Worldwide Degree Programs and Distance Education

Wouldn’t it be great if you could earn an art degree from a university in Paris, a fashion degree from Milan or an architectural degree from a New York City college without ever having to leave the comfort of your own home  Well, if you have a computer and a reliable internet connection that’s exactly what you could do via a distance education program.  There are currently thousands of colleges, universities and private institutes offering worldwide degree programs for students through distance education, and while some require at least partial attendance, there are many more that necessitate no physical attendance whatsoever. To help you become better acquainted with this ever-growing and extremely popular mode of education, below we will discuss worldwide degree programs and distance learning in a bit more detail, including a description of how these programs work and some information regarding the type of people who make for great distance education candidates.

Worldwide Degree Programs and Distance Education

Distance education programs have been around for over 50 years, but it wasn’t until the late 1990s that these programs began to gain a measure of credibility.  In the past, the mere mention of an online education would conjure up images of non-accredited universities and fake or virtually worthless degrees, but today that image has changed dramatically.  That’s because In the last two decades, the prevalence of personal computers and increased global access to the Internet, have resulted in the exponential growth of worldwide degree programs through distance education—quality programs offered by renowned institutions.  Most universities today have at least some form of distance education, including major universities throughout the world that are consistently ranked among the world’s top schools.  College administrators and faculty have discovered that by providing certain degree programs in an online format they could afford students greater access and reach a portion of society that would otherwise be excluded.  Now students can take university-level coursework and enter worldwide degree programs wherever they wish, without being limited by distance, time or handicap.

In distance education, students send and receive assignments over the Internet and can complete them at their leisure at times when it’s most convenient for them.  These worldwide degree programs are today aided by several new technologies that make communication and staying in touch much easier, including email, instant messaging, text messaging, video conferencing and even virtual classrooms, where students can attend lectures in real-time via their home computer.  Some of these worldwide degree programs require a minimal degree of physical attendance, usually for things like exams or guest lectures, but many programs are designed to completely eliminate the need for any physical attendance, including exams that are given online.

Worldwide Degree Programs  Are You a Good Candidate for Distance Education

Distance education will probably never entirely replace the traditional classroom experience, but it does make sense for many people, including

•           Full-time employees who lack the time (and energy) to attend classes because of their job responsibilities

•           Stay-at-home moms and dads

•           People in rural and remote regions where university education is not available

•           Adults and seniors interested in taking enrichment classes

•           People limited by physical, mental or emotional disability

•           And more…

Naturally, to be a candidate for worldwide degree programs in an online format you will need to be self-disciplined and motivated, able to complete your weekly assignments by the agreed upon deadline.  You should also be at least somewhat familiar with the required computer technology, understanding the basics of programs such as email, video and text messaging, Microsoft WordExcelPower Point and others.

If you meet these requirements your educational landscape is virtually limitless.  No longer are you limited to the higher education programs in your hometown, but you’re free to pursue the education of your choice at the school or university of your dreams.

Worldwide Degree Programs: A Closer Look at the Bologna Process

 Are you a university student considering the possibility of completing a portion or all of your degree at a foreign institution in Europe?  If you have, you probably already know there are an endless amount of worldwide degree programs available, including those in the various universities within the European Union.  But were you aware that most of the universities in this region have recently switched to a new credit and degree structure?  It’s true.  Beginning in 2007, the institutions of higher learning in most of the countries that make up the European Union began to adopt a standardized credit and degree structure—a structure which was borne out of the Bologna Process.  To help you better understand this recent transformation, below we will discuss the Bologna Process in a bit more detail and show you how these changes have made worldwide degree programs throughout Europe more beneficial and accessible.

Worldwide Degree Programs:  About the Bologna Process

The Bologna Process was a course of action aimed at educational reform in the higher education institutions throughout Europe.  According to their official website “the overreaching aim of the Bologna Process is to create a European Higher Education Area (EHEA) based on international cooperation and academic exchange that is attractive to European students and staff as well as to students and staff from other parts of the world.” 

So how exactly do these worldwide degree programs work? 

Standardizing the credit and degree system in European universities is the main focus of the Bologna Process.  Under this new structure there are now three distinct cycles of education:

Cycle One

Cycle one represents the first level of education, usually spanning three years.  For each year completed, students earn 60 credits, with 180 credits needed to finish the undergraduate program.  No degree is awarded after the first cycle of education, but students who successfully complete the program are eligible to enroll in cycle two, after which they will earn a degree. 

In most countries there is also an alternative program for students not interested in pursuing a second-cycle education. These programs typically span four years, in which students are required to earn 240 credits, ultimately leading to an undergraduate or Bachelor degree.

Cycle Two

The second cycle, as outlined in the Bologna Process, spans two years, in which students must earn a minimum of 120 credits (certain programs may take 3 years or 180 credits).  Following successful completion of cycle two students are awarded a Master of Arts or Master of Science Degree in their particular field of study.

Cycle Three

Students who have successfully completed the Master’s program in cycle two are eligible to enroll in the third cycle, representing doctoral or PhD studies.  These programs vary in length, and while there is no specific credit requirement outlined for cycle three in the Bologna Process, most doctoral programs will span three years, during which students will earn 180 credits.  More advanced fields may take up to four to five years to complete.

The Benefits

The main goal of worldwide degree programs such as this is to create unity in higher education, not just in the universities in Europe, but in other parts of the world as well. Although the transformation was initially resisted by many countries, the changes outlined in the Bologna Process have now been implemented in almost every European university with good results.  Among the many benefits, the new structure has been shown to help:

•           Facilitate transfers throughout Europe and ease the mobility of students, graduates and faculty

•           Prepare students for careers and life in a democratic society and support their personal development

•           Increase access to high-quality education, based on democratic principles and academic freedom

Today there are over 47 countries united under this new educational structure, all demonstrating why worldwide degree programs are more student and staff friendly than those that are merely national or regional.