Life Experience Can Get You A College Degree: Finding The Right Online Program
It is in fact accurate that you can earn a legitimate life experience degree on the internet. This is not simply the province of sleazy "diploma mills". Such degrees are now available through highly esteemed, accredited institutions. This opportunity is ideal for individuals who can't afford either the usual tuition fees or the number of hours of work required in a traditional degree program.
So what exactly is life experience? A life experience degree is based on the premise that what you have personally accomplished is related to an actual degree program. When an online institution grants a life experience degree, it is saying that although you may not have attended classes and bought textbooks, you learned more than enough to make up for it in on-the-job training.
Generally you gain your life experience by doing your job and working through your career. If you don't have a degree you will often hit a ceiling in your career where your employer will no longer promote you simply because you don't have that degree. You might find that people with a degree get promoted even if you are the better candidate. Your employer is not giving credit out for the knowledge that you have gained through your work at that point.
Do not fool yourself into thinking, however, that an esteemed college or university will hand over a diploma simply because of unsupported claims you make on your curriculum vitae. You also shouldn't even consider applying to earn a life experience degree on the internet from a school whose accreditation you have not checked out.
You need to make sure that these types of degrees are from a reputable source, as an unverified one may get you in to legal trouble. Reputable universities are going to require some sort of proof of your experience. They may also want you to take a challenge test that you prove that you have the necessary knowledge in order to gain a course credit.
If you lack a crucial skill, you may have to take a class or two, while the rest of your skills will be attributed towards your life experience degree online. If you prove yourself to meet all of the life experience requirements you may obtain your degree within the month. Sometimes you may have to take a test out of college.
You can receive a valid life experience degree online. This type of degree uses the experience that you have within a certain field. Even though you haven't done the coursework toward the degree, you can have your experience evaluated and be given credit for what you already know. This is perfect if you can't afford a traditional degree or don't have the time to complete one. Remember to get your online degree from an accredited school and don't think you will get your degree automatically. You may be required to pass a test out of college to prove your abilities before receiving credit toward your degree.
Published May 9th, 2008
Filed in Technology