Online Degrees; Any experience with these?

[IdesOmarch]

Hi everybody, looking for advice on this. I already have a regular BA 4 year degree from the state university and a JD, but the last few years I have had a growing interest in engineering and with the degrees I already have, if I had an engineering Bachelors degree, it would not only open a bunch of new doors for me, but its something that I just personally would like to do, because I am so interested in engineering (kicking myself now for not doing this with my original Bachelors degree, but oh well, live and learn.)

Point is, has anyone done an online Bachelors degree that is really accredited and is worth the same as a regular Bachelors? I've seen a lot of online things, but I think a lot if not most (maybe all I don't know) are not accepted as a regular Bachelors degree would be from a 4 year program and a regular college. I would not want to get an online degree only to find no one will accept it as a real Bachelors degree. Any thoughts and advice would be very much appreciated.

 

[bicker]

If you search the archives, you'll probably find a few older threads where this was discussed in detail.

The bottom-line for me always boils down to accreditation: While some employers won't respect an online degree (if they can figure out that that's what it is), most of the time what matters is whether or not the accreditation of the university granting the degree is the same as the accreditation of the universal granting degrees otherwise.

What that all means it that regardless of all other considerations, you should only consider degree programs offered by universities accredited by one of these organizations:

• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges

 

[gillep]

My DH has a B.S. in aerospace/mechanical engineering from a well known science and technology private university and his degree has opened so many different and unexpected doors for him. I don't know much about online degrees my only fear would be that you would not have the same type of hands on experience as those who go the more traditional route. After Sophmore year almost all of DH's classes were hands on lab classes as opposed to lecture type classes. He worked with wind tunnels and embedded control labs and in the machine shops etc. I am just not sure how you would get these experiences from an online program. Most of his job interviews have not really cared about him knowing engineering theory but were excited that he had actual hands on experience with different equipment etc.

 

[luvsJack]

I am working on my degree in education. Not sure if they have the major you are looking for but Western Govenor's University is regionally and nationally accrediated. They are based in Salt Lake City, Utah so regionally accrediated by the NorthWest Commission on Colleges and Schools.

 

[Longsx3]

My Dh has a BSEE from USF and a Masters in Engineering Management from the University of Idaho, through their Engineering outreach (distance learning). UI has one of the longest running Distance Learning Engineering programs in the Country and the degree is the same as if he attended on campus. I would say if you obtain the degree from a well known University you are okay, for my Dh no one would ever know how he obtained his degree.

 

[IdesOmarch]

Thanks, I am going to look at U of I's website.

 

[loveysbydesign]

I was just coming to post the same thing. My husband is lookiong to get his Bachelor's in business/logistics and he needs it to be mostly online. There are so many places to choose from it makes it difficult!

 

[golfgal]

Many "regular" colleges/universities offer online versions of their regular classes. There are colleges/universities that are online only. While the latter may be "accredited" for some majors, engineering would be one of them, using an online only school would not be a good way to go. Engineering is a highly competitive industry and while your other degrees would be a plus, if you were up against an applicant with a degree from Purdue, Northwestern or any of the other top engineering schools in the nation, your application would be filed in the circular file.

If you were getting a degree in Human Relations, Business, or other non-technical fields, it wouldn't be as big of a difference from a brick and mortar college vs online.

If you want to go through the classes just to gain the knowledge and not really work in the field, online would be fine.

 

[IdesOmarch]

Thank you so much for all the suggestions. So far the leading candidate for me is the University of North Dakota. For me personally, it is for knowledge, but also, I would like to become a Patent Attorney and in addition to a law degree you have to have a qualifying science degree/Engineering type degree.

 

[golfgal]

Thank you so much for all the suggestions. So far the leading candidate for me is the University of North Dakota. For me personally, it is for knowledge, but also, I would like to become a Patent Attorney and in addition to a law degree you have to have a qualifying science degree/Engineering type degree.

UND has a good reputation around the upper Midwest if that helps.

 

[IdesOmarch]

Thanks.