Sometimes you may also have found that the best jobs go to people with more education, so you’ve decided to look into going back to school, online, on your own time and own terms, and earn that degree.
1. Decide what type of degree do you want to have. This may seem like a simple step for some, but for advanced degrees it’s very important to be specific. A school that has an excellent general Environmental Studies program might not be as highly rated as the school that offers an Environmental Water Resource Management program.
2. Use Web. Use Google to search on schools that offer a degree in your field, and find out how online colleges compare to each other.
3. Eliminate the colleges that don’t fit. Some online institutions may have prohibitively steep pricing, or require a time commitment that you cannot match. If a college does not meet your criteria, scratch it off the list.
4. Focus on your top 3 choices. Take the time to research and read about the programs they offer in your field, both to ascertain if it’s the right fit for you, and if it’s a path you are truly excited about pursuing.
5. Dig deeper. Find out about the school’s certification and accreditation. The Distance Education and Training Council typically handles much of online school accreditation, and is an excellent resource for your online college research.
6. Contact your schools. After doing thorough background research, contact the schools that made your cut. Talk with somebody in the Admissions department about their requirements, their application procedures, and anything else they feel you should know that is unique to their institution.
7. Fill out the application forms. Fill out the forms for your final candidates, pay your application fee, and await the results.