University Park, PA (PRWEB) May 7, 2009

During economically-challenging times, more employers look at a bachelor’s degree in information science and technology as proof of a candidate’s skills and knowledge. Penn State World Campus is introducing an online Information Sciences and Technology bachelor’s degree that provides the credentials desired in the industry while providing a more flexible way to study.

Building on the success of the World Campus’s IST associate degree program, the bachelor’s degree offers a flexible academic plan and provides technical specialization.

Henry C. Foley, dean of Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology, said that the online program represents an important step to provide educational content to non-resident and location-bound students.

“As we move deeper into the next decade, I believe this new medium for education via the WEB will continue to evolve and demand for it will increase,” Foley said. “Both demographic and economic forces for this alternative will drive its growth. Whereas the college is fixed in size and place in physical space, in cyber space its development and growth is unconstrained and that is an exciting prospect.”

Penn State’s online IST degree prepares people for careers in the information sciences including associate systems designers, network managers, application programmers and web designers and administrators.

According to Shaun C. Knight, the College of Information Sciences and Technology’s associate director of online education, the timing of the release of this program will help companies facing a challenging economy.

“This degree is being offered at the right time and will be meeting a growing demand in today’s business environment for strategic employee development,” said Knight. “As organizations need to optimize productivity due to the economic climate, they require creative and innovative thinkers that can learn and develop in a flexible manner. The online Bachelor’s degree in IST is the perfect solution.”

For more information, visit the online IST degree Web site.

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Related Online Degree Press Releases

Check Out Credentials of Online Degree Program Before Enrolling

While you are searching for online degree programs, I am sure you definitely come across many articles or information regarding diploma mill. Many advices and tips from these information pages teach you how to identify for potential diploma mill and avoid yourself from dropping into diploma mills’ trap. But unfortunately, diploma mills are still making their profit from many online students that enrolled into their online degree programs.

Many who signup for diploma mills’ online degree program do not do their homework, they do not check out the credentials of online degree program before enrolling. Don’t let this happen to you; you are responsible to ensure the degree that you earn online is accredited by property accreditation agencies and recognized in the job market.

Your need to spend some time to confirm the credentials of online degree program before you sign up any of online degree program. Put yourself on high alert for diploma mill signals even if it looks too good to be true and it looks like a reputable online university. Previously, “Accreditation” is the keyword that differential the reputable of online university with diploma mill but now you can’t depend on this keyword alone, more home work need to be done.

Beware If Online University Is Accredited

It’s sound weird, right? You may think that as long as the online university is accredited by an accreditation agency, it should be find to enroll into their online degree program. In actual fact, your thinking is just correct partly because many diploma mills also claimed that they are accredited. Diploma mills know that those who are looking for online degree programs will definite will ask for accreditation, almost all diploma mills are accredited. But be aware that they may be accredited by a fake accreditation agency just to create confidence to their prospects. Hence, in determining an online university is reputable, the first thing is to make sure that the school is not only accredited, but accredited and recognized by the U.S Department of Education.

Fake Degree Won’t Help In Your Career

If you did not do your homework to check the credentials of the online degree program and sign up with it. After a short period time of easy learning process (online degree programs offered by diploma mill always easy and can be completed within extremely short period of time), you earn your “fake” degree and hoping that it will in help in your career advancement or job promotion. But, you most probably will be disappointed because most employers aware of “fake degree” and they will double check your degree’s credential if they feel suspicious about your degree.

How To Confirm The Accreditation Of Online University

The best place to check for accreditation of an online university is from a database provided by U.S Department of Education. OPE.ED.GOV is the website of accreditation database that brought to you by the U.S. Department of Education. If you can’t find your selected online university from the accreditation database, it’s better not to signup the online degree program from that university than taking the risk to be the diploma mill’s victim.

In Summary

“Accreditation” alone can’t determine the credential of an online university; you should ensure that the “accreditation” is provided by an accreditation agency that is recognized by U.S Department of Education. Always check out the credentials of an online degree program before you enrolling, this is to ensure the degree you earn through online university is recognized by employers.

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