| The possibility of taking Online degree programs have | | | | There is a campus bookstore where you can buy |
| been one of the biggest direct changes in education | | | | various kinds of materials including software, as well as |
| due to the internet. It is easy and convenient for | | | | books. Like most college bookstores, you can easily |
| working adults to be able to take courses without | | | | find the same books more cheaply other places if you |
| having to fit classes around their busy schedules or | | | | look around a little. Like most schools, the bookstore is |
| commute to campus. One of the more popular | | | | used to make some extra money for the school. But, |
| accredited online degree programs is offered by | | | | the easy way out of this, for you, is to buy the books |
| Capella University. This school was founded in 1993 | | | | you need on the web |
| and got its accreditation in 1997. After it was | | | | somewhere. There are lots of services available for |
| accredited, it changed its | | | | buying textbooks online. In spite of this, the Capella |
| name and established five schools: Human Sciences, | | | | school is quite affordable. There are more and more |
| Technology, Education, Psychology and Business.The | | | | schools coming on the web every year, and those that |
| school's headquarter is located in Minneapolis, | | | | want to stay must be competitive.At Capella, there are |
| Minnesota. Within these five schools, there are about | | | | five schools within the college. They should be |
| 70 different areas of study with more than 650 | | | | considered or reviewed separately in terms of quality. |
| classes offered. The Capella school has 650 faculty | | | | While the Human Sciences, Business, Education and |
| members, more than 550 employed staff and 13,000 | | | | Technology schools are quite good, the Psychology |
| students enrolled | | | | school has been undergoing some issues. There have |
| in courses. As you can see, this is a real college for | | | | been some problems with the management, and this |
| higher education with real credentials.The school has its | | | | has affected the overall quality of the program |
| good points as well as its bad points. In order to draw | | | | negatively. Because of these issues or problems, the |
| as balanced picture as possible of this school, let's | | | | Psychology school has had to keep changing its Dean, |
| consider both. It has a special individualized portal for | | | | and this has also added to their problems. At the time |
| each student, called the iGuide. After you enroll, you're | | | | of this writing, the psychology school is still not |
| granted secure access through this portal to all the | | | | accredited by the American Psychological Association, |
| academic information you need. This makes it easy to | | | | even though it has been running this program for so |
| look at and get an overview of courses and | | | | long.This shouldn't reflect too badly on school as a |
| transcripts. Through the portal, you have access to | | | | whole. Remember, there are 650 faculty members, so |
| your internet classroom, which they refer to as the | | | | there is a load of variety. As a matter of fact, the |
| 'courseroom', where you can get your assignments | | | | quality of the instructors has always been commented |
| and post messages.Most other schools on the internet | | | | on by the students who have graduated here. One |
| have online chats and webcams which often don't | | | | thing criticised by many is that so many of the faculty |
| work very well. At this school however, the technology | | | | are part time contractors, and thus do not have the |
| is all together and in working order. It has a special | | | | interests of their students in mind as a highest priority. It |
| system for turning in assignments which is very | | | | is also charged that many of the teachers here are |
| efficient but still easy to use. Just submit all your | | | | new to teaching on the web, and in being |
| assignments as zip files or Microsoft Word documents. | | | | unaccustomed to it are unable to give the best |
| That's all you have to do.The school portal offers | | | | instruction to their students. This |
| access to the alumni center which you can use for | | | | charge comes particularly from students who have |
| networking and looking for employment opportunities. | | | | attended masters or Ph.D. programs here and found |
| There are many other services available, like access | | | | the quality of instruction at that level to be lacking. It |
| to grants and other public money. Some of the | | | | could be that the strength of this school is in its |
| graduates have criticized the alumni center as not | | | | undergraduate program.This is what most students |
| being so useful, and being mostly just for show. | | | | attend the school for, so it may be that the instructors |
| However, most graduates are very happy with | | | | are better able to teach at the undergraduate level. |
| it.Because this school is targeted to students who are | | | | There aren't many complaints from undergraduate |
| already in jobs, its opportunities for on campus | | | | students about instructor or teacher quality, so this |
| employment are pretty bare. The thought is that the | | | | may be the case.At the Capella university you |
| reason you've chosen to study there rather than at a | | | | certainly get a bit of everything. Whether this school is |
| more traditional college is that you are already in a | | | | for you depends on a number of different factors. |
| jobs . If you live outside Minneapolis, the school does | | | | Retrieving and submitting coursework is easy. On the |
| not offer much in the way of employment for its | | | | negative side, the quality of the teaching or instruction |
| students.The school does offer a wide range of | | | | has consistently been lauded, if at times inconsistent. |
| services to students with various handicaps. There is a | | | | The fact that every education program is not yet |
| variety of software available, and the staff makes an | | | | accredited probably reflects badly on the |
| extra effort to accommodate students with disabilities. | | | | school.Nevertheless, as internet programs go, it is rated |
| The school is consistently ranked high among higher | | | | high in all areas. So, if you are looking into |
| educational institutions for its services for disabled | | | | pursuing a higher education online, weigh your options |
| students. There is mobility assistance, sign language | | | | well.Nic Haffner likes to publish Info and articles about |
| interpreter service as well and additional time given to | | | | accredited Online Degrees. You can go to the website |
| those who need it.Except from those mentioned about, | | | | for more. |
| most other services are somewhat lacking, however. | | | | |