Accredited Degrees

Earning a law degree seems to be one degree that would not be accessible via an online university, but online education has evolved to such a degree that it is now possible.  Online law degrees present a difficult challenge to students since the American Bar Association has not accredited any online law school.  However, California is the one state around the nation that allows online law degree graduates to sit for their bar, assuming that these students reach the same expectations. 
   
Online law degrees therefore have been one type of degree that is difficult to earn and put into use.  Many students may still receive law degrees around the country, but run into various problems when attempting to sit for the bar in any state other than California.  This rule presents at least slight leeway though, since you can still become a practicing attorney in California with an online degree and eventually transfer to another state after a few years.  While California’s Bar Committee does not accredit online law schools, they still allow distance learning schools to register with them if the school meets their requirements.  Thus far, the Committee recognizes fourteen schools: Abraham Lincoln University School of Law, American Heritage University School of Law, California School of Law, Concord School of Law, Esquire College, MD Kirk School of Law, Newport University, Northwestern California University, Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy, Southern California University for Professional Studies, University of Honolulu, West Coast School of Law, Inc., West Haven University, and William Howard Taft University. California’s Committee still requires online law degree students to jump through several hoops before becoming a registered lawyer within the state, including many exams, moral character determinations, and a multistate professional responsibility exam. 
   
After all this work, you may still be able to practice law in a different state after five to seven years of practicing law in California.  Most states will allow California lawyers to take their bar exams after this amount of time.  If you want to choose a different route, you could always attain a Master of Law program which is accredited by the American Bar Association and is available online as well.  However, online law degrees do come with more drawbacks than many other degrees.  Law is a much more hands-on graduate degree, which many employers are aware of.  California may allow students to take their bar, but this still does not guarantee a job placement after taking the bar since many employers will look at an online law degree and know it is not accredited by the ABA.  While online law degrees still lack accreditation, it is not impossible to become a practicing attorney with one, and one day the ABA may recognize such a degree, lessening the process of using it.  

Online MBA programs have quickly become one of the top ranking degree programs within online universities because of the strong weight such a degree carries in the business world today. With the economy on the rebound, people across the country are anxiously looking to the future to secure a higher level job, many times continuing their education by getting an online MBA degree.  The economic times also have encouraged many people to get additional degrees in order to get higher paying salaries.  While the economy is bound to fluctuate over the years, many people do not want to risk a job loss in the future and therefore are securing a more protected job.
   
Online MBA degrees have become the wave of the future as they allow people of literally any career genre to learn a different aspect of the business industry.  Additionally, the joy of an online MBA degree is that you will not need to take off the extra year of work in order to gain the degree, but can work at your own pace.  Rather than spending hundreds to thousands of dollars on a degree that will force you to take time off from work, these degrees cost much less but still serve the same purpose in rewarding you with an accredited MBA in the end.   Moreover, an MBA degree has been found to more than double your average work salary, causing it to be a wise investment over the years with the return benefits obvious after the first year. 
   
Determining what you want to do with an MBA is one dilemma which should be decided before you decide to give up your extra time in pursuing the online degree.  Many fields require such degrees, although some may not be hiring or may pay less than you thought you would be making.  Doing some background research in your field before you begin your study can help encourage you to finish the program and define your future career choice.  Receiving an online MBA is still quite a bit of work, however, and before you commit yourself to a year-long academic pursuit, make sure that you intend to use the degree and what type of career you want to use it for.  Online MBAs have become quite helpful over the past years as more and more universities have opened their doors to the opportunity for online distance studies.  There is now a wide variety of schools and degrees across the internet, thereby allowing students to pick and choose which school is best for your needs.  Deciding to make such a drastic career change is no easy choice to make, but online colleges make this decision much easier by providing an alternative method in which you will not be forced to take time off work nor commute every day.