These days, an education can be no further away than your fingertips, thanks to the proliferation of online schools. But, if you sign up for an online school to get your master’s degree in Education or some other degree, will you get what you pay for?
Online schools are useful to many professionals — especially those who seek to meet the ongoing-education requirements for their professional licenses. It’s easy to fit an online school into an already-hectic life without much disruption. Online classes are also often cheaper than the ones you find in brick-and-mortar schools.
However, it’s vitally important to remember that just because a school meets the requirements for a license in one state, it doesn’t mean that the school will meet the requirements for another. This can leave a student in a situation where they earn a degree or certification — but not the one they need.
While recent legislation has put more responsibility on the schools to notify students if they’re taking classes toward a degree that won’t allow them to practice their profession in their home state, that won’t solve all the problems that students face. The schools have complained that the language of the law requiring their compliance is confusing, at best.
Essentially, if you’re seeking to get your professional degree online — or expand the degree you already have through continuing education — you need to be proactive about your licensing requirements. If the online school you choose operates out of a state other than your own, don’t assume that you will be able to use that education in your own state without doing some careful research of your own.
Obtaining and maintaining a professional license can be a confusing process. If you’re facing complications for some reason, we may be able to help. Please visit our main pages for more information.