Listing DL Degrees on One's CV or Resume

In her book "Virtual College" (Petersons, 1996) Pam Dixon answers the question, "How do I list my virtually earned credit on my resume?," in the following manner:

"You do not need to differentiate your degree, certificate, continuing education courses, etc., from the rest of your education by writing 'earned off-campus' or another such phrase...just list your distance-earned degrees or credentials as you do all other education."

From what I have seen in many college catalogs this seems to be a standard practice, e.g., I have never seen a degree from Walden, Nova, Fielding, Union, etc., listed with any additional statement, only the degree title and school name.

Pro's and con's?

Russell

 

I would think it'd be very easy for someone to know if you earned the degree via DL since if on your resume, you've been say working in CA from 1990-2001 and the date when you acquired your degree from XYZ college in some other state is 1998. It'd be so obvious that you got it through DL. It'd be less obvious if the DL college were near the city where you live for it's always possible that you did it through an evening program.

 

Then again, I have a friend who got his Ph.D. from Purdue in Physics. He spent most of his time in Iowa and Indianapolis...while Purdue was in West Lafayette, IN. He took courses on the weekend, some at night, some during the day, and took 2 years to write his dissertation. If you looked at his address and where he worked you would have thought he got his degree from a DL program. He didn't9or did he?). There is a lot of room for play in those doctorate programs.

 

If we assume that a regionally accredited DL degree is just as good as a regionally accredited traditional degree, why is there such an ethical question about how to list the degree? An RA degree is an RA degree, period. Why don't graduates of traditional programs list their degrees as "BA (Classroom), or Ph.D. (Residential Program)?

Scott

 

This was indeed the point of the original post! I agree with Pam Dixon that one should list only the degree along with the school name, e.g., Ph.D., XYZ University, regardless of the methodology used in earning the degree.

Some have suggested that one should specify the DL degree as such, e.g., Ph.D. (DL, or whatever), XYZ University. However, this does not seem to be standard protocol.

Russell

 

In general I agree with the advice than an RA degree should be listed like any other degree on a resume. However, I can envision that, at times, this may cause the applicant to do some very quick, effective, non-defensive explaining.

For example, Syracuse University's DL Master of Social Science degree is offered through its prestigious Maxwell School of Public Affairs. However, mention of the degree offering is generally found only in the university's Independent Study bulletin, not in its Maxwell School bulletin (at least as of a few years ago). Furthermore, the last time I looked, the Maxwell School did not offer a corresponding residential M.S.Sc. degree.

It means that the holder of the degree *may* have to do some explaining if someone delves beneath the surface of the line, "M.S.Sc., Syracuse University, Maxwell School of Public Affairs."

As distance learning becomes increasingly accepted within certain circles, the need to have one's antennae up about these matters may lessen. But it's still an issue.


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David Yamada, [email protected]

 

Certainly! In many cases the applicant would need to explain certain facets of his/her resume, e.g., distance learning programs, research degrees, foreign GAAP degrees, etc.
However, this could be done on an individual basis, for in many situations these details would not be an issue.

I earned the BA by combining credits from five different institutions, doing the last year via the external studies department of a RA university (so actually, 2/3 of the program was in residence). I then earned RA MA and D.Min. degrees via traditional programs. In listing the degrees on a CV or resume I have never stated that the BA was earned via external studies (nor have I ever been asked by anyone). The main issue, at least in my case, has been the fact that the degree was regionally accredited.

Russell

 

If I remember right, recently one frequent contributor to the AED, remarked in a reply to a posting, that the way of earning a degree by distance is "not yet" made note of on the diploma.
Is this policy about to change? Does somebody know more about it?

Dennis Siemens

 

Depends on the school.

Some schools note whether courses were taken through distance learning (especially if independent study or correspondence) on the transcript; some don't.

I've often noticed that less-than-wonderful schools stress that the diploma will look just like a diploma from an on-campus program. Example: "No, your degree or certificate will not look any different than someone who took a more conventional course of study on campus nor will it indicate it was earned by distance learning."

I'm a bit bemused by the question; I've never had to display my diploma when applying for a job (though I did have to have a transcript sent), nor have I felt any great need to display it. I'm not sure I could even find my diplomas.


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Kristin Evenson Hirst
DistanceLearn.About.com

 

I hang my USNY/Regents diploma on the wall of my office, more-or-less for the same reason I have a scanned cover of GYITD&GA set as my MacOS background,
but I can't imagine any situation where I would actually use the lovely thing for anything but wall decoration.


Peace,

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Tom Head
www.tomhead.net

 

Kristin Evenson Hirst wrote:

I've often noticed that less-than-wonderful schools stress that the diploma will look just like a diploma from an on-campus program.


But do schools like Excelsior, TESC, COSC, that, I assume, don't belong to the "less-than-wonderful"(what a nice word, really) category note in their diplomas that the degree was earned by distance?


Dennis Siemens

 

The University of London External Programme degrees carry a notation on the diploma that the degree was earned externally.

Alex

 

Potchefstroom University degrees (those earned via research in association with GST) state nothing on the diploma relative to distance learning. There is a small notation that the degree was earned in assocation with GST, but not the methodology.

Russell

 

My Antioch M.A. (1989) does not say external on the diploma but the where the signatures are it states on two of the signature lines: "Provost, School for Adult and Experiential Learning," and "Dean, Individualized Master of Arts Program."

Overall, it doesn't bother me as I have had no problem with the acceptance of my RA credentials. I personally think it is foolish to feel obligated to list how one earned their degree. For B.A. (evening) would look pretty strange for evening students. Classifications could be endless, such as: night, evening, part-time, full-time, traditional, summer school, correspondence, independent study, external, video, satellite, branch campus, tutorial, online, and whatever mode of study you can think of.

DL is so prevalent today that if there is still any stigma it should soon be erased.

John

 

Indeed!

 

I think one must guard against even the slightest possibility that someone reviewing a resume may, at some juncture, feel like s/he was misled.

Take, for example, "A.B., Harvard University" vs. "A.B., Harvard Extension School." Both are (obviously) valid degrees, but if a holder of the latter shades the situation even a bit by listing the former, it could cause difficulties in a job application process.

Personally I would think highly of a person who is motivated enough to complete a valid degree program via DL, but there remain many employers who are stuck on traditional academic credentials.


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David Yamada, [email protected]

 

The point is well taken and I am certainly not in favor of padding one's CV or resume. This would indeed be unethical and misleading. However, to list one's degree(s) as being earned from the school at which the program was taken is not misleading, if in fact the degree was earned from that school.

For example, if the official name of the school is Harvard University, then any degree earned from any program of that institution would be a Harvard University degree. The methodology of instruction is not really the issue, but from where did one earn the degree.

Incidently, Harvard University for External Studies, is listed as a degree mill in the latest edition of Bears' Guide.

Any number of items could be listed on one's CV or resume, e.g.,

John Doe, Ph.D., Harvard University
earned via 60% course work 40% research;
65% in residence 35% off-campus;
one member of doctoral committee had a non-RA doctorate;
took an extra year due to surgery;
ate at Taco Bell after final exams;
and on and on.

In listing on a CV or resume the issue is what degree does one have and from which school was it earned. Other details, if needed, can always be given upon request.

Russell

 

But here's where the subtle distinctions *could* get someone in hot (or at least warm) water. A bachelor's degree earned at Harvard Extension School, which is the adult & cont. education wing of Harvard, is based upon a non-competitive, open-admissions process. To list it as "A.B., Harvard University" instead of "A.B., Harvard Extension School" may lead the prospective employer to think that the applicant successfully navigated the very difficult admissions process for full-time, completely residential bachelor's degree students at Harvard. If that employer finds out otherwise, it *may* consider the c.v. listing to be misleading even though it is technically correct.

Right or wrong (and in too many cases wrong), the "worth" of a degree is measured in large part by how hard it was to get into the degree program. Thus, a B student in the full-time, hard-to-get-into Harvard College will be taken more seriously than an A student in the open-admissions Harvard Extension School, even though both graduated from "Harvard University" and the Harvard Extension School graduate could well be the better choice for a hire.

Obviously this is not an issue for graduates of completely DL institutions. But for graduates of the distance learning or adult ed wings of "name," mainly full-time residential universities, it's a tightrope that must be understood.

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David Yamada, [email protected]

 

I agree that this case scenario could indeed happen, as there are no doubt exceptions to every rule, and cases where standard protocol does not facilitate an employer's understanding. The norm for CV listing does, however, seem to be degree title, school and year conferred.

Anything beyond can certainly become cumbersome, and then, where does one draw the line? How much information should be revealed? It would seem if the prospective employer is given one's bio (with everything technically correct), I don't know how that could be construed as misleading. If, in the course of the interview, further clarification or information is needed, then that would be the time to do so.

Russell

 

I think as many of you have mentioned that with DL becoming more and more prominent that it wouldn't matter where you got the darn degree. If anything, doing it through DL shows an additional level of discipline and dedication that day students don't deal with.

Frankly, I've never been to an interview where they've dwelled on where I went to school or what I studied. Employers care a great deal if you have the experience to do the job. I have known more than enough people who do not hold any degree who are paid way more than those who've spent tons of years in school. This is not to say that going to school is bad for I believe very much in education.

There's of course always that one Joe out of the many who might want to pry into where you went to school, how you did it and blah blah and frankly, those probably aren't the good sort of people to work for.