Thursday, April 12, 2012

The Nitti Gritty About Residencies In Relation To A Master Degree Online

A definite consideration with any master degree online is of course the residency requirement. You would be interested to know that despite their name, most online degrees are not just internet-based. Some time is needed to be spent in the lab or classroom.

Now you might be asking yourself if it is worth pondering programs with this requirement. There are a couple of reasons actually, why these programs should be of interest. Obviously where there is physical interaction between students of a master degree online, there is better scope for networking.

Naturally, networking is much more effective face-to-face. Programs that allow such networking opportunities are advantageous for this reason exactly. Students also benefit academically from this.

Naturally it is much better to be able to ask for help from people who are in the same room as you. Ideas and knowledge are shared quickly. There is sometimes a lag in the response time online.

Residencies just seem to be a perfect fit for some courses. It could just as well be that these courses have a fundamental focus on the practical side of learning. Some courses place a great value on practical experience, and if yours does as well then you should definitely choose an online program that offers a lot of classroom time.

Take note that this may not be as urgent if you are in a field that is knowledge-based. Some really are capable of producing all information online. In cases like this students don’t worry too much about residencies.

If you do find that a residency can enhance your education, think about how much of it you want to do. The requirements vary for each school. Some ask you to perform virtually half the course online and half of it offline.

People whose commitments limit the time they have for campus study need to seek out courses with low residency expectations. Some programs actually offer residencies of only a few days per semester. There are courses that require just one semester out of all the years of study.

These programs also have 'big brother' versions that demand a lot of time on campus. Be sure that whatever you choose is in line with your realistic capabilities. We all know that the reason many go with online programs is to avoid going to 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 greater the distance, the fewer residency requirements you are likely to take. This saves not only sweat, but also money.