The Internet has seen an explosion in online bachelor degree programs in the last five to ten years
and this trend should continue to expand rapidly in the future. In large part the increasing popularity of
online bachelor degree programs is due to the now common acceptance of a bachelor degree from on
online university as equivalent to what can be obtained at any bricks and mortar school.
When online classes first began springing up on the Internet in the 1980s, they were primarily focused
on certificate programs or technical degrees. Some of the schools were started virtually overnight and
did not have proper accreditation and the reputation of online schooling became tarnished as a result.
However, in the last decade there has been a significant turn-around. There are several reasons for
this new attitude, due largely to the increasingly exceptional education that can be had through an
online university.
Today's online bachelor degree programs rival traditional university classes. Colleges and universities
that had already established reputations as traditional schools long before hitting the Internet now offer
these online programs. Employers know that the curriculum is identical whether the course is online or
in a classroom, so the education is top-notch in either case. In fact, there is often more one-on-one
attention with an online bachelor degree program because each student can regularly communicate
directly with the professor by email to get feedback and direction.
Good online bachelor degree programs are now accredited by the same agencies that accredit more
traditional colleges and universities. Three accreditation organizations that are recognized by the
Federal Government as high quality indicators are the U.S. Department of Education, Accrediting
Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), and Council for Higher Education
Accreditation (CHEA). Any online universities accredited by one of these councils offers a program
recognized as at least equal to a bachelor's degree program at a traditional post-secondary school.
In fact, if you graduate from an online bachelor degree program today you will receive a diploma that is
no different from the one that students attending the residential college will receive. You will have
completed the same curriculum, including taking core requirement classes, and will graduate with the
same knowledge. When applying for jobs, employers will not know whether you attended traditional
classes or online classes because it is no longer acknowledged on official transcripts or diplomas.
Employers favor online bachelor degree programs for their employees. Employers have always known
the value of allowing employees to pursue a college education. In the past, this was usually done
through night and weekend classes and the employer sometimes reimbursed costs. Unfortunately
many class schedules aren't flexible and employers began to realize the expense of university classes
in both money and time.
An online bachelor degree program has become the ideal solution for employers who encourage an
education for employees. They can set their own pace and work schooling around their work
schedule. The cost of online classes is generally less than the classroom setting as well, making it
attractive for company reimbursement programs.
Finally, employers appreciate the additional opportunities that an online bachelor degree program can
offer. Because individuals do all of the work online, location is not an issue. If a computer salesman
with an associate's degree would like to focus on a Bachelor's Degree in Management Information
Systems, for instance, he can look for an online university anywhere in the United States that offers
this specialized degree.
With everyone from accrediting agencies to employers giving them high marks, online bachelor degree
programs have firmly arrived in the educational mainstream.
Andy West is a freelance writer for Virginia College.  Virginia College Online offers many online
bachelor degree programs.  Please visit Virginia College Online at
http://www.vconline.edu/index.cfm to select the online program that is right for you.