Information on undertaking an external degree program to obtain a college education is presented. An external degree program is one that has no, or minimal requirements for residence (on-campus attendance). Most often it can be entered at any time of the year and usually grants credit for documented learning already acquired. An external degree program does not preclude attending some classes on campus. The following topics are addressed: the value of an undergraduate, professional, or graduate degree; earning a college degree at home and on the job; the quality of external degrees; transfer of external degree credits; the importance of accreditation; types of institutions that offer external degrees; types of external degree programs; fields of study available in external degree programs; the geographics of external degrees; levels of external degree programs and options; considerations for choosing a field of study; the residency question; the much lower cost of external degrees; some reasons for choosing or not choosing an external degree program; the appropriateness of external degrees for adults 25 years old and over and for younger people; some degree opportunities available through external programs; and program details for Thomas A. Edison State College. (SW)