Pursue an Online Degree Program While Overseas
As an American expat currently living and working in Saudi Arabia, I needed to find an online MBA program that was workable for my situation.
I found the following three factors to be the most helpful when choosing an online program while living abroad.
1. Time zone compatibility: I am starting my second year in the University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill's online MBA program, called MBA@UNC. I have completed class work in nine countries, including Saudi Arabia.
Before students sign up for an online program as an overseas student, they should consider their time zone relative to the time zone of their online program. Managing zone compatibility is essential to a student's success in an online program. Time zone issues may affect class sessions as well as peer project meetings and faculty office hours.
[Watch online students share time management tips.]
Effectively managing time zone differences also extends to personal effectiveness. I cannot emphasize enough that students need to know their personal limits. I do the majority of my synchronous classes -- live online sessions -- in the middle of the night. Two nights of the week I am up at three or four in the morning to take a class. Is it impossible? No. Do I sleep a lot? No.
2. Student service and technology help availability hours: One of the most valuable pieces of advice I can give is to research the times support staff are available. A program that only offers traditional stateside hours will become really complicated.
To determine availability, research the hours of operation posted on information technology and student support Web pages. If you see IT or student resources touting 24-hour access, test it -- call them, email them, try to connect with them online. Then, track the response time.
3. The accessibility of online courses: Reliable Internet access differs between countries; I once had to leave class early because a sandstorm disrupted the connection.
Students must ensure that they have adequate connectivity to successfully complete an online degree. Most programs will have a mix of content and tasks that students can access online or offline. Research what content breakdown your program will have by asking admissions personnel.
[Decide between live and self-paced online classes.]
If possible, students should look for programs that allow them to download asynchronous materials -- readings, videos, assignments -- to an offline platform. This allows students to complete the work regardless of their connectivity situation.
Having such access is very helpful during travel or when a connection to the Internet isn't available. My program also has an app, which isn't necessary but has certainly been handy.
The takeaway: Earning an online degree while living overseas can be very challenging, but if you find a program with the right flexibility for you it can be the perfect move for your career.