Online universities and degrees have become so popular for years now. A 2003 survey of more than 500 business schools accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) around the world confirmed that 39 have online programs and more are being created each year. However, not all are legitimate the reason why many recruiters are now wary of these so-called virtual degrees. It is best that you double check the school where you would like to pursue your MBA degree and ask about its accreditation to make sure that the money you pay for enrollment won’t go to waste.

For many working professionals especially those who frequently travel or relocate, perhaps taking an online MBA degree is their only option in an effort to advance their careers. Getting an online course is more flexible and convenient and allows you to pursue advanced education without having to stop working for a year or two. Thousands of online MBAs are granted each year through the distance learning departments of traditional business schools. However, it’s best to be cautious about substandard schools with no legal accreditation and offers little work during the course of study.

According to the founder and CEO of GetEducated.com, a website that checks accredited online degree programs and educates consumers about them, there are now more fraudulent online MBA programs in the U.S. Some schools deceive their students on the accreditation aspect while others require less rigid work in getting a degree. An example is the St. Regis University which falsely claimed approval from the Liberian government and was ordered closed by the court in June 2005.

Although not all online schools offer quality education, some insist that they do. The University of Phoenix, for instance, claims to have formulated a method that enables students to give quality work. CEO Brian Mueller stressed that their online courses actually require more time and more rigorous training than their traditional courses. Their students, he added, can attest to this fact. The University of Phoenix online MBA program accommodates about 16,000 enrollees each year. Since its establishment in 1989, it has reported a yearly growth. The Regis University, for its part, revealed that about 1,800 students enroll in their online MBA program every eight weeks.

Meanwhile, corporate officers are not so sold on even the best online MBA programs because of its inability to create professional network and lack of interaction among classmates. A graduate of an online MBA degree should, therefore, have a strong and attractive resume and a good explanation as to why he or she had to get the degree on the Internet.

Related Link: Masters Degree Online Find an accredited online school and earn master degrees online. Online college degree from eLearners.com

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