Online Degree versus brick and mortar?

Dear Steve,

There are many reputable and many disreputable online programs. The disreputable ones advertise everywhere (U of Phoenix, AIU, Ashwood, Kennedy-Western, etc.).

The reputable programs are found as “distance education” programs through highly recognized brick and mortar colleges. More and more state colleges are providing distance education today, and degrees earned through these programs carry the same weight as a degree earned on campus, because they are taught by the same professors and cover the same material, and have the same requirements.

Disreputable programs do not have qualified faculty. They are often accredited only by distance ed accreditors, and not by the more stringent regional accreditors.

Degrees from “online-only universities” are not taken seriously. (Recent articles from the New York Times and the Chronicle of Higher Education — or speaking with any admissions officer from a REAL college, or any human resources professional –will confirm this.)

I could go on and on about this, but instead, I will provide some real assistance.

Start by looking at the distance education offerings from your own state university. If they do not offer the classes you desire, then look at others. Penn State and University of Maryland come to mind. And state universities will be less expensive than any for-profit online program.

Any employer would MUCH rather see “Penn State” on an applicant’s resume than “U of Phoenix.”

The links below will give you a place to begin.

Best wishes to you!

If not to become a professor, what are your reasons for getting a PhD/DBA? Will an online degree help you reach those goals? If you’re just doing this for personal satisfaction, then Walden may be fine. But if you’re using this to enhance your resume, you need to know two things: – In general, where you go for your PhD/DBA is extremely important. The reputation of your program matters a lot. Who you studied with – which professors – can matter as well. – In some business fields, employers will shy away from people who have a PhD/DBA. So know your industry. Don’t educate yourself out of a job. In these cases, if you feel a desire for additional education, you may do better getting a grad certificate from a reputable school, rather than getting a full PhD. So think this stuff through. And then try to find the most reputable program that you can. In general, you do want one tied to a reputable (ideally, highly reputable) brick and morter university, rather than one offered by a uni that’s famous for being either online or for-profit. There are not a lot of reputable online PhDs available, although I’m seeing more of them in the past 1-2 years. Business is one of the fields, along with computers, where the availability seems to be increasing. I think I remember the following schools having online PhD business, but you’d need to double check, because this is just from my (admittedly fuzzy) memory: UMass Amherst, Iowa State, Northeastern, Carnegie Mellon, RPI, maybe Penn State. Maybe U Maryland. U Nebraska. U Denver. Maybe BU? And I believe the University of London, via its external programme.

Just to correct professor X

U of Phoenix is regionally accredited as is AIU (but currently on probation) Kennedy-Western a/k/a Warren National is an unaccredited diploma mill.

To gain regional accreditation, these programs have to have “highly qualified” faculty, primarilly with doctorates, which they do. There degrees will qualify you for employment for any organization with a competent HR department.

Like the cotton gin in the 1800’s, you’ll still find people (not good hiring managers) who are biased against the way you earned your degree, but they are becoming fewer every day.

I’m attending on line college now.. through a reputable university. I chose my college because a relative also attended and was able to land a fantastic job; also I am attending because the hours are more flexible than a traditional school. These on line courses are just as hard as a traditional college’s courses and I have put many hours into my schoolwork. At the end of my four years, I would hope that my degree would be looked upon as equal to a traditional college’s degree from a hiring stand point.

As long as your on-line school is accredited your good to go.

Honestly unless your applying for some big name business or university the name on your diploma is less of a factor than if you have the schooling in an area that the employer is looking for.