So then, just how quickly can you expect to display "B.A."
or "B.S." after your signature? Well, that depends on the
following factors:
- Transfer credit - The more college credits that you
are able to transfer in towards a program, the faster
you can earn your degree. If you don't have any previous
coursework that you can use as transfer credit, you may
be able to earn credits from professional training or by
taking CLEP, DANTES (Defense Activity for
Non-Traditional Educational Support), ECE (Excelsior
College Exams), GRE (Graduate Record Exams), or
TECEP (Thomas Edison College Examination Program) tests.
The amount of credit granted for these exams, as well as
the exams that are accepted, will vary from school to
school.
- The level of degree - Want to complete a bachelor's
degree online? Look into a “2+2” program. 2+2 programs
are specially designed for associate’s degree holders.
Students can usually apply all, or most, of the
coursework completed for the associate’s degree toward
the bachelor's degree and graduate in just two short
years.
- Expected course load - How many classes can you take
in a single semester? Will you go through an entire
program without taking time off between courses? Many
colleges and universities offer classes in an
accelerated format. Classes that run six, eight, or ten
weeks long will allow you to earn your degree
significantly faster than if you had to follow a
traditional semester-based schedule. Also, consider
schools that offer rolling admissions, so you don’t have
to wait until September or January to get started.
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You Can Do It!
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Taking all of the above into consideration, it is
possible to earn a legitimate, accredited college degree
entirely online anywhere from twelve to eighteen months. If
that seems like a long time to you, consider a 2004 study
published by the Education Trust, which found that only 37
percent of students who enroll in four-year colleges and
universities complete a bachelor’s degree in four years or
less. The majority either need five to six years to graduate
or, worse, never finish at all. And consider that a two-year
investment can pay off for the rest of your life.
So what
are you waiting for? Begin researching online degrees today. |
What is the Fastest Way to a Degree?
