Life Experience Degrees

Wouldn't it be great if you could get a degree based on what you already know, rather than spending a lot of time and money sitting in classes to learn things that don't apply to your career just to get a degree? You can. It's called the Life Experience Degree.

A life experience degree is not as useful as a traditional college degree because many employers view it as coming from a "diploma mill." But by the same token, some employers view a degree obtained at any school other than Ivy League as unimportant.

Life experience institutions usually claim that their degrees are fully accredited; however, their accreditation is not recognized by the United States government. Most of the time, the accreditation is from an international institution. This does not mean that the degree is worthless. In fact, having a life experience degree could help you obtain a job or a promotion at a fraction of the price of a traditional degree.

One example is if you have worked as a secretary for your entire career, you are likely to know the profession backwards and forwards. It might be a nice addition to your resume to have a degree or certificate in secretarial skills. However, if your dream is to become a medical doctor or a lawyer, a life experience degree would count for nothing.

In the past, many people learned their trade on the job, rather than by going to post-secondary schools. As hiring trends have changed, more people with degrees are hired or receive higher starting salaries than people with far more experience but no degree. It can be very frustrating to be passed over for a promotion or pay raise simply because you do not have a degree, even though you may have more experience than the degreed person who received the promotion. These types of situations are precisely why the life experience degree was first envisioned.

A number of online and distance learning institutions exist that can offer credible certificates and degrees at reasonable prices. If you are considering obtaining a life experience degree, you might want to think about these other options instead. It may cost more and take a little longer to obtain your degree, but you will get a real education from a U.S. accredited educational institution, and potential employers will recognize the value of your education. But if you think a life experience degree will be useful to you, do your homework and choose the one that best fits your needs.