Distance Learning: Business

Individuals who work in the business world really are all about business. They understand that there is nearly always a way to advance, as long as they are willing to put in the time and follow the rules. Distance learning has been around in one form or another for well over a century. Early versions were correspondence courses, and for the most part didn’t result in a degree. Today, thanks to the internet, distance learning has transformed itself from a somewhat awkward alternative in the 70s that involved televised classrooms and constant trips to the post office, to a legitimate way to earn a higher degree from a reputable school.

Of course, distance learning courses aren’t going to be the answer for everyone. In order to succeed, a learner has to recognize that even without flesh-and-blood instructors offering reminders and nudging them along, assigned work must get finished. Mature students who have been in the working world are oftentimes ideal candidates for a distance learning business program. So are working professionals in other fields who want to broaden their options, or have decided the time is right to leave their current professions for a career in business.

When distance learning began to transform itself from a correspondence course format to the increasingly interactive methods it uses today, business programs were at the forefront. In fact, the success of distance learning is in large part due to the visionary experiments many business programs undertook, conceiving of and then creating software programs, discussion boards, chat rooms, and a wealth of other online learning tools that have collectively made distance learning not only feasible, but truly as good as face-to-face education.
Distance learning business programs have been spawned by schools and educational institutions around the world. Some of these programs are parented by traditional and venerable schools such as Harvard, Stanford, and Cornell. In other cases, entire online universities have grown up to satisfy the need for high quality virtual education. Today, hundreds of thousands of successful business degree holders have come out of distance learning programs.

For people who are not yet working in business, many programs offer an associate’s degree that will permit them to get a foot in the professional door. These programs take up to two years of full-time study to complete, but that’s the beauty of distance learning. Students can work at their own pace. Many programs don’t even require “attendance” at a particular time to an online class. This means that if the student is juggling a big project at work, a sick child, and an upcoming wedding, school can take a back seat without getting kicked off the map. On the other hand, for students with few outside distractions, moving through a distance learning program at a quicker pace results in earlier completion.

Working professionals who know that a higher degree is at least the quickest, and possibly the only, way into professional advancement may also take advantage of distance learning opportunities. Bachelor’s, master’s, and even doctoral programs abound. S0me potential students worry that a distance learning program won’t carry the same cache as a traditional face-to-face program, but that isn’t necessarily true. As long as the school is properly accredited and has a good reputation, these days most human resources departments see distance learning qualifications on a par with those earned at a brick-and-mortar school. To some, there’s actually an added attraction. Candidates who hold one or more degrees from reputable schools that were earned through distance learning have already demonstrated a quality companies cherish. These are employees who are self starters, who perceive the importance of staying focused in order to get ahead, and who demonstrate the ability to work on long-term projects independently. They are able to follow minimal instruction and take full responsibility for outcomes. Who wouldn’t be inclined to hire someone like that as opposed to someone with a similar education, but who has not demonstrated a substantial amount of independence?

Of course, it takes a certain type of student to fit the above description, and it’s that type of student who is likely to succeed at distance learning. Distance learning business programs may be the perfect solution for someone with a full-time job, a family, or other personal or professional commitments that just aren’t very flexible in terms of scheduling. They might also be a great choice for someone who can really only afford to take one or two classes at a time and wants to slowly work toward that degree.

While learning at home as your personal time permits might sound like a great option for folks who don’t have the time for scheduled on-campus classes or who don’t live within reasonable proximity to the school of choice, they aren’t right for everyone. To succeed at distance learning requires a student who is not only highly self motivated, but knows how to manage time, can work efficiently without constant supervision, and who doesn’t lose sight of the prize, even if there isn’t a room full of fellow students keeping the focus sharp. For students who fit that description, distance learning offers the opportunity to advance in fields such as human resources, global business, marketing, business law, and a host of other possibilities.

Using a software program specifically designed for online learning allows distance learners to meet classmates from all kinds of business environments and even all kinds of countries and economies. Networking is an important part of face-to-face education, but it may be equally important in online learning. Global work environments and hands-on business experience that touches on a wide range of specialties can make the learner’s virtual classmates valuable, indeed.

People who are interested in pursuing a distance learning business degree should make certain that programs of interest are accredited through nonprofit organizations that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Schools lacking accreditation might offer courses full of useful information, but if they aren’t accredited, any certification or degree they issue is basically just paper. Other schools claim to be accredited, and are—but the organization who gave them the recognition isn’t,formally recognized.

Sadly, in every field there are accrediting groups that are simply mills selling the term without backing it up. These schools must be avoided at all costs. Not only will they waste the student’s time and money, but holding such a useless degree may mark an otherwise capable person as a fool. Furthermore, government financial aid in the form of loans and scholarships are only made available to schools that have voluntarily undergone accreditation through one of the legitimate groups. A visit to the U.S. Department of Education is a good place to begin. Accreditation councils, groups, and organizations that are considered legitimate can be found there.

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