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Chances are you are pursuing an online degree to reap
benefits in the workplace. For this
reason, you may be interested in accelerating your progress to get your degree
faster. This article will explain seven ways to finish your degree faster. Keep in mind that you will work harder to
finish faster and must be willing to make this commitment.
Check with an admissions counselor to see if you qualify for
the Credit for Life Experience Program (CLEP).
Experience in the business world can translate into college credits with
this program. You will have to show
documentation of your work experience. The school will verify this experience
to determine how it fits into your degree program in terms of college
credit. The credits you receive from
this program can shorten the time you spend earning your degree. This program
isn’t offered at all schools or for all degree programs.
The Proficiency Exam Program (PEP) is similar to CLEP. This program allows students to earn college
credit for independent study or other training received without college
credit. You may have learned the subject
matter in another forum and not need to take the class. You will have to show
documentation and pass an exam to qualify for credits with PEP.
Many online universities offer shorter semesters. Some will give you the choice between six,
eight and ten week semesters. Shorter semesters allow you to take more classes
throughout the year. Keep in mind that
these shorter semesters still carry the same requirements. The work load will
be more intense, but the time period will be shorter. Be sure you have the time
to devote before you choose shorter semesters.
The pace is faster and you will need to work faster to keep up.
You can take more classes each semester. Even taking one additional class each
semester can take a year off the time you will spend in school. You will have to make time for an additional
class each semester, but you'll finish faster.
When you plan your classes, schedule a mixture of subjects you find easy
with more difficult courses. This way,
you won't end up with all the subjects you find difficult at the end of your
program.
Some online universities don't require students take general
education classes. Your program will
focus entirely on your field of study.
Often, this structure results in a shorter time spent earning the
degree. If you plan to transfer your
credits to another university, check before enrolling in the program to make
sure the credits are transferable.
Saturday Scholars Programs are offered at many large
universities. Students entering this program should hold an Associates degree
before applying to the program. You
travel to the university on Saturdays, usually from eight in the morning until
five in the evening. These programs
allow you to finish your degree in two years of Saturdays.
Self paced programs are offered through some online
colleges. These classes can be started
at any time and finished at your own pace.
You can work through the material more quickly than is possible in the
typical college semester. Quite a few of
these programs set a minimum time you must take the course. Usually they require a six week minimum time
frame for completion.
Katie Robbins is the owner of degreeclick.com, a web
resource where she regularly publishes informative articles about online
education. Some of the topics she covers include online universities,
education master degrees and
criminal justice degrees.
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