Answered by Professor X
Because many longstanding, regionally accredited, and completely reputable state universities now offer courses and even degrees online, you can now pursue almost any area of study, including many Master's degrees, through distance education. The links below are the absolute best you will find. They contain more links to many well-respected state university distance education programs. What distinguishes these sorts of programs is that the courses are generally transferable between regionally accredited institutions. Sometimes, the degrees offered are identical to those earned on campus. I would advise you to start by looking at the state university system in the state in which you live, and check to see if they offer the programs and courses in which you are interested. If not, check some other state universities. (Pennsylvania has a great system, for instance.) Avoid the "online universities" (for-profit businesses, like U Phoenix, Capella, AIU, etc.) at all costs. These businesses do not deliver on their promises. Phoenix has been sued for deceptive business practices, AIU has lost its accreditation, etc. Note: In institutions of higher education, regional accreditation is better than national accreditation. This sounds odd, but I assure you that it is the case. The regional accreditors are: Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSACS) New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS) Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NCCU) Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) If a program is not accredited by one of these associations, it is best to stay away. Also, accreditation in one region is respected in all others. So a degree from an NCCU-accredited institution will be regarded as valid in all areas outside of the Northwest. If you do a search on Yahoo!Answers, you will find many people complaining that their U of Phoenix degrees are not being taken seriously by employers. These degrees are actually laughed at in academia. Best wishes to you, and good for you for asking the question before wasting your money!