Know Your Time Commitment
As you plan ahead for your online philosophy degree, consider how much time you can commit to classwork each week and how long you want to devote to your studies overall. If you want to graduate as quickly as possible, consider accelerated programs, which typically involve an intense course load and possibly summer enrollment.
You can also speed up your degree progress by seeking out schools that maximize transfer credit through generous transfer policies or by offering credit for prior professional or learning experience, such as military training. The fewer credits you need to complete your current program, the faster you can reach the finish line.
Conversely, if you have a full-time job, family responsibilities or health limitations, a part-time program may suit your needs best. While taking classes part time extends the overall amount of time you spend in school, it provides a more sustainable pace for many learners.
Whether you attend full time or part time, many online programs feature asynchronous course delivery—meaning you can view lectures and complete assignments and discussions at any time of day—or evening and weekend classes. These formats can make it easier to balance your studies with outside commitments.
Look at Accreditation
Accreditation is a comprehensive peer review process by which colleges and universities demonstrate that they meet accepted educational quality standards. During this process, an accrediting body approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education (ED) performs a detailed assessment of a school’s curricula, faculty credentials, student resource offerings and fiscal profile.
CHEA and ED recognize two types of accreditors: institutional agencies, which conduct holistic assessments of entire institutions, and programmatic agencies, which focus on individual departments or programs. No recognized programmatic accrediting bodies exist for philosophy programs, but institutional accreditation is a crucial consideration for all students, including prospective philosophy majors.
Attending an institutionally accredited school provides the following benefits.
- Qualify for funding. Only students at institutionally accredited schools can receive federal financial aid. Private scholarship organizations and workplaces providing employer tuition reimbursement may also require recipients to enroll at accredited institutions.
- Transfer credits. Most schools accept transfer credit only from accredited institutions.
- Apply to grad school. Accredited graduate programs typically expect applicants to hold a bachelor’s from an institutionally accredited school.
- Advance your career. Graduating from an accredited institution shows potential employers that you received a high-quality education. Some professional certifications also require a degree from an accredited college or university.
Consider Your Future Goals
Since philosophy is such a versatile field, you can target programs that support diverse career aspirations. Earning your philosophy degree online allows you to explore schools outside your local area without worrying about relocation (or, in many cases, out-of-state tuition), so you can shop around for a program with strong curricular content in your areas of interest.
For example, a philosophy major planning to apply to law school after graduation might seek out a program with a pre-law concentration or robust course offerings in philosophy of law. An aspiring physician, for example, may prefer a school whose faculty members specialize in medical ethics.
Students seeking careers in academia might investigate opportunities to attend academic conferences and participate in faculty research projects. Philosophy majors planning to apply for graduate school in any discipline can benefit from honors programs and capstone or thesis components.
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