(source stgnews.com)

Another accredited school, Dixie State College is embracing online education – by providing students with a fast track to communication degree completion. Through a series of nighttime courses students with an associate’s degree or at least 60 hours of college credit can complete a bachelor of science communication degree in as few as 20 months.

The Organization and Leadership Degree Completion Program (DCP) is overseen by adviser who works with students to achieve success in earning an academic degree. Students who have an associate’s degree or who have completed 60 hours and all general education requirements will work with a cohort to map out a fast track. DCP Students will attend classes only one night per week. Each student will complete one course at a time, usually in four weeks, and then move on to the next course with a different instructor. Additional coursework during each week is completed online and at home.

See the full article here at: stgnews.com

It’s great to see more universities recognize the benefits of accredited online degrees and accredited online schools – feel free to check the main portion of our site that list many accredited schools and degrees.

Accreditation ensures a basic level of quality in the education you receive from an institution. It also ensures your degrees will be recognized for the true achievements they are.

To ensure that your academic experience is of the highest quality, all degree programs listed on www.SchoolsandDegrees.com are associated with universities and colleges that have approved accreditation. We also partner with a wide variety of renowned career schools which offer technical and professional training.

Students must understand the importance of accreditation and the dangers of receiving a degree from a school without accreditation.

As a top resource on the Web, we strive to provide pertinent and up-to-date information on accreditation in the world of online learning. This section of our comprehensive, informative site serves that end.

The purpose of accreditation is to:

1. Use standards of evaluation to ensure quality education
2. Encourage institutions to improve quality of education
3. Ensure the accountability of educational institutions
4. Provide public confidence in educational institutions

What should you know about accreditation?

When assessing the quality of an educational institution, students should know about the institution’s accreditation status.

Accreditation status is provided by accrediting bodies, which are private, nongovernmental organizations that have been created specifically to review higher education institutions and programs. These accreditors are reviewed for quality by entities such as the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDE).

The accreditation process ensures the review of a school’s faculty, recruiting practices, admissions procedures, course content, and more. Influenced and affected by the role of accreditors, schools are accountable for continually working to improve the quality and results of the education they provide.

Why should you care about accreditation?

Enrolling in an e-learning program with accreditation is important for:

• Federal Financial Aid

  CHEA states that in the United States, “students who want federal (and sometimes state) grants and loans need to attend a college, university, or program that is accredited.” This is also true for e-learning and online education.

• Credit Transfer

  To transfer credits to an accredited school, your credits must come from a school with accreditation.

• Employment

  Employers often look for proof that their job applicants have received a degree from an academic program with accreditation. Often, job applicants are not eligible for employment, and employees are not eligible for advancement, if their degree is not from an accredited school.

Be confident about the accreditation of the e-learning program you choose.

Schools & Degrees provides the information you need about accreditation:

• The importance of accreditation: What does accreditation mean to you?
• Types of accreditation
• The accreditation process and benefits of accreditation
• US and regional accreditation
• US National Accreditation Association
• US Specialized / Professional Accrediting Associations
• Dangers of degrees without accreditation

According to the US Department of Education, more post-secondary schools / institutions are offering online degrees and online courses.  This is also referred to as distance education.

In the 2006–07 academic year, 66 percent of the 4,160 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the nation offered college-level distance education courses. The overall percentage includes 97 percent of public 2-year institutions, 18 percent of private for-profit 2-year institutions, 89 percent of public 4-year institutions, 53 percent of private not-for-profit institutions, and 70 percent of private for-profit 4-year institutions.

Sixty-five percent of the institutions reported college-level credit-granting distance education courses, and 23 percent reported noncredit distance education courses. There was a total of an estimated 12.2 million enrollments (or registrations) in college-level credit-granting distance education courses in 2006–07. Of these enrollments, 77 percent were reported in online courses, 12 percent were reported in hybrid/blended online courses, and 10 percent were reported in other types of distance education courses.

In 2006–07, there were approximately 11,200 college-level programs that were designed to be completed totally through distance education; 66 percent of these programs were reported as degree programs and the remaining 34 percent were reported as certificate programs.

For a complete list of accredited online schools check out our home page – see the featured schools.

We are currently exploring the possibility of creating our own ranking system at SchoolsandDegrees.com but unless we analyze the effort involved, we wanted to highlight several good resources and pages:

1.  GuidetoOnlineSchools – Online School Rankings

2.  GuidetoOnlineSchoos – Online School Reviews

3.  OEDb – Online School Rankings

For a list of profile and directory of accredited online schools – check out our accredited online schools page

Enjoy!

Nursing schools provide student with several great options for getting their degrees via a fast track program or accelerated nursing programs. These programs typically last for 1 year and a student is able to earn their BSN. Right now, there is a huge demand for nursing professionals due to staffing shortages as well as our aging population.An accelerated or fast track program works by speeding up everything involved with the schooling process. It will be a short but intense trip, with more classes in less time. Your curriculum will be much more condensed, with little to no time off in between class sessions, as opposed to entire summers and winters off with a traditional semester system. But when you take advantage of this properly, you can finish up your entire degree in as little as a year, maybe 15 months at the most. These programs are intense and do require your full commitment otherwise you will not be successful.

Here are a few schools offering these programs but feel free to check out our sections dedicated to nursing degrees.

1.  Kaplan University

2. Kent State University

3.  Colorado Technical University

Good luck!

This program is also called the Paramedic to RN Bridge Program.

If you’re a busy, working Paramedic- and want to expand your career options and income potential- consider becoming an RN! The online Paramedic to RN bridge program offers certified Paramedics the opportunity to transition into Registered Nursing with an NLNAC accredited Associate in Science Degree in Nursing in as little as 18 months without ever stepping into a college classroom. The accelerated online Paramedic to RN transition program saves time and costs up to 50% less than traditional classroom-based programs. The program allows Paramedics the opportunity to earn their Nursing degree while working at an independent pace and maintaining work and life balance. Students successfully completing the online Paramedic to RN bridge program will be eligible to work as Graduate Nurses (GN) in most states while waiting to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for registered nurses.

There are several advantage to the Online Paramedic to RN Program

1. Online degrees through prestigious accredited universities
2. No Classroom Attendance Required
3. No Waiting Lists – Start Right Away
4. Transfer credits from other regionally accredited colleges and universities
5. Use a variety of resources to acquire additional knowledge and competencies
6. Earn credits in your own space, at your own pace
7. Low Cost With Guaranteed Financing

The Benefits of The Paramedic-to-RN Online Bridge Program include the following:

1. Salary increase of up to $30,000
2. Opportunity to Specialize
3. Increased job security
4. Increased autonomy, responsibilities, & respect
5. Personal growth and satisfaction
6. Unlimited career advancement options

Additionally, earning your Associate’s Degree in Nursing through the online Paramedic to RN bridge program provides you with the opportunity to take advantage of advanced nursing education programs such as RN to BSN programs, RN to MSN bridge programs, earning a Master’s in Nursing Science (MSN) degree, or even becoming a Nurse Practitioner at a later time.

Computer software engineers in San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland earned more per hour than those in New York, Portland, Vancouver, Dallas, and Fort Worth, in 2008. The top ten percent computer software engineers with a specialty in systems software earned $75hr in San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland, while the top ten percent in Dallas and Fort Worth earned $56hr. Computer software engineers with a specialty in applications earned a median $50hr in San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland, while those in Dallas and Fort Worth earned a median $37hr. The lowest ten percent computer software engineers in San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland earned $40hr; in the New York, Newark, and Bridgeport area earned $33.hr; in the Portland, Vancouver, Beaverton area earned $30hr; and in the Dallas, Fort Worth area earned $23.hr.

(Source: BLS)

Nursing is a general field of study that includes numerous specialties. Many of the students that take on this level of education will do so with the hopes of getting a degree and continuing their education to earn subsequent degrees. The basic degrees include the BSN, or Bachelor of Science degree in nursing; the LPN to BSN program; and the Master of Science degree in nursing programs. In most all nursing fields there is the need to work with continuing education over the course of their study.

Since the nursing field is in dire need of nursing students with the prospects only looking more demanding in the future, this is a growing field with almost always open positions. The nurse may be able to work in any health care related location from hospitals and emergency care facilities to doctor’s offices in private practice to nursing home and disability care needs such as in home nursing.

Top Online Colleges
1. Liberty University

Liberty offers campus, online, or blended degree programs for students all around the world. Liberty provides a flexible and welcoming experience for students who want to continue their education in a Christian environment.

2. Devry University

DeVry University offers students a variety of different degree choices so they can reach their career goals. An accredited college, DeVry University makes getting a college degree online obtainable for every student.

3. Everest University Online

Everest University offers complete support throughout a student’s educational career. All instructors have real-world experience and are also trained educators. They can offer insights that others cannot because they have worked in these fields.

Nonfarm payroll employment continued to decline in April (-539,000), and the unemployment rate rose from 8.5 to 8.9 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Since the recession began in December 2007, 5.7 million jobs have been lost. In April, job losses were large and widespread across nearly all major private-sector industries. Overall, private-sector employment fell by 611,000.

Unemployment (Household Survey Data)

The number of unemployed persons increased by 563,000 to 13.7 million in April, and the unemployment rate rose to 8.9 percent. Over the past 12 months, the number of unemployed persons has risen by 6.0 million, and the unemployment rate has grown by 3.9 percentage points.

Unemployment rates rose in April for adult men (9.4 percent) and blacks (15.0 percent). The jobless rates for adult women (7.1 percent), teenagers (21.5 percent), whites (8.0 percent), and Hispanics (11.3 percent) were little changed over the month. The unemployment rate for Asians was 6.6 percent in April, not seasonally adjusted, up from 3.2 percent a year earlier.

Among the unemployed, the number of job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs rose by 571,000 in April to 8.8 million. This group has more than doubled in size over the past 12 months.

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) increased by 498,000 to 3.7 million over the month and has risen by 2.4 million since the start of the recession in December 2007.

Still the hottest area of job creation is Nursing and getting an online nursing degree is quick and easy. Find out more.

Accredited online nursing degrees are hot! The reason is because
registered nurses are projected to create the second largest number of new jobs among all occupations; job opportunities in most specialties and employment settings are expected to be excellent, with some employers reporting difficulty in attracting and retaining enough RNs.

The number of searches each month performed in Google is continuously rising. Here are the top accredited online nursing schools with links for additional information.

1. Walden University

Walden U. is for working professionals who desire an advanced degree while maintaining career & personal commitments. Walden’s flexible, student-centered education allows you to earn a master’s or Ph.D. from the convenience of your home or workplace.

2. Kaplan University

The world is looking for talented professionals with real-world experience. Kaplan University can help you develop that talent. We’re an accredited university with more than 100 degrees and programs. Yet the approach to education is a bit nontraditional. We believe a university should adapt to its students, not the other way around. Our classes fit around your schedule. The professors bring real-world expertise and provide you with the academic support you need.

3. University of Phoenix

UOP was one of the first accredited universities to offer degree programs online. With more than a decade of experience in Web-based delivery, our online format has been perfected and proven effective for thousands of successful graduates.

University of Phoenix degree programs are designed in collaboration with academic and industry professionals to ensure quality, relevance and rigor. Our curriculum is regularly updated to reflect the latest proven concepts, methods and practices.

4. Gonzaga University

Founded in 1887, Gonzaga University has been committed to developing excellent leaders. In response to society’s growing need for value-based, visionary leadership, Gonzaga University’s Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership was established in 1986

5. Chamberlain College of Nursing

The tradition of quality education and professional preparation now includes a web-based delivery of RN to BSN completion degree and an LPN to ASN degree.

About this page: This page is a listing of distance learning and online nursing degrees offered by accredited online colleges and online universities. The online nursing degrees listed above may be delivered using a variety of online and distance learning technologies allowing you to study from home or work; however, some may require on-campus time. Check each degree’s requirements and request information to learn more.

The shortcut to see all schools is here: Accredited Online Nursing Degrees