are online degrees worth anything??

[stashbin]

I'd just avoid University of Phoenix because it gets a bad rep.

I use to think the same thing until my husband started teaching some of their online math courses. I will tell you this, those students are required to do a lot of math and a lot of discussion. Additionally, my husband spends hours each day grading and responding to discussion topics. So I do know that UOP has legitimate courses with legitimate professors teaching them.

 

[luvsJack]

What matters is not the manner in which the education is provided (i.e., online, on-campus, by correspondence, etc.), but rather whether or not the degree is granted by an accredited university, through one of its accredited programs.

Accreditation is the difference between a degree that is worth something and a degree that is worth practically nothing.

This is exactly true. And in some rare cases it can also depend on what it is you are going to school for. We have a "school" close to us that is not accredited. They offer many of the same programs that we do but once the student graduates they cannot get a job. BUT, there are a few programs that they offer that the graduates are able to secure jobs because of the type of positions and the fact that there are few, or in some cases no, other schools that offer that program. (Web Design was one of those programs for years but that has changed as we are now offering it) Of course all of these are AAS degrees.

Be careful of any school of any kind that doesn't have regional or national accreditation. Even the accreditation for online schools is iffy if that is the only one they have. U of P has that, I think and they are still questionable. If there is a license or testing involved in the career you are going into, check out the website of the agency that licenses and/or tests you. They sometimes have lists of schools that are acceptable for them.

 

[stashbin]

We get 110 qualified well educated people for every position we need to fill. They are put in the trash pile. Why pick one of them when the cream of the crop is available?

This is sad. This is the reason why some businesses mess around and miss the employee of the month!

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

This is sad. This is the reason why some businesses mess around and miss the employee of the month!

Oh well. If people are serious about the fields they wish to enter, they should be smart enough to research the institutions first.

 

[Irin997]

Last May I received my Bachelor's from the University of Baltimore. I got my AA from a local community college, completing about 90% of it online. I was able to complete my Bachelor's completely online with the exception of 3 or 4 classes that I had to actually go to class for. I loved it and wouldn't have been able to do it any other way.

This fall I will be going for my MBA through the online program from Texas A&M-Commerce. I can complete the entire degree online, it's cheaper than any school in my home state or other very good schools I looked at, it's nationally accredited by AACSB, and I don't have to take the GMAT because I did exceptionally well in my undergrad.

I suggest going to the brick-and-mortar school websites and searching for their online programs. The trend is heading towards offering more online classes for non-traditional students. They have realized that there are many single parents, working parents, full time workers, etc that absolutely do not have the time to attend classes and schools are working to fill this need.

Good luck! There are a lot of great schools out there that offer full degrees online.

 

[Pakey]

Our company also does not hire anyone with a degree from an all online university.

 

[HOGFAN]

also avoid diploma mills like Devry,ITT, and ECPI. Cost a fortune, credits do not transfer in most cases and companies around here wont hire you.

 

[Kathi OD]

We won't hire from the "buy a degree" schools. Taking some courses on line through an accredited school is much different.

Our company will not hire anyone from an all-online school either. Strayer and University of Pheonix are some examples. I have had very bad experiences from Kaplan University. I won't hire anyone from there either.

My financial institution will not consider a degree from University of Phoenix (or one like it) as a true degree. Any online university that is not part of an accredited brick and mortar school is not considered a true degree program for us. So if a position requires a degree and the candidates degree is from U of P they will not be considered.

Legit education comes from an institution with the goal to educate rather than easy funding from gullible people.

It's a shame that some companies have such preconceived ideas about schools. I've taken both online and classroom classes at several universities. The most rigorous classes were those that were offered from the supposed "buy a degree" schools. I learned much more from those classes than I did from the supposed "legit education" universities.

Having such a close-minded view of what is quickly becoming the norm, will soon have these companies losing out on some very talented employees.

 

[wvjules]

Why would anyone choose to go to UoP, Strayer, Kaplan, etc when they know that most professional and HR people look down on those degrees ESPECIALLY when they can get a degree ONLINE from a traditional brick and mortar school?

When I graduate you will never know that I completed my degree online. It will simply state "The Pennsylvania State University".

Oh and I think the posters that look down on those UoP and the like degrees don't look down on all online classes; only the ones with the "buy a degree" reputation.

 

[rgf207]

It's a shame that some companies have such preconceived ideas about schools. I've taken both online and classroom classes at several universities. The most rigorous classes were those that were offered from the supposed "buy a degree" schools. I learned much more from those classes than I did from the supposed "legit education" universities.

Having such a close-minded view of what is quickly becoming the norm, will soon have these companies losing out on some very talented employees.

I'm sorry that companies do this but it seems like it's more a majority rather than minority. If prospective employers from large companies are not hiring people with those degrees it should say something. I really don't think it's closed mindedness but rather that the companies have been burned in the past and no longer wish to sacrifice the time and money involved.

 

[tasha99]

It really just depends on the school and the field, I think. For speech language pathology, there are online Master's programs that I've heard are rigorous. There are many states that don't have any Masters programs, but they need the slps. You still have to find people to supervise you for your interships, etc, so only the classes are online, not the student teaching. I've heard the online programs are harder to get into than brick and mortar schools because they only take so many, and people who have been working as paras don't necessarily want to have to move (possibly even to another state) to get their degree.

 

[CandyMandy]

That is a shame. STANFORD, and other BIG-time universities offer these now.

Stanford does not offer any degree programs that are completely online. The closest they come are a handful of graduate engineering programs that allow one to pursue a degree through a combination of online, classroom and worksite coursework.

And like any selective institution the admission criteria to get into those programs are still rigorous. In fact, if one investigates "distance learning," you will generally find there is a direct connection between selectivity of institution and the likelihood they offer a completely online degree program. As example, people accepted into the Harvard Extension school ALB program can do some of the coursework online but also have to complete a signifigant number of their credits in classes held at the Cambridge campus. That's even true for international students.

 

[mill4023]

What matters is not the manner in which the education is provided (i.e., online, on-campus, by correspondence, etc.), but rather whether or not the degree is granted by an accredited university, through one of its accredited programs.

Accreditation is the difference between a degree that is worth something and a degree that is worth practically nothing.

You are right about the first part. Whether the classes are taken online or on campus is irrelevant.
But your last statement is far too simplistic.
Most, if not all, of the diploma mills have some sort of accreditation. That does not mean their degrees are worthwhile.

Our company does not automatically disqualify students from any particular school. But having a degree from a traditional school with a good reputation is certainly going to be looked at more favorably than one from somewhere like DeVry or UofPhoenix.

 

[Quiksilvr]

I'm pretty sure someone with a degree from an all-online school would not get hired at my firm, even in a support staff role, unless the job didn't require a degree.

Most of the people I work with went to Harvard/Yale/Stanford, etc., and there is a definite prejudice against online education. At a place like this, no one cares whether you worked hard for your online diploma or whether the classes were harder than what you took at Directional State University fifteen years ago. . .it's all about the name at the top of the diploma.

If it says "University of Phoenix", it's viewed as a joke.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

It's a shame that some companies have such preconceived ideas about schools. I've taken both online and classroom classes at several universities. The most rigorous classes were those that were offered from the supposed "buy a degree" schools. I learned much more from those classes than I did from the supposed "legit education" universities.

It has nothing to do with online and everything to do with the reputation of the institution. Many real colleges offer online courses. I have no issue with those. What you didn't quote is my point that for every job there are 100 people with real degrees from real schools. I always go with the proven record. That is just good business.

 

[rgf207]

It has nothing to do with online and everything to do with the reputation of the institution. Many real colleges offer online courses. I have no issue with those. What you didn't quote is my point that for every job there are 100 people with real degrees from real schools. I always go with the proven record. That is just good business.

Did you mean to quote me? My post was agreeing with yours plus I never quoted you in my post

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Did you mean to quote me? My post was agreeing with yours plus I never quoted you in my post

Ugh...sorry!

 

[bicker]

As indicated by other posters, online degree programs are fine, as long as it's an accredited program. In addition to the regional accrediting consortiums, the Distance Education Training Council (DETC - www.detc.org) accredits online programs.

Most companies I've worked for will only recognize accreditation granted by an accrediting organization that is part of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

 

[englishteacha]

I am working on my Master's degree through St. Joseph's College of Maine. They've been doing distance education for over 30 years. I could do the whole program online, but they also offer classes on campus in the summer, which I did last summer and will again this summer. It's hard work, and it's easy to procrastinate and then kick yourself when you spend several late nights finishing assignments.

 

[Aristomommy]

I think these generalizations about online universities hurt those hard working people who work full time and need a flexible way to learn. I received my Master's online but I did have a local practicum and that landed me a job. Granted, I have received a Bachelor's from a traditional school and had a 10 year career, but it was how I presented myself and took responsibility of my education that made a difference. If someone never stepped foot into a classroom and were branching into a brand new career, I would recommend arranging an internship to make local contacts and learn on the job for a while.

Those who have never taken an online class can't possibly appreciate the effort it takes to learn independently, multitask and complete group projects with people all over the world in different time zones. The experiences made me a better communicator and the professors were wonderful experts who would not choose to teach at a traditional school as they hold prestigious positions in their field during the day.

OP: I would suggest that you research many online programs and schools carefully. I chose a reputable school and was never questioned about the quality of education I received.