The Online Degree in Business Administration: 10 Important Items to Remember by Kevin Ihrig

I spent several hours researching an online degree in business administration, and looking at offline programs as well. I've graduated with my degree, and I have found 10 things to remember and think about before you dive in.

Getting a degree takes time, so picking a good school that will meet your needs can really help the process along. Take a few minutes to think about these, and I also have some suggestions for places to look for programs you may like.

10 Things to Remember: 1. The Benefit Why are you going to college? Will you get a raise? A promotion? What will an offline or online degree in business administration do for you? This become more important as you move through the 5 items.

If you expect to get a better job or a raise, that's great! Congratulations on having some ambition. As a secondary idea, you might look at what type of job you want, and see if you can tell how many people have the degree you want. You do this just to validate your plans. For instance, you don't see many Oceanology PhD's on salmon boats in Alaska. It's just not a requirement for the job.

2. The Bill How much will this cost? As you check out colleges and universities that offer an online degree in business administration or similar programs, jot down how much they cost per year or credit. The university I went to for my degree, an MBA, cost less than half of what another local university charged, and only about one third what a large online university would have charged.

For me, the lower tuition and fewer student loans made a big difference.

3. The Prestige How much respect will your degree receive? When you walk into a job interview or write a resume and say, I graduated from so-and-so university, will you get the respect you want?

To find out, look up reviews of the schools you are considering. Also, if you know anyone who has attended these schools, ask them how their degree was received. You can also call a few human resource departments if you want.

4. The Simplicity How hard will attending your school be? Will you have to log in 20 minutes early, or have special software? Not that any of these are bad things, you should just know ahead of time.

Also, will these schools do everything online, or do you have to handle a bunch of paperwork by mail? Online is easier, usually.

5. The Time How long until you graduate? Is this a lock step program? I passed on a more prestigious program partly because of a lock step program. I couldn't skip a semester if I needed to, and I did need to later. I would have had to apply for reentry.

6. The Aid Does this university have arrangements for financial aid set up? Meaning, what kind of student loans can you use at this school? Also, does the school have access to any special scholarships, and will they help you apply?

7. The Program Do the programs for an online degree in business administration at the universities or colleges you plan to attend seem similar? Some schools require different things. Since I had an engineering undergraduate, I had to earn about 15 credits more than a business undergrad. I found that this was fairly common.

If a school promises you graduation in a short time, when others say 2 years, or 4 years, you might want to look into it further. The school might not be legitimate, or might not be accredited.

8. The Flexibility The program I attended was offline, with online portions, and I was able to do part without any attendance. When I missed class, I could make it up. Helpful, since I traveled a bit for my job.

What flexibility would help you? An all-online program will allow you to work on your classes anywhere, of course. You may want to see what flexibility you have in choosing classes, or how you turn in assignments.

9. The Access Do you know if you can talk to your professor outside of class? You will need access to various university functions now and then, and you'll have to talk to your teachers and class mates.

Since you'll work on this online, you will probably do most of your work through email and some on the phone. I did this for several assignments, and it works, you just have to keep on top of it. Getting an accredited business degree online will mean lots of papers, some presentations, and team assignments. Access to everyone will require to some juggling.

10. The Follow up When you finish that degree, whether in business or not, most people like some follow-up in the form of job search assistance. Most colleges and universities offer help when you graduate, but some will help anytime you need to look for a job.

Will you get employment support to help you find that better job? Also, how many grads from the program get jobs right away? It's worth asking what the university offers.

Just a few things to think about as you apply. I have found many great programs that offer an online degree in business administration, even from traditional schools. You just have to evaluate what will work best for you.