The pros and cons of distance tertiary education

Vishnu K. Mahmud, Contributor, Jakarta

The first few months of the year is usually a time when prospective students send in their applications for tertiary studies. With that in mind, I have been considering going back to school to pursue a Master's Degree to upgrade my skills and knowledge.

But with the lack of time and money, the chances of going to school overseas are pretty low. Scholarships are highly competitive and student loans are practically non-existent for "international" students. So, I am considering distance learning.

Distance learning, perhaps better known as correspondence courses, is a viable alternative for those who wish to acquire an overseas degree.

Instead of expensive traveling, costly apartments and those annoying frat parties, you can study at your own pace, at your own home, at your own time. Cost wise, distance learning is rather reasonable as you can eliminate the need for visas, health insurance and overseas living costs.

You can continue to work at the office and study at home. Assignments can be sent and received via post or e-mail. Collaboration can be done with the help of the Internet and chat rooms or message forums.

For exams, independent proctors are required to ensure a secure, "cheat free" environment. The school should be able to assist in appointing a location in your area (local colleges or education councils are perhaps the best bet).

Potential students should, however, be aware of the various blemishes in the distance-learning world. One example are the diploma mills, "institutions" that offer different levels of degrees (bachelors, masters and even doctorates) for little or no work. These mills simply publish a piece of paper to confer a title (eg. Doctor or Master of Science) that dishonest people can try to use to advance their career. Some of these "establishments" operate from Post Office Boxes, and in one case, a prison cell. "Selling" diplomas can be quite lucrative, raking in $2 million a month.

Lack of accreditation is another problem. A student may have been awarded a Bachelors Degree after years of study and countless amounts of money. Nevertheless, when they try to apply for a Masters degree at a well-established school, the application is rejected because the university presenting the Bachelors is not accredited with any recognized agency.

Accreditation is vital as it is used to verify the quality of the school or program. Some schools may say they are recognized by a state or country, but if you want to continue with an advanced degree, you may only be able to do so at that particular locale.

Some even claim they are accepted by certain accreditation agencies. Make sure that those agencies are recognized by a higher association (such as government recognized organizations) and that they even exist!

To find out more about distance learning, check out degree.net a website that focuses on "non-traditional education". You can also go to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation's website, chea.org, to see the various accreditation agencies for U.S.-based universities. For international institutions, there is the UNESCO International Handbook of Universities, which can be obtained from the UNESCO website, unesco.org.

Make no mistake, distance learning is a practical way of getting a degree. Some well established universities such as Stanford, MIT, the University of Phoenix and England's Open University have distance education programs.

In the end, pursuing higher education is about learning new things and gaining further wisdom. You do only yourself harm in taking a short cut by purchasing a diploma or entering a dubious educational college. Just because they have a website or an ad in a prestigious journal, does not make them an established institution. It could cost you your reputation.