Is an Online Degree as good as a Traditional Degree

[Jayman01]

I wanted to open this Discussion to get a feel of how most people in the country feel about this subject.

Recently I discovered that several of the Pennsylvania's Licensing bureaus like Bureau of Drug an Alcohol Programs, and the Department of Health do not accept any degrees from on-line schools as legitimate degrees regardless of accreditation.

That really scares me because it limits opportunities. Phoenix University, Capella University, and Western Governors University all have phenomenal track records in the field of on-line education and they are all Nationally accredited, Regionally accredited, CCNE accredited, and NCATE accredited. These are the same accreditations as Penn State University. They all require internships and all exams are taken and proctored at local colleges and universities within each student's state. And all of their graduate work and papers are graded and evaluated for plagiarism and so forth. Students are often assigned a written thesis capstone and oral defense. What is so, much different?

Here is the dilemma I am having with this. All of the schools are eligible for Federal student loans and other grants. So, If these degrees are not acceptable how were they ever accredited and or approved for student loans and other grants? My opinion is if the school is accredited why can't they accept the degree???

The second issue is that approximately 15,000 PA residents or more are on-line colleges thinking that they will improve their lot in life with their degrees and going into financial debt thinking they will get better paying jobs by going back to school. So, what does accreditation really mean in the grand scheme of things in PA?

Are there other states doing this kind of goofy stuff???

OK, I have had my vent.

 

[hottamales2432]

I work in higher education in Oregon. There are no laws that state an online degree from a regionally accredited institution do not carry the same weight as a more standard degree. The key is that the school a student attends is regionally, not just nationally accredited. I have seen too many people go to schools such as ITT Tech only to find out that if they want to attend a more traditional four-year school later on, the money paid and credits earned are all for not.

 

[joninliverton]

I cannot comment on the USA education system. I personally did not go to university but had an apprenticeship with British Telecom. This resulted in 2.5days working with a mentor and 2.5days at college, which was good 'cos I got to get a wage too.

The college bit got me a higher national diploma in electronic engineering so I didn't do so bad. 4 years in uni would not have gotten me much more plus I would have lost out on hands on experience.

 

[Jayman01]

I work in higher education in Oregon. There are no laws that state an online degree from a regionally accredited institution do not carry the same weight as a more standard degree. The key is that the school a student attends is regionally, not just nationally accredited. I have seen too many people go to schools such as ITT Tech only to find out that if they want to attend a more traditional four-year school later on, the money paid and credits earned are all for not.

I am glad to hear that about Oregon. I spoke to woman named Carol at BDAP in PA on Friday. Thursday I spoke to a gentleman named Sam at the Department of Health. They both said that currently in PA the way the licensing guidelines for licensed professionals and hiring guidelines for State employees do not accept any on-line degrees regardless of current accreditation. They said that they expect that to change in the next few years however that is currently the case now... Yikes.

So, my question is how can the State of PA decide that they will not accept any on-line degrees for state licensing or state jobs??? I was angry enough about this issue that I immediately notified our Senators, Representatives, and State legislators. I have also contacted an attorney to determine if their are any legal ramifications regarding this issue. I figured it is about time to get this ball rolling.

 

[tyler25il]

I can tell you that I work at a college in the Midwest and on-line degrees from places like Phoenix are not guaranteed to have their course work transfer and the value of their degrees does not carry the same weight as those of traditional colleges.

 

[zyl84]

i believe that an online degree, depending upon the discipline, may or may not be as good. an MBA, to me, is a great degree for online coursework. an MS in chemistry requires more classroom and hands on instruction than online can offer.

 

[hottamales2432]

At the end of the day, it's also about the type of experience a student is looking for. Online degrees are often times better for working adults, whereas the more traditional degres tend to be for younger students. This is not to say that older adults do not go for traditional degrees. I see it all the time. You simply can't say all degrees are good for one particular individual. It's what works best for them.

 

[Jayman01]

I can tell you that I work at a college in the Midwest and on-line degrees from places like Phoenix are not guaranteed to have their course work transfer and the value of their degrees does not carry the same weight as those of traditional colleges.

I understand what you are saying here.

I think that is one of the things that more people should be aware of. I guess the issue I have is what is the purpose of accreditation of a higher learning institution if it does not carry the same weight as a traditional degree from another institution of higher learning that has accreditation???

Here is what I have seen. Many jobs require a degree from an accredited institution of higher learning. Accredited on-line schools are recognized by the US Federal Gov't and the US Department of Education. Therefore, they are approved for the same financial aid as traditional institutions of higher learning. Yet for some reason these on-line schools are being devalued and painted as degree mill schools.

The only difference I see is that in an on-line school you do not have any set schedule for when you must sit in on a class room for the most part and there are no clubs, sororities, fraternities, or intramural sports. However; some of these schools conduct mandatory webinar classrooms where students can see each other and interact with the professor and other students through video conference technology. Both have regularly scheduled assignments and deadlines for projects. Many on-line schools use written essay quizzes and multiple choice bench mark exams to determine that students are doing their homework and learning the necessary material. And they participate in open forum discussions with peers focused on instructor led topics. Also, most on-line students are working full or part time jobs while managing to do volunteer an average of 200 hrs. or more a semester as interns in real life work environments. In my book on-line students are doing the same level of work as a traditional student.

Supposedly, when a school is accredited and accepted by a regional accrediting body they are acknowledged academically to be on the same level as other institutions of higher learning offering the same degree programs that meet or exceed the academic proficiency standards within that region.

I am still not sure why or how clubs, sororities, fraternities, or intramural sports would make a traditional school worth more than an on-line school. I can go and join the Broke Straight Boys fraternity, or even the Masons. I can get involved in a pottery class or join a volley ball league at the local YMCA if it really has some significant bearing on school credibility.

 

[Jayman01]

At the end of the day, it's also about the type of experience a student is looking for. Online degrees are often times better for working adults, whereas the more traditional degres tend to be for younger students. This is not to say that older adults do not go for traditional degrees. I see it all the time. You simply can't say all degrees are good for one particular individual. It's what works best for them.

This is a great point. However, it seems asthough the scales are tipped in favor of traditional schools at this time.

 

[joninliverton]

i believe that an online degree, depending upon the discipline, may or may not be as good. an MBA, to me, is a great degree for online coursework. an MS in chemistry requires more classroom and hands on instruction than online can offer.

Mmm, I wouldn't mind hands on instruction by you mate.

 

[hottamales2432]

You also have to keep in mind that a lot of online schools are "for profit" institutions. While I certainly don't have any issues with them, there is an agenda that many of these schools have and that is to make money.
The reality is if students do their homework ahead of time, they will find out if credits are transferable to another four-year school. We always tell our students the degree is important, but it's also about what else they are doing which can often times impact their ability to get a job.

 

[Jayman01]

You are so right and this holds true for traditional institutions of higher learning too.

 

[frodo_83]

Aussie Schools

Hi Guys and Gals

I am from Australia and have undertaken both an internal (campus based) and online degrees within the health field.

Here in Australia there are many education facilities providing online learning which will in effect get you no where. Same could be said about some of the university's but that’s another discussion.

IMHO I feel I benefited greatly from doing my campus based degree in medicine and surgery (MBBS) whereas prior to that I had started nursing via (distance education - online learning) and found it to be too easy to pass. As a DE student you were required to read course materials to assist in your learning, complete assignments and take exams etc. I however did not read any of the material and just goggled information when it came time to complete essays and sit exams.

I managed to complete both degrees with a GPA of 5.3 and 5.7 respectively but feel that by attending lectures, lab sessions and anatomy classes, that my knowledge base was improved exponentially.

But similarly to Jon, I can not comment on schools in America as they are run completely differently.

Cheers
Luke from the land down under!!

 

[Jayman01]

Employer Perceptions of Online Degrees (Part 1)

Norina L. Columbaro
Cleveland State University
[email protected]
Catherine H. Monaghan, Ph.D.
Cleveland State University
[email protected]

Abstract
This literature review explores research regarding the perception of potential employers or “gatekeepers” about online degrees in comparison with those earned in a traditional format. This review contributes to the field of knowledge because higher education can benefit from understanding how these perceptions affect students’ employment opportunities and, in turn, affect the institutions granting the online degree. In addition, research in this area potentially contributes to the field of knowledge by helping prospective students, as consumers of higher education, make informed choices about their degree attainment paths.

Introduction
With fluctuations in the economy, increased technological competence, fast-paced lifestyles, geographic dispersion, and the need for workers to possess new skill sets and credentialing, the demand for online degrees has grown over the past decade (Conceição, 2007). Institutions offering online degrees have proliferated in the adult and higher education landscape to meet these needs. According to eLearners.com, there are currently over 170 accredited U.S. online colleges and universities that offer online Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees in numerous fields (elearners.com, 2007). Adams and DeFleur (2005) state, “although there are some 678 non-resident degree programs available online, only a handful of these are fully accredited or taught from recognized institutions” (p. 72).

Furthermore, individual students invest thousands of dollars each year obtaining higher education. Increasingly, they select online degrees to reach that goal with the expectation of a sound return on investment. Adult students primarily choose online degrees to obtain credentialing for promotions and employment, as well as to cultivate lifelong learning while overcoming such potential barriers as full-time work responsibilities and remote geographic location. Nance (2007) suggests that minority students may also select online learning after experiencing racially discriminatory treatment in the traditional classroom. Despite the increasing interest in pursuing an online degree toward obtaining additional credentials, the economic climate causes students to place a high premium on whether online degrees translate into jobs or careers. This translation is dependent on the current hiring practices that are influenced by the organization’s hiring “gatekeeper’s” view.

Methodology
This section will present information concerning the selection of literature. In addition, it discusses the characteristics of distance learning degrees and the definition of hiring gatekeepers.

Literature Selection
This literature review explores the research about the perception of potential employers or “gatekeepers” about online degrees in comparison with those earned in a traditional format. The guiding questions for each study and article were: What does the current literature say about hiring gatekeepers’ perceptions of online degrees? How do these perceptions influence their assessment of the candidate’s employment qualifications?


To answer the research questions, literature was reviewed within four databases: Academic Source Complete, Education Source Complete, Business Source Complete, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Abstracts. The keywords used were “online degrees,” “higher education,” “virtual college,” “hiring,” “perceptions,” and “academic degree programs.” The search resulted in 11 academic journal articles, 18 dissertations, two unpublished manuscripts, three books, and two online articles. The literature selected for this review was then evaluated and chosen based on pertinence to the topic of employer views toward online degrees in North America.

Characteristics of Distance Learning Degrees
Today’s post-secondary degrees offer students the options to engage in various delivery modes. According to the 2005 Sloan Consortium report, Allen and Seaman (2005) describe the following standard academic degree program configurations as:

Traditional or Minor Web-Facilitated: No online technology used or 1 to 29 percent of course content is online through a course management system, such as Blackboard or WebCT, to support the primary use of the face-to-face format.
Hybrid: 30 to 79 percent content covered online such as online discussions and readings; supplemented by occasional face-to-face classroom experience.
Online: 80 percent plus of course content and interactions occur online (p. 4).
Many online institutions espouse the comparable quality of their degrees to traditional institutions. In response, many traditional institutions have also adopted online degree programs as part of their strategic direction. According to Allen and Seaman (2005), “Forty-four percent of all schools offering face-to-face Master’s degree programs also offer them online.” (p. 1). The National Center for Education Statistics (2003) states that 90 percent of public four-year institutions provide online bachelor degrees (as cited in Adams & Eveland, 2007).

Hiring Gatekeepers
Hiring “gatekeepers” are defined as, “…anyone who stands between you and the person who might want to hire you. Gatekeepers come in many forms, including receptionists, HR recruiters, and resume screeners” (Mitchell, 2003, ¶1). Throughout the literature reviewed here, a variety of “gatekeepers” served as participants. For example, in some studies, the “gatekeeper” participants were HR managers and recruiters; others were actual managers for the position in which a candidate would be hired.


As cited in Peat and Helland (2004), “…individuals who perceive distance learning as ineffective may attend only to information that supports their beliefs and a negative perception toward a phenomenon such as distance education may predispose a person to act negatively toward that phenomenon (Pinder, 1998)” (p. 939).

 

[Jayman01]

Employer Perceptions of Online Degrees (Part 2)

Findings
Within this literature search, there were five published and two unpublished complete empirical research studies regarding prospective employer’s perceptions of a job candidate’s online degree achievements. Studies conducted by Eduventures and Vault.com were not used. While highly relevant to this topic, they are private research firms and specific organizations and institutions commission their projects. Eduventures and Vault.com do not provide particulars about their methodology, samples, and results. Therefore, it was difficult to decipher aspects of their results to form a quality comparison.

The majority of the literature available was found in “popular” media (newspaper and trade magazines), web pages, and blogs. The purpose of many of these communications centered around advising the public about whether or not to select the online option when one pursues a degree, as well as what to do and what to avoid when employers inquire about the nature of one’s degree. The findings will discuss the results from empirical studies, popular media and communications literature, and summarize typical employer concerns and commendations regarding online degrees, as supported by the literature.

Empirical Studies
The section will provide a comparison across empirical studies. We categorized these studies according to the industries that formed the basis for the study. The three industries are higher education, healthcare, and general industry. This is important because different industries may have different views about the credibility of online degrees.

Higher Education. Yickes, Patrick and Costin (2005), citing Giannoni, and Teone (2003), note “There is a perceptual disparity in academia that distance education is second best” (p. 3). This perception appears to carry over in higher education hiring practices. Research conducted by Adams and DeFleur (2005) regarding doctorates indicate that, given the choice of selecting “hypothetical” candidates who possessed online or traditional doctoral degree credentialing, as many as 98 percent of 109 employers surveyed would prefer to hire the candidate with the traditional degree. A later study by Flowers and Baltzer (2006) also looked at academic hiring processes and largely confirmed the above results. However, this survey-based study only focused on perceptions of the hiring gatekeepers. Respondents ranked answers based on a Likert Scale and the findings revealed that participants in the sample were significantly less likely to hire a candidate with an online doctoral degree for a full time, tenure-track faculty position. Their findings were similar to Adams and DeFleur’s (2006) study regarding the perceptions of academia about the perceived validity of online doctoral degrees.


Finally, the latest study by Guendoo (2007, 2008) found that community colleges were more receptive to online doctoral degree recipients than traditional, four-year degree universities. Employing the Delphi method, Guendoo (2008) involved 52 administrators of the largest 145 community colleges in the United States and found that they did not view the online degree as a hindrance to a recipient’s chances for employment. It is important to note that almost all the respondents had experience with taking and/or teaching online courses. Further, Guendoo (2008) hypothesized that any negative perceptions traditional universities currently have about online doctoral degree graduates applying for faculty positions may change. “One can predict that the gap in perception between the subjects of this study (community college leaders) and those of the Adams and DeFleur study [traditional four-year colleges] will continue to close over time” (Guendoo, 2008, p. 4).


Healthcare. The earliest qualitative study used a grounded theory approach. Chaney (2002) researched eight Midwest pharmaceutical companies and focused on the perception about online degrees for those being hired in various positions that mostly require scientific backgrounds. The findings indicated that, although all the participants questioned whether scientific content and labs could be taught online, most of the respondents made no distinction between an online degree and a traditional degree when considering applicants in the hiring process. “Except for one [out of 8], all the representatives said that they when they would review the resume, they would consider the e-degree and traditional degree equally” (Chaney, 2002, p. 64). However, she did not determine whether these participants would actually hire the candidate with the online degree.

Applying a similar comparative approach as they did while researching doctoral and bachelor degrees in various fields, Adams, DeFleur, and Heald (2007) looked at the acceptability of credentials earned either online or partially online for obtaining employment in the healthcare professions. They did not distinguish between what type of degree (bachelors, master, doctorate) and what specific field (nurses, pharmacists, radiologists, etc.) served as the target for their study. However, they found that given the hiring decision for a healthcare position, most gatekeepers (95 percent) would prefer the applicant with a traditional degree to one who completed an online degree. In addition, the researchers found that 29 percent would select a candidate with a hybrid degree where half of the courses were taken online (Adams et al., 2007).


Online degrees across industries. Adams and DeFleur (2006) studied the perceptions about online bachelor’s degrees in the entry-level position hiring process. Study participants were hiring executives in the United States. The methodology included searching “want ads” in newspapers for open positions. Surveys were sent that required the hiring executive to “force choose” between three hypothetical candidates with similar experience but with differing types of bachelor degrees. One “mock” candidate had a traditional bachelor’s degree; one with a bachelor achieved through a mix of delivery methods (hybrid); and one who received a bachelor’s from a virtual university. The completed 269 surveys were then analyzed. Findings suggest that when companies attempted to fill management or entry-level positions in accounting, business, engineering, and information technology, 96 percent indicated that they would choose the candidate with a traditional degree. When comparing traditional degree to hybrid delivery, 75 percent would still prefer traditional over the hybrid. In addition, 72 percent answered “yes” to the question of whether the type of degree makes a difference in the decision to select a candidate. The quantitative findings further suggested that concerns such as accreditation, perceived interaction among peers and professor, quality (rigor), skills, and work experience were the most predominant reasons not to hire an online candidate. One limitation of the study was the lack of clarity around whether this was the best selection of participants for the study. Because HR professionals and external consultants are often the first-line hiring “gatekeepers” at this level and make the initial decisions about which resumes advance to the hiring executive and which are discarded, this study may have benefited from targeting the first line gatekeepers.


Finally, Seibold’s (2007) qualitative study included gatekeepers from five different industries: “telecommunications, data systems, insurance, finance and rental businesses” (p. 32). She suggests that, even with the increase of online degrees and students and nearly a decade of research, perceptions still exist in the hiring process that traditional degrees are superior to online degrees, although hybrids are gaining acceptability. However, she maintains, “…whatever the state of opinion held today, it is clear that personal experience with online education [on the part of the gatekeeper] had positively influenced the perceptions of those involved in this study” (Seibold, 2007, p. 54).

Limitations of empirical studies. While other studies employed interviewing and surveys to assess perceptions, the Adams and DeFleur (2005, 2006) studies were the only ones in which participants actually looked at resumes for three hypothetical candidates with comparable experience but different degrees (online, hybrid, and traditional) and decided which they would hire for a specific job. In addition, Chaney (2002), Seibold (2007), and Adams, DeFleur, & Heald (2007) studies did not distinguish perceptions between type of degree (Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate) and specific domain. Therefore, additional studies to determine whether hiring an online degree recipient actually takes place and specifically in what industry and the level of degree attainment would add to the knowledge base.

 

[Jayman01]

Employer Perceptions of Online Degrees (Part 3)

Newspaper, Trade Magazines, Online Journals, Websites, and Blogs
Largely countering some of these empirical studies are the vast quantity of popular media and articles supporting online degrees as viable options, but also informing potential consumers of the risks associated with these educational options. Two articles, Caudron (2001) and Dolezalek (2003) provide information for employers. Both discuss reactions to online degrees and what to evaluate in online degrees. Caudron’s article offers recruiters seven questions to ask when evaluating online degrees. However, an interviewee in the Dolezalek (2003) article maintained that many recruiters are not specifically trained to “look out for” online degrees versus traditional degrees and that, rather, they are instructed merely to check to see if the candidate’s school is accredited.

Articles directed primarily toward the public and online degree consumers appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Chronicle of Higher Education and provided discussions of the pros and cons of online degrees and how they were perceived during the hiring process. For example, while Carnevale (2005) cites Adams and DeFleur’s (2005) study that reflects a negative perception of online degrees in the hiring process, he provides anecdotal information regarding views of graduates and employers who have had positive experiences with online degree hires.

Websites, such as collegeinpjs.com and eLearners.com provide positive reports of the prospects of online degrees. Mulrean’s (2004) optimistic article, found through collegeinpjs.com, maintains that attitudes are changing and that the more employers are exposed to online degrees, the more accepting they will be. However, other sites and articles at least recognize these biases in the hiring process. According to Montell (2003), candidates with online educational backgrounds were advised not to use the words “online” to describe their educational backgrounds and that they would need to defend the value of their degree. Mulrean (2004) also points out that if you attend a class at Columbia University, “There’s no need to distinguish the degrees as having been earned online because they’re identical to the courses delivered at the physical campus” (¶7). Further, some college sites, such as Oregon State University website state, “Our accredited online degrees and programs appear the same on your OSU transcript as do on-campus degrees and programs at Oregon State University” (Retrieved on December 3, 2007 campus.oregonstate.edu/online-degrees). However, Glover (2005) in her article, urges other online degree graduates,

If questions about your online degree come up in an interview, be honest and state all of the reasons why your online degree is more valuable than a traditional one. Not only will this improve your immediate chances for getting the job, it is the only way we can change employers' lingering misperceptions of online education (p. 39).​

Carnevale (2007) cites Vault.com’s study that indicated that only 55 percent of the 107 employers surveyed would select a candidate with a traditional degree over one who earned the degree online, and 41 percent would view both degrees equally. According to Nance (2007), Eduventures 2005 Continuing and Professional Education report indicates that of 505 employers surveyed, 62 percent of employers feel that online instruction is the same or better than classroom learning. Wellen (2006) provides additional details about this study, “Of the 500 or so participants, including Bank of America, DaimlerChrysler and the United States Air Force, half regarded online and face-to-face instruction as ‘equally valuable,’ 10 percent regarded online education as ‘more valuable’ and 38 percent as ‘less valuable’” (p. 2). Eduventure’s 62 percent acceptance claim, however, seems to apply to situations in which the employee was already working for the organization and completing the online degree to gain internal advancement rather than being hired from the outside (Hartman, 2007; Nance, 2007; Wellen, 2006).


There are several limitations with the research done by Eduventure and Vault.com. While they provide more encouraging results, because their clients have exclusive rights to the results and reporting, it was not possible to determine the specifics of the data gathering and analysis. As stated above the nature of these studies conducted by private research firms based on commissions from specific organizations lends itself to possible biases that could impinge on the reliability of the findings.

Common Concerns and Commendations for Online Degrees
Throughout the empirical studies, as well as Carnevale’s (2005, 2007) popular media articles that cite empirical studies, potential employers gave the following reasons for their reticence in accepting online degree credentials:

• lack of rigor,
• lack of face-to-face interactions,
• increased potential for academic dishonesty,
• association with diploma mills,
• concerns about online students’ true commitment evident from regularly venturing to a college or university physical location, considered by some to be an important part of the educational experience.

On the other hand, some themes emerged from the empirical study literature and popular media supporting employer acceptance of online degree credentialing. Conditions that could influence online degree acceptance in the hiring process were:

• name recognition/reputation of the degree-granting institution,
• appropriate level and type of accreditation,
• perception that online graduates were required to be more self-directed and disciplined,
• candidates’ relevant work experiences,
• and whether the online graduates were being considered for promotion within an organization or if they were vying for new positions elsewhere or in a new field.

Additional research is needed, however, to solidify these claims, as well as to investigate further hiring gatekeepers’ acceptance rates concerning degrees that employ a mix of online and in-classroom delivery elements (hybrid).

 

[Jayman01]

Employer Perceptions of Online Degrees (Part 4)

Discussion and Implications for Further Research
This literature review spanning nearly seven years largely suggests that there still may be a marked stigma attached to online degrees throughout the hiring process within those industries studied. In summary, all scholarly research to date has concluded that the “gatekeepers” have an overall negative perception about online degrees. This was particularly evident at the level of a bachelor’s degree for those seeking an entry-level position (Adams & DeFleur, 2006). In the healthcare arena, the results were mixed. Chaney (2002) found that the perception, if not the hiring behavior, gave equal weight to online versus traditional degrees. Adams et al (2007) found a clear bias toward traditional degrees. When examining the hiring in academia for tenured faculty positions, the studies found that traditional degrees were viewed more favorably then online degrees (Adams & DeFleur, 2006; Flowers & Baltzer, 2006). The exception in higher education appears in the hiring practices in community colleges, which displayed openness to online degrees of potential candidates and hires (Guendoo, 2007, 2008).

On the other hand, Russell’s (2001) annotated bibliography consisting of 355 research reports, summaries and papers regarding quality of distance learning tout the comparability and, occasionally, superiority of online education. Perhaps as more potential employees attain their degrees online, acceptance will increase. However, if potential employers continue to harbor negative perceptions about candidate’s online degree credentials, quality of the actual learning and work experiences may take a back seat to these preconceptions throughout the hiring process.

Continued research in this area will provide insight for expanding student accessibility to quality online higher education, provide information to develop employer/recruiter education workshops (what to look for, how to break down any unfounded biases), continuing program improvement, and executing effective and ethical marketing practices (Adams, 2008). Further, results from continued scholarly work could help illuminate and mobilize higher education leadership and administration to make better-informed decisions regarding funding, managing, and evaluating the effectiveness and public perceptions of online degrees.


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Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, Volume XII, Number I, Spring 2009
University of West Georgia, Distance Education Center
Back to the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration Contents

 

[panzer104]

Have two friends that work in the same law firm...one did four years of Harvard and spent a massive amount of money. The other received his online degree for far less money, and a year later got a job in the same law firm, doing the same thing...my Harvard pal gripes that he spent far to much money on a Harvard degree when the online degree did the trick...Glad you posted this Jayman, as I am debating whether to go back to a traditional college, or do the online thing. Lots of good info in you last few posts...Thanks.

 

[Jayman01]

Have two friends that work in the same law firm...one did four years of Harvard and spent a massive amount of money. The other received his online degree for far less money, and a year later got a job in the same law firm, doing the same thing...my Harvard pal gripes that he spent far to much money on a Harvard degree when the online degree did the trick...Glad you posted this Jayman, as I am debating whether to go back to a traditional college, or do the online thing. Lots of good info in you last few posts...Thanks.

No problem. I think what I am seeing is that the on-line degrees tend to be more affordable and less time restrictive. If the school is accredited regionally and nationally both then the degree is solid. However; I think for the most part based on the research that was done above, most employers still favor degrees from traditional schools.

I am speculating here but I believe that in the more traditional schools there is a lot more face to face interaction which can demonstrate social and interpersonal skills. Also, traditional degrees tend to inconvenience people more causing them to be flexible and adjust their schedules around class times. Most on-line schools tend to be more flexible and loosey goosey with time schedules. So, I believe that employers may often times subconsciously or even conscious reward the person who went the extra mile and proved that they could effectively budget their time and get the job done. Which is something a lot of work places look for. In conclusion both degrees are equal on paper. However; they are thought of differently as to the level of work and commitment required to earn the degree by society as a whole at this time.

 

[tim114]

Jayman,

This is an important topic you started. I assume you are involved in one of these programs. Higher education has become so expensive that other methods are certainly necessary. I graduated from a private college back in the 60s; I got a good education. Notice the use of the colon. At full tuition I could not attend at present; it is over $40,000 per year. Of course there are scholarships and financial aid, but a whole lot of young people are coming out of college and graduate school with huge debt.
I think some majors would work well online. I don't think I would see a Doctor, MD, with an online degree. Some careers require hands-on, on campus training; other don't. For many careers, jobs, I like the mix of on-the-job combined with ongoing course work. Then you get the best of both worlds. There are many jobs out there today that are over-credentialied (is that a word, spellcheck says no). NYS requires a Masters within like 5 years to teach public school. That is bullshit. Some of the worse courses I have taken were on the graduate level in the field of education.
More later. I am retired and am drinking beer and watching porn; well, part time any way.