Get Your Degree Online [Paperback]

Matthew Helm (Author), April Helm (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0071357130 | ISBN-13: 978-0071357135 | Publication Date: May 18, 2000 | Edition: 1

Institutions from top universities to technical schools are taking advantage of the rich resources and opportunities of the worldwide web to offer online classes, courses, and even degree-granting programs. It has never been easier to complete your education without leaving home. But how can students determine which programs are genuine and which are scams? How can students maximize their learning experiences with the kinds of programs that are right for them, and the kinds of degrees that will take them the farthest after "graduation"? Matthew Helm and April Helm have the answer. Get Your Degree Online is a top-notch directory of the best distance-learning programs available. But the book offers so much more than a directory. Readers will learn about the various delivery methods involved in distance learning, the advantages and disadvantages of this form of education, and how to make sure distance learning is really for them. They will learn how to determine if a program is accredited and why accreditation is important, and how to tell real education opportunities from fly-by-night scams. They will even find out how to get financial aid for their online education. The book covers more than 350 degree programs.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Put your computer to the test with this insider's guide to getting the most out of distance learning.

Join the millions of students already earning their degrees online with expert tips found in Get Your Degree Online.

Providing the best distance-learning programs available to date, Get Your Degree Online is much more than a directory: it explains the many ins and outs of attending a virtual classroom to help you succeed in realizing your education goals, from self-improvement, to certification, to earning a Bachelor's degree or an MBA. Authors Matthew and April Hel, provide a wealth of advice to choosing a program outside university walls that matches your interests and needs. They also include a valuable checklist of questions to determine which online programs are legitimate and which are simply fly-by-night scams devised to waste your precious time and tuition money.

Profiling more than 350 online programs, Get Your Degree Online provides students of all ages with key data on admissions criteria, technology requirements, financial aid opportunities, comparison charts, and cross-indices. Get Your Degree Online also teaches you how to:

• Find out if a program is accredited (and explains why accreditation is important)
• Get financial aid for your online education
• Use credit banks and transfer credits
• Collect material for a portfolio
• And much more!

As the demand for virtual classrooms continues to accelerate, so does the need for a top-notch guide to navigating through this fast-growing, and often perplexing, service. Get Your Degree Online is the only guide you need to make the most out of your distance learning experience.

About the Author

Matthew Helm is the Executive VP and Chief Technology Officer for Toolbox Internet Marketing Services, Inc. He has worked for the US Department of Education and as the Director of Human Resource Information Systems at the University of Illinois. He holds an AB in History and an MS in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois. He is the publisher of Journal of Online Genealogy and co-managing editor of Genealogical Computing magazine. He has created and maintained various websites. April Helm is the President of Toolbox Internet Marketing Services, Inc., a firm that designs websites and provides content genealogical and educational companies. She has worked as a policy analyst for the US Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education and as a supervisor of financial aid at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She hold a BS in Journalism and an EdM in higher education administration, and edits the Journal of Online Genealogy and is co-managing editor of Genealogical Computing magazine. Her last book with Matthew Helm was Genealogy Online for Dummies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 439 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (May 18, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071357130
• ISBN-13: 978-0071357135
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,751,004 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Matthew Helm is the Chief Executive Officer of Boneyard Creek Heritage, Inc., a family and local history services company. He is also Chief History Officer at HistoryKat, Inc., a company that specializes in digitizing and posting historical records online. He's the creator and maintainer of the award-winning Helm's Genealogy Toolbox, Helm/Helms Family Research Page, and a variety of other Web sites. Matthew speaks at national genealogical conventions and lectures to genealogical and historical societies. Matthew holds an A.B. in History and an M.S. in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His full-time job is Director, Business Intelligence and Technology Solutions for Illinois State University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing Book, May 7, 2002

By 

"pat__williams" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Get Your Degree Online (Paperback)

Hardly a "top-notch" directory, this book is disappointing in so many ways. It's an obvious attempt to cash in on a popular topic. The information only vaguely represents what is available in distance learning today. Much of the book seems to be a "cut and paste" exercise on the few schools the authors (who obviously were sleeping at their desks during that Research 101 class) want to endorse or feel they have to include for no particular reason. Many important ground breaking schools like Excelsior College and Charter Oak are completely ignored. The authors might also be interested to know about some recent innovations in books like a "table of contents" and an "index." Readers seem to find these helpful. My personal recommendation is Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning by John Bear. It's been continually revised for the last 25 years and is a comprehensive guide to distance education. I expect to see this one in the outside bargain bin for 25 cents real soon!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Needs A New Edition, November 18, 2004

By 

Darshan "darshan1" (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Get Your Degree Online (Paperback)

This is a useful book, but a lot of improvement is needed. A table of contents would have been very helpful, or, at least, the list of colleges in the back could have been accompanied by page numbers. That was a pretty silly oversight.

More importantly, I've been researching about thirty business administration programs and only about a third of them are listed in this book. The programs are well-publicized on sites like WWW.ClassesUSA.Com and (I'm fairly certain) all accredited. The problem is that if you want answers to questions without giving the schools your home phone number, you really need a book like this. Since new programs start all the time this book is really way out-of-date even if it's only from 2000. Still it does provide phone numbers that are often hard to find on the schools' websites and the entries often list sample course titles and program requirements. Hopefully, an improved and updated edition is forthcoming.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Reference, May 5, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Get Your Degree Online (Paperback)

This book helped me alot. It seems to think of every degree possible and let you know which programs are accredited and what to stay away from. Gives you the schools and what they offer. Also help with financial aid.