From Tara Kuther, Ph.D.,
Your Guide to Graduate School.
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A. There are differences in the way an online program is presented and taught. For example, there are differences in the kind of instructors teaching online courses, types of available resources, and forms of student interactions. Each school has their own format for teaching and evaluating online courses. Therefore, some schools may have higher reputations than others. Consider the different factors involved in choosing an online graduate program so that you can find the online school that is most suitable for you.

Self:

• Very Comfortable with using a computer.
• Easy access to another computer if the main computer goes down
• Self-motivated and Self-disciplined
• Previous experience with on-line classes

The Course:

• Lecture Formats: Slides vs. Plain Text
• Audio vs. Video Lectures
• Degree of Interaction between Students and Instructors in Lectures
• Course Content
• Exam and Assignment Guidelines
• Is the course completely online or is there some in-class interaction?

Students:

• The Degree of Interactions with other Students
• Form of Interactions (e.g. email, instant messaging, video conferencing)
• Student Demographics

Instructors:

• Credentials and Degrees of Instructors
• Online Teaching Experience
• Supportive Instructors
• Availability of Instructors

The School:

• Reputation of the School
• Types of Programs Offered
• Reputation of Courses
• Available Resources
• Library Facilities
• Easy Access to Reference Materials (online and offline) and Books
• Demographics (e.g. student ratios, faculty ratios)
• Accredited Degrees Granted
• Are the Programs Accredited properly
• Student Evaluation (how is progress and knowledge assessed and graded)