Thursday, April 12, 2012

Master Degree Online: Making Residency Choices

One thing to consider when seeking out a master degree online is whether or not you want one with a residency requirement. If you are new to the master degree online environment you might not be aware of the fact that online degrees are not all entirely online-based. You will be required by some to put in at least a few hours in a classroom or lab.

You might be wondering why you should even consider these types of online programs. These programs actually appeal for many reasons. Increased networking opportunities are definitely an advantage of a master degree online that entails classroom engagements.

Networking is more easily facilitated by face-to-face interactions. As such, it may prove to be to your advantage to get a program that has more opportunities for these. Students also benefit academically from this.

It is easier to ask for help from your peers and professors if they are within your reach. This can speed up the exchange of knowledge, among other things. Interacting with people online often leads to slow response time as this communication is seldom seen as urgent.

Residencies just seem to be a perfect fit for some courses. This is because they have a strong focus on practical learning. So if your course is in a field where a great focus is on practical experience, then naturally you would look for programs that encompass a large amount of lab time.

This is not as important in fields where knowledge takes preference. Some really are capable of producing all information online. In cases like this students don’t worry too much about residencies.

You should think about the amount of time you can give to a residency should you be of the opinion that it will enhance your studies. The requirements vary for each school. The course could be divided equally between the institution and the internet.

Obviously if your time doesn’t allow, you need to look for programs with low residency requirements. There are programs that offer a couple of days per semester in their residencies. Some offer as little as a single-semester residency commitment for your entire study duration.

For high on-campus study you would be looking at one of the hybrid versions. Whatever you pick, be sure that it is commensurate with your limits. Remember that the intention of these programs, as far as students are concerned, is to avoid having to go to a campus.

A major concern when looking at residencies involved in a master degree online program is how far you are from the institution’s physical classrooms. The farther your location from that base, the lower the residency requirements you may want to take. This can spare you a lot of effort as well as travel costs.