If your New Year's resolutions include getting an education, but you're going to need to work around your job and family, an online education could be just what you need to keep your resolve.
To compile our list of the best online schools for 2014, we considered levels of programming available and variety of programs. We also researched whether online students had access to library resources, academic advisers and career services, as well as whether the schools had mobile applications, allowing you to attend classes, access course materials and take part in online discussions with your instructors and classmates while on the go.
As an added bonus, three of the six schools featured on our 'best of' list - American, DeVry and Walden universities - were named among G.I. Jobs' 2014 Military Friendly Schools. U.S. colleges, universities and trade/vocational schools are chosen for this list based on their support of active duty military and veterans who are pursuing an education. Flexibility and value are among factors taken into account.
Keep reading to learn about program offerings and other features at our choices for the best online colleges for 2014.
| School | Mobile Applications | Library Access | Academic Advising | Career Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American University | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DeVry University | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Full Sail University | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Grand Canyon University | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Southern New Hampshire University | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Strayer University | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Walden University | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
American University's MA in International Relations program with a concentration in sustainable international development prepares students to address global issues such as resource access and poverty. In addition to online courses that cover topics like inequality and global health, this program includes a capstone course that allows students to apply the professional skills they've developed to a research or policy project.
Graduates of American University's master's program in international relations participate in the annual on-campus commencement ceremony and are full members of the AU and School of International Service alumni communities. They also receive personalized career services.
Full Sail University offers online education for creative minds, and we selected the university for its bevy of services for online students. This includes a career development program that begins the day you enroll and features help with networking, searching for a job and developing a portfolio and resume. The university also has a top-notch technical support team and offers a web-hosted platform where you can communicate with your fellow online students to discuss school as well as outside interests.
Full Sail's fully online degree programs, which prepare students to work in media and entertainment, include more than a dozen bachelor's programs in areas like game design, media communications, and web design and development. The university also offers more than 10 master's programs in business intelligence, creative writing, and innovation and entrepreneurship, among other fields.
Grand Canyon University offers great variety on the doctoral level, with online degree offerings in business and leadership, education, psychology, health care, nursing, and theology and youth ministry. You also can choose from the university's approximately four dozen master's programs and its nearly three dozen bachelor's programs. In addition to its various program levels and fields of study, we liked that Grand Canyon's online students take just one class at a time, allowing you to give your full attention to each course.
Southern New Hampshire University jumped out to us because it's won numerous awards, including a spot on Fast Company's 2012 list of the World's 50 Most Innovative Companies. SNHU brings this innovation to its online degree programs and offers an impressive variety of nearly 100 undergraduate degree programs and dozens of master's programs, including over 40 MBA specialization options
The university also stands out for its 24/7 technical support, personalized academic advising and online tutoring as well as its merit-based grants and scholarships.
Strayer University is a great choice if you're looking to save money on your online education. Through Strayer's Graduation Fund, bachelor's degree candidates can earn up to 10 free courses, one for every three courses they complete through the university. In addition to bachelor's programs, Strayer offers associate's and master's degrees, as well as a handful of certificate and diploma programs in business-related fields of study.
Walden University stood out because it offers both virtual residencies and virtual field experiences for students in some of its programs. Substituting virtual residencies for in-person residencies provides students with additional flexibility - a key quality for a top school.
Walden also offers great variety in its online bachelor's, master's and doctoral offerings, with programs in counselor education and supervision, health services, human services, public health, business, psychology, public policy and administration, and education.
Walden prizes interaction with faculty, and students can contact instructors by both email and phone. The university's learning environment is simple to use, especially its drop box for submitting assignments and receiving feedback
Post a Comment