Do online universities have the same credibility as regular ones?

They tend to be less work, thus less credible. Some employers are less picky and will take online degrees. Others are more picky. A lot of it depends on the online school as well as the employer. For example, Intel won’t pay for any business classes from schools like the University of Phoenix because they’ve found them to be essentially a scam to take students’ money without providing real education.

You need to check your state’s licensing requirements. In NY, for example, North Central University is recognized and one can receive a license to practice although it is an online school. The practicum component is the most important part. Some online schools do not have the practicum, some do. Without it, you can’t practice.

The problem with transfering MA programs is that you may lose credits, more $ gone.

CACREP accreditation is particularly important. It means you can go anywhere and get licensed. A lot of traditional schools don’t have it either, so how important this is to you personally depends on where you plan to work.

If you plan to work for the state and get a doctorate later, the prestige of your institution doesn’t matter as much. If you plan on private practice, you need a traditional degree.

Lincoln Nebraska has an online Doctor of Ed. degree. I believe this is a good adjunct to a traditional clinical practice MA, but you don’t get the hands on that you do with traditional schools. You must get it somewhere, for at least one degree.

The most important thing in this field is making connections and getting a following- you want people to see you and you want your peers to refer clients to you later. You need a traditional degree for that. If there is any way you can stick it out, you should. I am, and I believe it is worth it.

Most employers are coming around to realizing it works. However, some people are still against it. Just like some bosses still want you to send a paper memo even if an email will suffice. Just think before all the meetings for work that HAD to be done face to face.. now there are teleconferences, e-conferences…

I did two degrees with UOP and partially online. It can be very intensive, and you get what you put in. Their business and some other programs have programmatic accreditation, which has to have some weight with employers. Fewer than 25 percent of business programs have that accreditation.

Any time you look at a degree, look at what you want to DO with degree to ensure you’re doing it for a good reason.

It depends on the industry. There are several that think less of a person with an online degree than a person without a degree at all. Check with key employers in your future field to get a feel for how online programs are viewed.

Online programs in Clinical Psych are not reputable.

I strongly advise against it, especially since you are currently in a reputable program.