Whether you want to take a degree attending to the brick-and-mortar model or take advantage of the information technology and interconnectivity of the Internet and opt for online education. The new media of online education is persuasive and enabling but the traditional model being widespread and prevalent arouses innumerable questions when you want to make a decision to opt for online courses. The first question you would want to ask is which model should be opted for.

The first question that you should satisfactorily get answered is whether the online course is recognized or accredited by government body. Is the course recognized by a education board, university, AICTE, MCI, ICAI, ICSI, or any other such statutory body created by the government. This is important to pursue further studies if you are going for PG studies to a government education institute after completing your graduate studies. Some of you pursuing studies during the graduation would also like to the state and central civil services examination and other competitive examinations. All these competitive examination require you to possess a recognized degree from a government instituted statutory body. This question should be answered unless you are not serious about pursuing further studies or appearing in the civil services and only seek to fulfill your quest for knowledge. Another question that one should ask is if private institutes that are recognized what is the recognition status. Recognition and accreditation is reviewed to private educational institutes from time to time. Also check the websites of the statutory bodies for the recognition of these institutes as most of them display the list and the period of recognition.

Secondly, ask the necessary question about the courseware of the diploma, degree, certification, and other short term courses that you want to take up. Most online education started of short-term training programmed or vocational courses, but of late expanded to accord diplomas, degrees, and post-graduation professional courses. Confirm the syllabus outline in tune with government institutions and specifications. If you are pursuing the professional degrees such as medicine (check MCI website) or engineering (check AICTE website) check the infrastructure facilities and the faculty profiles obviously cannot be a complete online and will require some brick and mortar model support. Many of the vocational and skill based courses are exclusively offered by private institutes, but are both recognized by private sector and government sector for employment. For example, computer courses even PG courses like MCAs and MCM offered by popular institutes are accepted for government employment. There are also government like DOEACC, C-DAC, also certification course and combined certification hold for a degree or a diploma.

Ask questions about finance provided by the banks that will confirm the recognition of the course and institution, as bank only offer loans recognized and which have a market in the employment market. This step will help in multiple ways in confirming the course you are taking is recognized and will provide you gainful employment.