You’ve decided to earn your bachelor’s degree online, but where do you start? Providing transcripts of any previous college work and planning your course schedule are important aspects of academic success. Here’s how to get started.

Understanding Online Degree Requirements
Whether you’ve been to college or not, you’ll want to understand degree, subject, and course credit requirements. This will help you plan which courses to take and when to take them. It will also assist you in getting previously completed college courses credited toward your online degree program. A bachelor’s degree typically requires approximately 120 credits, including approximately 60 credits of core requirements. Core requirements are general education courses usually required of most majors.

It’s All in the Details: Navigating Admissions and Records
In order to get an online degree, you’ll need to submit official transcripts of all college work you’ve previously completed. The key word is “official.” This means that your transcripts must be sent directly from your previous college to your online degree institution. It can take several weeks to get official transcripts, so it’s best to know the admission requirements and deadlines for your online program ahead of time.

Academic Advisement: Plotting the Course to Your Online Degree
Once your online degree institution reviews your transcripts, they may admit you to the program of your choice, or indicate that you have not met the prerequisites for the courses you want to study. Prerequisites refer to courses that must be completed before you can enroll in either an entire program or a particular class.

Academic advisors can assist you in determining which courses you need and which courses you want, and will help you strike a balance between demanding or intensive courses and electives. Learning is supposed to be challenging and enjoyable. Take courses at a pace that suits you, and you’ll have your bachelor’s degree sooner than you think.