerequisite to teach at the elementary, secondary school and special education level, a bachelor’s degree in education can also lead one to a career as a museum technician or to a graduate degree in Library Science. All states require teachers in public and private schools to have a background check, and be certified either by examination or by teaching under a senior teacher. Teachers need to be patient and resourceful, with strong organizational and communications skills in order to wrangle a classroom of you children and young adults.
Finance: Finance stands alone as a degree, and the BSF (Bachelor of Science in Finance), like the BSB, is often a springboard degree to the MSF (Master of Science in Finance. Money does make the world go ’round, but the BSF leaves the graduate with a firm knowledge of why and how. With coursework in mathematics, economics, statistics and analysis, ethics and law, careers in the commodities and stock markets, insurance industries, and even the CFO seat are in reach. In addition to strong mathematics skills, students will need to be detail oriented, organized, with critical and analytical thinking skills.
Health Administration: Health administration is a field experiencing massive growth, with a projected 22 percent increase in positions between 2012 and 2022 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. .Median pay for health administrators is $88,580 per year, with the bachelor’s degree as the entry level requirement.. Coursework includes classes in hospital administration, accounting and budgeting, law and ethics, and health information systems. Some states require administrators in charge of nursing and assisted living facilities to be licensed by a state board. Detail oriented, problem-solving people with strong analytical, communications, and interpersonal skills will thrive in this management-level job.
Information Technology: With explosive growth projected in all technology careers, the tech sector is hungry for workers in a number of positions. From graphic artists and game developers, to computer network architects and software developers, average pay ranges $65,000 into the six figures. Computers are the machines on which modern business runs, with careers in industry, finance, government, and entertainment looking for technologically adept workers. Core courses include computer programming, mathematics, statistics and logic. Candidates will need to be highly creative and organized, with communications skills, analytical and logical thinking skills, as well as strong concentration and mathematical ability.
Nursing (RN to BSN): With more hospitals and large-practice medical groups requiring BSN-carrying nurses, career nurses are heading back to school and finding out what a benefit the BSN is to their career, knowledge base and their confidence. The RN to BSN track is often completed in as little as 20 weeks. Significant credit is applied from the student’s nursing diploma or ASN/AASN and from experience in the workplace to speed the student to the degree. Sometimes the school will require a recent NCLEX, proof of licensure, and work experience before admitting the student to the highly in-demand course.
Psychology: Generally a psychology major is a prerequisite to becoming a mental health counselor, marriage and family therapist, or a school guidance counselor, all of which require a master’s degree at minimum to practice and licensure by a state board of psychology. However, a bachelor’s in psychology also opens up interesting pathways to careers in social work, special education and in market research analysis. Would-be psychologists must possess an abundance of patience and trustworthiness in addition to skills of observation, analysis, and communication in order to communicate with and assist their patients, and coordinate their treatment with other medical professionals.
Public Administration: The BPA (Bachelor of Science in Public Administration) is the twin to the BSB (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration) and the key to a diverse array of careers that offer opportunities for advancement. The core curriculum is multidisciplinary, with much the same coursework in economics, management, accounting and statistics, with classes in political science, public finance, and regional planning available as well. Civil service on the federal, state, and locality levels and NGO (Non-Governmental Organizations) are the most common paths, but public planning, public health administration, urban planning, and even public relations are all interesting possibilities.
Accreditation and Choosing a School
Accreditation is an assurance that your investment in an accelerated bachelor’s degree online accredited is a sound one. A school accredited by the US Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation means freedom to transfer between schools and have your hard-earned credits apply at another accredited institution, and also helps you become eligible for FAFSA – the federal student financial aid program, federal student loans and grants. Federal student loans and student financial aid is only given to those students who are enrolled in a federally recognized and accredited school and accelerated bachelor’s degree online accredited program.
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