Review your Specific Career Goals-
Determine what your career goals are and research what degree do you
need to attain these goals.
Degree Programs. There are
Associate, Bachelors, Masters, Doctoral and Professional degrees.
Determine the degree you need to become employed in your career of
choice.
Length of School Program- An
Associate program is 2 years, Bachelors, 4 years, a Masters program is
usually 2 years and a Doctoral Program can be 5 – 7 years.
Areas of Specialization-
There can be specific concentrations for each degree. Speak with
someone at each school about their specific program.
Working while Attending School-
If you are working, and the organization will pay for school, it may be
in your best financial interest to attend school part time while
continuing to work full time. You may also choose to work part time
while attending school full time. Sometimes course requirements require
participation in an internship or require field experience. If so, you
may not be able to work. For some programs, like law school and medical
school, it is discouraged to work while attending school full time.
Decide on an Online Degree or traditional School Degree Program-
Online learning allows you to take courses from almost anywhere,
allowing you a great deal of flexibility. However you need to be
self disciplined to learn online. Traditional classroom leaning
provides a more structured environment.
Accreditation-Find out if your degree program is accredited.
Accreditation ensures that the degree program meets a nationally
acceptable standard. Accreditation is extremely important if you
plan on transferring to another school.
Cost of Degree Programs-College tuition is expensive. Most
schools offer financial aid, scholarships and grants. Contact the
admissions office at each school prior to applying for admission to see
if you qualify.