Choosing a College

Our eLearning gurus have outlined all the information that students need to know about selecting a good online program. The orange boxes explain how FIDM addresses student needs while being at the forefront of quality online education …

Accreditation

Accreditation is a national system that monitors the quality of the credits you receive from an institution of higher education. You should choose an online academic program offered by an accredited institution to avoid “fly-by-night” operations that might take advantage of you.

FIDM is accreditted by both NASAD and WASC, both nationally-recognized academic accreditation bodies. National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) is an association of approximately 240 schools of art and design, primarily at the collegiate level, but also including precollegiate and community schools for the visual arts disciplines. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is one of six regional associations that accredit public and private schools, colleges, and universities in the United States.

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History

Examine the background of the online universities that interest you before you apply.

FIDM has an enrollment of 7,500 full-time students. Over the last 35 years, FIDM has built an alumni network in excess of 35,000 graduates around the world. The college's alumni base and industry-wide reputation for excellence both give our students an exceptional network of contacts and resources when they enter into the marketplace.

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Student Support

Customer service is an important factor when considering education at a distance. You must be able to trust that your questions will be answered and any issues resolved despite not being able to interact face-to-face. Make certain, however, that technical support is available seven days a week, in case you need them.

We realize that online learning, though conducted from a distance, requires contact and personal support. FIDM's Advisors are always available to answer your questions about academics and education through eLearning, either on-campus or by chat. Technical support is, of course, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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Faculty Interaction

When you encounter a question or problem related to your course in an on-campus classroom, you look to your instructor for the answer. It’s important that you have the same faculty support when you have questions in your online courses.

The same industry-proven expertise that FIDM's on-campus instructors bring to classes is also available through eLearning. In fact, the courses were developed by our own instructors in conjunction with our Instructional Developers (eLearning gurus). The same instructors teach these courses as well. They know the material and make themselves available to students through online office hours, chat, and email.

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Sound Technical Capabilities

Many online universities focus on fancy software rather than what is most usable and best for the student. However, the most well-designed courses don't solely rely on the newest technologies; they also make use of proven technologies, such as e-mail, bulletin boards, and websites.

Many schools hire companies to build their courses and end up with material that looks pretty, but is not usuable or even educational. Our curriculum is built at FIDM by our instructors and multimedia programmers together. We have many courses that use video conferencing and whiteboards for advanced discussion and presentation, but the core material and lectures are viewable on mostly any computer, using freely available and common software.

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