The Foreign Service Journal, June 2010

ter’s in public health down the road.” Research is vital because many Web sites have “front page” content touting numerous online programs — but further investigation may reveal that the course offerings are limited, or they require your physical presence on a weekly basis for labs or lectures, for example. In fact, this is such a common situation that if you find a school you are interested in, the most efficient thing to do is call the admis- sions department and talk to them about which programs are offered completely online. The problem is especially prevalent with public uni- versities, and undoubtedly contri- butes to making specialized online institutions, like the University of Phoenix, more attractive. But with diligent online research, Prospective students need to make sure they fully understand the residential requirements. 70 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U N E 2 0 1 0 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT Inside Source: If You’re at an Embassy, Ask a Marine… T housands of members of the armed forces are working toward college degrees online. The Marines you know at post probably receive $4,500 each in tuition assistance per fiscal year — enough, they say, for six or seven courses. Service members can choose from any college that has online classes available. If you ask a Marine how he chose a school, one place he will often cite is the Web site of the Servicemembers Opportunity College: www.soc.aascu.org/. At this site you’ll find a list of nearly 2,000 colleges and universities that cater to service members and, therefore, are accustomed to working with distance learners. Most of these schools also award college credit through nationally recognized testing programs such as the College-Level Examination Program general and subject exams (www.collegeboard.com/stu dent/testing/clep/about.html). This is a great advantage because, depending on the academic program, some students obtain up to a third of their degree through these testing programs. One of the most popular schools for service members is American Military University, which is also open to civilians. Top tip from Marines who’ve been there: Don’t forget to factor in slow mail service! Be sure to order your books and materials in plenty of time. Continued from p. 66