Can you Complete an Online Degree Program at a Regular College?

A lot of people are working towards online degrees these days. Unfortunately a lot of people are finding that online degree programs may not be the best option for them. This does raise the question of whether or not it is possible to transfer the credits you have earned towards an online degree to a regular college to earn your degree.

There are a few reasons that an online degree program may not work out for many people, the main one is that the lack the discipline to finish it. Being able to work on your degree at your own pace and in your own time sounds appealing, the problem is that you have to actually find the time to do it. Most people do better with the rigid schedule that a regular college offers.

The other problem that online degree programs have is that they simply don't have the credibility that a regular college degree has. As much progress as online degrees have made over the last few years in terms of acceptance the reality is that a lot of people still look down on them, online learners really haven't helped themselves in this respect. In a lot of cases this is not that big of a deal, for a lot of jobs just having the degree is all that matters, potential employers likely won't care where it came from. For some jobs however where you got your degree will matter and in these cases an online degree may not be a good option.

Just because an online degree may not be your goal does not mean that you cannot take advantage of online learning however. Most schools will allow you to transfer the credits that you earned in an online degree program as long as the school you took them at was regionally accredited. It is important however to check on this before you enrol as some schools are far less willing to accept transfer credit in general. It is much easier to transfer credit to your local state university than it is to Harvard for example.

It is also important to make sure that you look at the residency requirement before you start taking an online degree if your goal is to transfer down the road. Most schools limit the amount of transfer credit that they will accept. Usually they require that you complete at least half of the degree with their courses. Some schools will accept even less transfer credit and a small number even more. You can get around this problem and take the bulk of your courses online and still earn a regular college degree however if you take the courses at a school that offers both online and regular courses.