IT Field Tops with Wide Acceptance of Online Degrees For a while now the IT field has had the widest acceptance of online degrees out of all the other fields there are. Now keep in mind that most places will accept an accredited online degree just as easily, but for some reason the information technology field is still a step ahead. This could be because of the subject matter, or it could be because they don't care where you got your degree - whatever it is, the IT field is almost sure to accept an online degree. But what about some of the other places - will they accept an online degree? There are a few ways you can find this out, and that's the purpose of this article - to figure out if they will accept your degree. If your degree is in the IT field, than you're in good hands.
Not every type of degree is created equal - especially in the online world. While some degrees are just as good as a degree from Harvard, other degrees are essentially worthless. This is all because of accreditation, or lack thereof. There are a few different types of accreditation, and depending on which type the program you pursue received it will change the amount of people who will willingly accept your degree.
The first type of accredited schools is the one that have been accredited by the proper regional agency. If the program you're pursuing has been accredited by the proper regional agency, than you're in a great situation as your degree will be accepted pretty much anywhere you want. Every employer will accept your degree, and most schools will accept your credits if you decide to transfer to a traditional school. Essentially this means that if your degree has been accredited by the proper regional agency than your degree will be equal to the one that you would have been granted by a traditional college.
The second type of accreditation is the schools that are accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council. While some employers will accept these degrees, others will not however for the most part more and more employers are accepting these online degrees. If a school will accept a transfer credit is ultimately up to them - some will and some won't. In a recent study it was found that about two out of every three Distance Education and Training Council students were able to transfer credits to another institution successfully. Unfortunately you may have to prove that your degree is legitimate to some people - despite that fact this is still a valid option though.
The third type of accreditation is that is accredited by a professional organization. Generally speaking your degree will be accepted and honored by anyone in your particular field, but not everywhere else. There are some traditional colleges out there that will accept credits, but it depends on the school you took them through and the organization that accredited them. The only way to find out is for you to ask. The degree you will receive from an institution of this level of accreditation is equal to a degree through a traditional school that also has been accredited by the same professional organization.
Finally, if your school is not at all accredited, or is accredited by an illegitimate agency, than your degree is going to be rejected by both employers and schools. Most businesses will not view the degree as a valid degree, meaning that they won't hire you, or if they do, you won't be entitled to the pay that someone who earned their degree through a traditional college would receive. If you try to transfer you'll be rejected. In the end your degree will not be inferior to any degree that has been earned in a traditional institution.
What does this all mean? Well, it means that you should always look for accreditation, but more than that you need to make sure the program you're taking has the right kind of accreditation. First you need to decide what you want to do, and what you want to do with your degree. If you're just learning for fun than it's not important as to who accredited your degree, although its far more intelligent to get a degree from an accredited school - just in case.