An online graduate program lets you earn your degree at your own pace without leaving your house. Distance education programs may require some sort of attendance, either for orientation at the time of admission, for weekend contact classes or for submission of a thesis at the end of the course. But in an online course everything from admission to awarding the degree is done in the electronic mode. You can earn your Masters or doctoral degree in any subject, ranging from accounting to astro-physics, from a prestigious institution without leaving your neighborhood.

The admission process is more or less the same as for regular programs. Your GPA and GRE scores. play an important role. However, more importance is given to work experience, in case of employed students. The choice of specializations offered by online programs is very broad. Youll have to choose one major for your Masters program. Many online colleges include a number of minors within each major to impart comprehensive knowledge of the subject. For example, for a business management degree in finance you may have to study accounting, statistics, strategy, banking, and organizational behavior.

Another advantage is that online colleges award the degree in a much shorter time than regular colleges. Due to their flexibility and comfort, online colleges became the choicest way of earning a degree for a growing majority, especially for employed people who cannot attend regular college and for foreign students who want to earn an American degree. Seeing the growing popularity of online programs, many traditional universities, too, have started online courses.

Despite the apparent advantages, online degrees have some inherent disadvantages too. Not many of them are accredited, though each one of them claims to be so. Before enrolling for an online degree you must confirm the credentials of the college and the program of your choice. Unless both are accredited by a recognized agency, your money and effort will go waste. Also, obtaining financial assistance to pursue online programs is difficult since you are not treated as a full-time student.

Another disadvantage is that, though the admission process is as tough and the course material is as good as that of regular programs, many people are dubious about the academic standards of online graduates. Despite the growing popularity of online programs, many employers seem to give more preference to candidates with regular degree. Its totally up to the candidate to prove his worth.

Therefore, you should choose a college whose name is well-known and whose credentials are beyond suspicion. Once the quality of your degree is established, it would be much easier to convince the employer of your abilities.