{"id":2211,"date":"2015-06-12T11:00:24","date_gmt":"2015-06-12T16:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/?p=2211"},"modified":"2016-03-22T16:37:43","modified_gmt":"2016-03-22T21:37:43","slug":"find-out-if-an-online-bachelors-degree-is-right-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/find-out-if-an-online-bachelors-degree-is-right-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"A Low-Cost Way to Find Out if an Online Bachelor\u2019s Degree May Be Right for You"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If the question of whether or not to invest time and money in college-level education causes you heartburn, you\u2019re not alone. Many prospective students worry that they won\u2019t be able to make the grade at the bachelor\u2019s level. Others wonder if an online approach to learning will be a good fit for them. Still others question whether they\u2019ll be able to balance coursework with work and family obligations.<\/p>\n<p>Such anxieties are not uncommon for people considering a bachelor\u2019s degree\u2014which is why Capella University has developed a strong partnership with <a href=\"https:\/\/capella.sophia.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Sophia Pathways<\/a>, a program that allows individuals to dip a toe in online learning and test their ability to handle college courses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSophia provides an opportunity to take the first step in a low-risk, small-commitment way,\u201d says Garrett Lauderdale, an account executive at Sophia Learning. Sixteen\u00a0general education courses are offered in the following areas:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Communication:<\/strong> Conflict Resolution, English Composition, Visual Communications.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Humanities:<\/strong> Art History, Religion.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Science and Math:<\/strong> Algebra, Biology, Environmental Science, Statistics.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Business:<\/strong> Accounting, Project Management, Intro to Business.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Social Science:<\/strong> Psychology, Sociology, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Sophia courses can be accessed in just minutes with a few simple keystrokes. Unlocking the free trial is an easy experience\u2014you can sample the first portion of any course by logging on and supplying a name, email, and password.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4>Inexpensive, Self-Paced, and Supported<\/h4>\n<p>If you like what you find at Sophia, you can easily convert the free trial into a credit-worthy experience. The price of a single Sophia course is significantly cheaper than the cost of many online options (and no textbooks are required).<\/p>\n<p>The allure of Sophia courses isn\u2019t just the savings, but also the ability to learn at your own pace, says Lauderdale. The self-paced format allows students to work through course materials as time allows. While each course is designed to be completed in 60 days, students can complete the work in a shorter period or receive a free 30 day extension if other obligations take priority. \u201cPlus, if you have prior knowledge of an area, you can move through the material more quickly and spend the time on topics you\u2019re less familiar with,\u201d Lauderdale says.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, students apprehensive about the online approach can find reassurance in the wealth of coaching and support that\u2019s available to them. \u201cWe offer unlimited student\u00a0coaching support\u2014through chat, email, phone\u2014 and at no cost,\u201d says Michael Patch, a client services manager at Sophia. \u201cWe always have experts on hand to help answer your questions or explain concepts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Many Sophia students go on to enroll in Capella courses, Lauderdale says. But it\u2019s their experience with Sophia Learning that reassures them that they can succeed in a more intensive program. \u201cIt\u2019s an easy way to test your abilities and enthusiasm,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Learn more about <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.capella.edu\/tuition-financial-aid\/scholarships-grants\/low-cost-undergrad-credits\/\"><em>Capella\u2019s partnership with Sophia Pathways<\/em><\/a><em> and how to apply general education credits at Capella <\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you interested in earning a bachelor\u2019s degree, but aren\u2019t sure if an online program is right for you? Find out how you can dip a toe in online learning. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":2233,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[24],"tags":[22,25,95],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2211"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2211"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2211\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4253,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2211\/revisions\/4253"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2233"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}