When looking for a quality secondary education it is important to remember that there are different university accreditation types that tell a story about the school’s ability to teach. Accreditation is voluntary for the schools but without it they may not qualify for federally-backed student loans and are less likely to attract top students. The important question when considering an accredited school is which body has accredited it. Online schools must have the same accreditation as traditional universities in order to be assured of offering a quality education. First, is the institutional accreditation, which is determined by one of the six regional accrediting agencies in the United States. The criteria for accreditation is outlined in http://www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/overview.asp, but all of the regional offices have the same goals and needs for the schools to ensure fairness to the individual institutions. Specialized accreditation is another choice each university must make in which their individual disciplines can obtain accreditation. At some schools, online schools for example, may have a specialized accreditation for their business courses while another would be accredited for its accounting classes. For specialized schools the institutional accreditation is often not sought as their specialized training is enough to attract students to their core subjects.

As businesses begin to rely more and more on the Internet and innovative advertising, a career in graphic design is becoming a practical choice for professionals who are seeking a lucrative career. If you’re in need of a degree for those fields, consider enrolling in an online graphic design program in the following universities:

1.  University of Phoenix. This institution offers several courses for its associate and bachelor degrees in multimedia and graphic design, as well as a certificate course for visual communications. Their online graphic design programs prepare students for a career in advertising and multimedia arts, with an option to take information technology courses.
2. Herzing University. You can choose between an associate’s of bachelor’s degree in graphic design where you’ll be taught design fundamentals using different software and equipment that are commonly used within the design industry. The programs can be finished in three years with a professional portfolio as a final requirement.
3. Bryant and Stratton College. The Associate Degree in Interactive Media Design offered by this school not only focuses on design elements, students will also learn about marketing strategies and different advertising techniques.
4. Rasmussen College. Students can pursue a bachelor’s degree that specializes in digital design and animation, giving them an edge in a highly digitized world. They will learn about the different types and uses of animation, as well as website and visual design.
5. International Academy of Design and Technology. Both an Associate of Science degree and Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design are available at IADT. Students will learn the basic concepts of design, as well as how to use the different software and technology used professionally. They will also learn communication and presentation skills that will be essential in presenting ideas and campaigns to clients in the future.

Being on active duty while completing a college degree can be extremely challenging. That is why it is practical to choose a university that offers specialized programs and tuition discounts for military personnel. Online universities give students serving in the military a chance to earn their degree while on active duty.

1.  Colorado State University-Global Campus. Choose from different bachelor and master’s programs from CSU’s Global Campus, all of which are offered at low rates and are entirely conducted online. This university offers some of the lowest tuition fees in the country with a high-quality of education.
2. Arizona State University. You won’t need to be on-campus in order to get into the classes with the top professors, most of the online courses are also taught by on-site educators. ASU is consistently listed in the best universities in the country and is also a Yellow Ribbon participant.
3. Colorado Technical University. The school has its own Department of Military Education dedicated to providing quality education to active military personnel and their spouses and veterans. It also offers discounted tuition fees and waived application fees and book expenses.
4. Keiser University. Keiser uses the one-class-at-a-time system which ensures that active duty military personnel will be able to keep up with their course requirements. Students can choose different programs for a master’s bachelor’s, associate and certificate degrees. Keiser University is also a Yellow Ribbon participant.
5. University of Illinois at Chicago. Qualified military personnel and veterans are regularly offered scholarships and financial aid at UIC. Spouses and dependents of service men and women are also offered discounts and aid when they study at UIC. A wide variety of courses and programs are offered online, all of which follow UIC’s world-class educational standards.

Online education, also known as distance learning, used to be considered a less popular way to obtain a college degree. In fact, it wasn’t even possible to obtain an online degree before Charles Wedemeyer of the University of Wisconsin-Madison brought the idea to America in 1964. As more colleges started to require students to purchase computers and use the internet, more people decided that they could use their technology skills to enroll in online university programs. The number of students obtaining online university degrees has increased by 30% each year for the past few years, and that number continues to grow. Eduventures, a leading authority in education research and consulting, even predicts that one out of every 10 college students will be in an online degree program by 2009. So, besides the obvious boost in online university enrollment over the years, here are some other interesting online university facts and online degree facts:

Pay Less Gain Just as Much

Gain Technological Advancements

Better Preparation for the Future

Continue Your Education

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov 10, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Quality Matters, a nationally recognized, faculty-centered process that certifies the quality of online courses, has honored Capella University with a 2011 Making a Difference for Students Award. The award recognizes organizations or individuals that exemplify Quality Matters' focus on student learning and the use of Quality Matters standards, practices, and processes to improve student success. Capella is an accredited online university that has built its reputation by providing high quality online degree programs for working adults. As of Sept. 30, 2011, more than 35,000 students are pursuing an online degree at Capella, with nearly 80% enrolled in Capella's online doctoral degree programs and online master's degree programs. Capella was recognized for its commitment to collaboration and its integration of the Quality Matters principle of continuous quality improvement across the organization, with the goal of student success. The award was presented at the 3rd Annual Quality Matters Conference held Nov. 7-9, 2011, in Baltimore, Maryland. "We are committed to implementing the Quality Matters standards and are systematically building and evaluating our online courses based on these rigorous, research-based standards," said Deborah Bushway, PhD, Capella University's interim president. "The Quality Matters standards assure that our courses promote learner engagement and provide students with the tools and information they need to be successful. Our students clearly agree. We regularly survey them and they consistently indicate a high level of satisfaction with courses developed using the Quality Matters process." "We reviewed many impressive nominations this year, so being selected is a significant honor," said Ron Legon, executive director of Quality Matters. "Like others who have embraced the Quality Matters process, Capella's implementation is faculty-driven, but their effort has been strengthened through their effective collaboration with other members of the academic staff and faculty leadership, especially those focused on course and curriculum development. We're pleased to recognize them with a 2011 Making a Difference for Students Award. Their students have been the clear winners."  

DeVry University made the biggest jump on the 2011 Houston Business Journal list of the top colleges and online universities. DeVry moved up five slots from No. 17 to No. 12 this year, while Lone Star College System retained its No. 1 ranking. The rankings are based on fall 2010 enrollment. Lone Star had 69,339 students enrolled, while the University of Houston moved up from No. 3 to No. 2 this year with 38,752 students. Five new higher learning schools, Alvin Community College; Everest Institue (Bissonnet, Greenspoint and Hobby campuses); and The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center joined the colleges and universities list.

Congratulations! You’re enrolled in an online university, taking your classes, and on your way to that infamous degree that will help raise your earning potential and give you multiple options for a career. Now, what’s next? Before beginning classes towards your online university degree, you probably gave a lot of thought to the area of study you wanted to pursue and what career path you wanted to take.  And, if you’re like most students, you’ve probably changed your mind a few times along the way.  Whether you’re certain of what job you’d like to have after graduation or if you’re still undecided, career planning should be something you continue to focus on throughout your online university experience.

Develop a Plan

• Consider your interests, skills and strengths to narrow your career options down to just a few specific positions.
• Research the requirements needed for those positions.  Do you need a specific online university degree?  Experience from an internship?  Additional training or certification?

Explore Your Options

• Talk with your academic advisor or professors. These professionals are immersed in their fields and are constantly receiving the latest news on employment opportunities.  Additionally, they should be able to give you personalized advice since they have seen your strengths and weaknesses throughout your university experience.
• Contact your online university’s career center. The people who work in this office are trained to think like a hiring employer, so they will be able to help you with everything from your resume to a job search.  They know what positions are available in every field and may be able to help you determine what career best suits you.
• Review job descriptions on job search websites. There are a lot  of online job databases out there and they all have very detailed descriptions of positions available, nationwide.  With a little searching you can find salary range, training requirements and past experience needed for the jobs you find interesting.

Get Prepared

• Perfect your interviewing technique. Job interviews, like public speaking, can make anyone a little nervous.  Practicing your interviewing techniques with professors, family, students, or other professionals can help prepare you and calm the jitters you may have prior to a big job interview.
• Create the perfect resume. A concise, organized resume is your key to getting an interview.  Learn the necessary details to include and how to highlight your strengths in order to have the best chance of standing out.  Have an advisor or someone in your intended career field read over your resume and provide you with constructive feedback.
• Draft a cover letter. A cover letter states why you are the best candidate for a position and serves as an opening to your resume.  It should be very well-written and focus on your qualifications. To learn more about cover letters and resumes check out http://www.gradpower.com/.
• Make a list of personal and professional references. Many employers will ask for references of both a personal and professional nature.  Usually relatives are not permitted to be references.  Ask a few contacts ahead of time whether they would feel comfortable providing a reference for you, so that they are prepared if they are contacted. 

Start Applying

• Contact your online university’s alumni association
• Local employment office
• Check your local newspaper’s want ads
• Browse online job websites
• Ask family and friends for any recommendations

The benefits of an online university education are limitless. Choosing an online university that benefits you personally takes research and time, but what many people do not take into consideration is the time to figure out if an online university education fits you at all. Some consider an online university to be easy and that being an online student would be simple. Think again! The online university myths about it being less demanding than a traditional education aren’t necessarily true. In fact, the structure, library and social structure that a brick-and-mortar school gives you aren’t there to help you through your online education. To be sure that choosing an online university is the right option for you here is six qualities of highly successful online university students.

1. You’re good at time management
   • Having the freedom of deciding where and when you do your work and study is extremely liberating… if you’re actually going to do it. Not having someone tell you which chapters to read when can be hard for some people, and can make a person fall extremely behind in school work. If you don’t know how to schedule time out of your day to work/study, and more importantly stick to it, than you will have serious problems with participating in an online university. Discipline is a huge component of time management.
2. You’re an independent learner
   • Some students work best when there are people to study with – hence the development of study groups, study partners, TAs, etc. You do not have any of this when you learn in an online community. Now, this does not mean you will be totally on your own with no human interaction. There are interactive features of an online education like IM, discussion boards and emails but not having the face-to-face contact might be too much for some students to take.
3. You have excellent reading and writing skills
   • Being able to write coherent papers and read long text books is a necessity in any upper level school environment, but being able to articulate your feelings and concerns in emails to your peers and teachers takes solid writing skills.
4. You aren’t afraid of technology
   • Know the basics of Microsoft Word before even considering an online university education. You don’t need to be a technology guru to participate in an online class, but knowing Word, Excel and PowerPoint along with having a full knowledge of e-mail capabilities and discussion board etiquette will go a long way and could be the make it or break it aspect of an online university career.
5. You’re good at setting goals
   • This skill goes almost hand in hand with being able to manage your time efficiently. Setting goals is a skill you will need to have in order to have any chance of success at an online university. Setting goals can come in the form of setting dates for assignments and papers that are due to setting how much research you want done by a certain date.
6. You have your own space
   • One of the best assets of a traditional school is the amount of space to get away from it all and get work done! There are libraries, cafeterias, empty classrooms, and open spaces for individuals or groups to study and get work done in. When you choose an online university, you do not have that luxury. Having your own space, whether it be your own room, your own apartment, or your own Starbucks to get work done at, having space set aside where you know you can get work done is a necessity.

If you’re interested in pursuing your education to a higher level but don’t have the time, money, or level of interest to pursue a full college degree, an online certificate program might be the perfect fit for you. Unlike associates or bachelor’s degrees, online certificate programs offer students a way to increase their marketability in an extremely specific field or position. Professional certificate programs offered by accredited online universities can be completed in just a fraction of the time (often several weeks or less!) it takes to earn an online degree. Online certificate programs are a great option for those looking to expand their knowledge quickly or advance their careers. By earning a professional certificate, students can qualify for entry-level positions in certain fields like graphic design. They can gain the knowledge and skills necessary to take that next step in their career to management or even a senior-level position. An online certificate may help an individual meet specific requirements for professional certification in fields like healthcare, project management, financial planning or information technology. Certificate programs provide a well-rounded basis for the given subject and can often supplement a previously-earned degree. However, with or without a degree, a professional certificate can certainly help a resume to stand out. Job applicants can set themselves apart from other candidates with a completed certificate. Often, a certificate can confirm that you have the skills necessary to handle the position even if you don’t have previous experience in that specific field or industry. The cost of a certificate program depends on each individual accredited online university and the total credits required.  For example, a leadership certificate at Capella University requires 16 total program credits each costing $570 for a total of $9,120. While this may seem like a lot of money, keep in mind that a certificate may be all you need to land that dream job or advance in your career. Plus, it is much more affordable than going back to school for a full degree. Financial assistance may be available as well, and you should always check to see whether your current employer would be willing to cover some or even all of your tuition costs. Online certificate programs are offered in most areas of study. Here is a list of some of the most popular certificate programs and an accredited online university where they are offered:

• Project Management Certificate – University of Phoenix
• Executive Graduate Certificate in Acquisition – Strayer University
• Post-Master’s Certificate in College Teaching – Capella University
• Legal Secretary Certificate – Kaplan University
• Certificate in Accounting – Keiser University
• Post-Master’s Certificate in Nursing – Walden University
• Emergency and Disaster Management Certificate – Upper Iowa University
• Executive Graduate Certificate in Taxation – Strayer University
• Graduate Accounting Certificate – University of Phoenix
• Graduate Certificate in K-12 Educational Leadership – Kaplan University
• Information Systems Security Certificate – University of Phoenix
• Organizational Communication Certificate – Upper Iowa University
• Leadership Certificate – Capella University
• Certificate in Clinical Research Administration – Walden University
• Small Business Management Certificate – Strayer University
• Corrections Certificate – Kaplan University

College is an adjustment for any new student, especially for those attending an online university. Without the structure of an in-class setting, many students struggle to start their online university degree program on the right foot. To help you overcome some of the challenges, here are five common mistakes that online university students make at the beginning of their college career:

#1 Procrastination

How can you avoid it?

#2 Falling Victim to a Diploma Mill

How can you avoid it?

• There is no physical address other than a P.O. Box
• You are able to pay extra for academic honors
• The application process doesn’t require any academic history
• Their URL does not end in .edu

#3 Shhhh! – You’re Too Quiet!

How can you avoid it?

#4 Not Bothering to Transfer Credits

How can you avoid it?

#5 Turning Down Free Money

How can you avoid it?