For many people, an online degree could be the difference between having to stay working in a job or even an entire sector that no longer holds any interest and finally can do just what they’ve always wanted to do. So it’s easy to see why working for an online degree would interest many people looking for a career change or simply looking to boost their knowledge either for a better chance of promotion or because they feel they would enjoy the process of online learning.

Before you begin, however, it’s important to ask yourself several questions to ensure you’re doing the right thing. You don’t want to embark on an online degree only to find it’s not what you need to do and not what you should be doing. So here are some of the questions you should ask yourself.

1. Can You Find The Right Degree?

Finding the right degree is a crucial step forward in your career and for your career prospects. Taking a degree that doesn’t relate to what you want to do might be interesting, but it won’t be useful, and it will be a waste of time and money. So it’s important to look into each online course and determine exactly which one will work best for you.

What kind of qualifications will you receive? For example, if you are taking a degree in something like nursing or teaching, will you get the qualifications needed to take the next step? Will the medical course I take provide me with the PALS certification I need? On the other hand, if you’re taking a degree course, will you receive the BA or BSc you need to move forward with your plans? For example, WPI’s MS data science program will give you exactly the qualifications you need for a career in data science and computing, so it is an ideal place to start.

When you know what you want to do with your degree, you need to find the one that will allow you to do it. So search around until you discover the exact course that will move you along in life. Otherwise, you won’t get the result you’re looking for.

2. What Is The Challenge?

When you decide to take an online course, you are making a wise decision. The courses are flexible, allowing you to work at your own pace, enabling you to take the course even if you have very busy work and home life. They are also well-regarded and recognized, meaning that you can use them in whatever way you want to once you qualify. Whether you work online or go to a school to learn, a college degree is a significant investment in terms of money spent and the time required.

In this respect, you need to ensure that the course you’re choosing is challenging enough for you. It must be a rigorous course that will give you all the information you need to use in your future career. It would improve if you looked at the course itself, the textbooks required, the online recourses, and any reviews from previous students. An easy course might be tempting, but what will you get out of it? The answer is not enough – you need to be challenged if you are going to succeed.

3. Is It An Accredited School?

For your degree to mean anything, you must choose an accredited school. This is extremely important, and it’s why you need to do enough research to ensure you know exactly what you’re signing up for. Taking a degree course with an unaccredited college might give you the same level of education as an accredited one.

Still, when an employee looks at your resume, they might have cause to think more carefully about whether or not to hire you or even invite you for an interview if you don’t have a degree from an accredited university.

If you choose an accredited school, it shows you have done your research and understand why it’s important to make the right choices. This in itself is an admirable trait that your potential employer will be impressed by. The fact that you also have the degree and have done the work is a bonus.

4. Do The Graduates Get Jobs?

A very basic yet crucial question to ask yourself – and others – is whether or not the graduates from the course or school you are looking into go on to get the jobs they want after they complete their learning. This can be hard to determine, although reviews and testimonials will help.

You may also be able to look at social media, as many people will list their accomplishments, and you can search for the school itself, and see – in public profiles at least – and find out what the graduates are doing in their careers.

You don’t want to spend your hard-earned money on a course that will not get you anywhere further in life. However, that’s not the point of taking on the course, so it’s important to know that it has helped others and could help you too.

5. What Is The Degree Structure?

Once you know what you want to do and where you want to do it, you need to determine a few more things before you sign up for the course and start learning. One vital question to ask is, what is the degree structure? Some online universities stick to traditional learning methods, with scheduled classes that students have to attend – albeit remotely – at a certain time. Others will be a lot more flexible, with recorded classes that can be watched at any time or student-led research modules that require occasional discussions with a tutor but are otherwise independent.

What will work best for you? For example, many people choose to take an online course to be more flexible and work around their other commitments, so if this is the case, ensure you are choosing a course or school that works in that way. Conversely, if you like the idea of traditional learning but in a remote environment, this is what you should be looking for. Making the right choice in this regard means you can enjoy the course much more and learn much more.