Online accounting schools are very advantageous to the individual that is working and/or caring for a family. Often, it's very difficult for the individual to work full time or part time and continue their education. Therefore, they opt to attend a distance learning accounting program. This is an ideal situation because the only commute is to their computer. They also have the ability to take online accounting courses any hour of the day or night. The fact is, thousands of people have earned Bachelor's and Master's in Accounting degrees online.
Are Online Accounting Degree Programs Respected?
A few decades ago, earning an online degree was a rarity. Often, employers had misconceptions about the
online degrees. This was generally due to the information that was circulating around about diploma
mills and degree mills that would sell degrees to people for the right price. However, things have
changed dramatically. Online degrees are achieving greater respect because more people are opting to
continue their education online to earn a degree in their chosen field. Today, people are receiving a
very good education online that is highly respected by most employers. Furthermore, some employers are
actually impressed that a potential employee took the time to earn their degree, while working full
time. However, more respect is attributed to the job applicant that earned the degree at a well-known
and accredited online institution of higher learning.
What's Really Important to Employers
Career counselors and employers agree that a degree from a traditional college inspires more respect and
trust. Certainly, this is because they lack information about the institution. Online degrees are a new
trend and most employers are not acquainted with many of the new online educational programs. However,
this is expected to change in the coming years because more and more people are opting to earn a degree
online. What's really still very important to employers is the name of the online educational
institution. They would like to know if the degree was earned at an online institution connected with a
well known traditional university, or if the degree earned fits the type of degree required to fill the
job opening with the company.
What Causes Suspicion
However, everything is not coming up roses in the online degree trend. Still, there are employers that
raise eyebrows at the aspect that a job applicant earned their degree at an online university. Typical
things that cause alarm are that the degree program is not fully accredited. Earning a degree at a
college without a campus or physical address is also a cause for suspicion among employers. Another
cause for concern is a degree from a distant location. For example, the job applicant has resided in New
York for several years. However, they recently earned a degree from an online university in California
that does not have a campus. What this boils down to is credibility.
Educational Trends Are Changing
Educational trends are changing rapidly. More and more employers are acquainted with online learning
programs. Certain online learning programs that are connected with traditional universities earn proper
respect. Consequently, online accounting degrees that are earned at those schools are respected too.
Therefore, it is a good idea for those that are considering earning an accounting degree through an
online program to perform proper research into the degree program. Ideally it will be an online program
that is connected with a traditional university, fully accredited, and has a physical campus that you
could visit. This is important for an online degree to carry credibility and respect in the job market.