Regis-College of Professional Studies- Your Thoughts

Hey guys,

I'm going back to school to finish my under-grad. I'm going for my bachelors in business. Due to my work schedule etc, etc, I have to stick with online classes. I have enrolled with Regis-College of Professional studies. I went with Regis for 2 reasons.

1. It has a brick and mortar school here in Denver (where I live)
2. Its private and religious school reputation.

My concern is with the overall quality and "view" of my degree. I'm concerned with so many pay to play schools out there now because it is an arm of Regis and not the actual on campus program my degree won't be respected. For example if I'm applying for a job and someone went to CSU (traditional in class experience) and I are applying for the same job my degree won't be viewed the same way. Am I over thinking this thing? Is my bachelor degree "just as good" as someone that went to a traditional college right out of school (minus Ivy league schools of course)? I've started my first class this week and like the lay out and have been impressed thus far, just would like to get some input and opinions.

Thanks.

 

You said the school has a traditional campus where you live, so there won't be any issues at all. The degrees and transcripts do not say "online" anywhere on them. So yours will look the same as the ones the campus students have. And since you live by the college, no one would even question it. So you should be fine.

 

I would also add this thought. The concerns you express will be true regardless of which school you choose. You concern is not about Regis, specifically, it's about the general perception of distance learning degrees. Since you've already said that you have no real choice but to go the DL route then you are worrying yourself about something over which you have no control. This is waste of your time and energy. Choose your best path and let detractors rant as they will.

 

Good plan

TarHeel, I think Regis is a good option for you. Since you are in Denver, almost all interviewers and hiring people will already be familiar with the name, so that is one hurdle that DL students sometimes have to overcome. Second, you will be part of a very active Regis Alumni group in and around Denver and that is helpful to have that kind of network. You would also be able to take advantage of their Career Services people if you ever need that. Finally, I never recommend that DL students "hide" the fact that their degree was earned online, but I even doubt that you'll be asked, especially if you are a non-traditional student age.

Regis has a good academic reputation, and is a great online program. Good luck!

 

Thanks for all the input guys.

So you would definitely not consider this program to be in line with the 1-800 buy a degree programs?

 

When you say, "1-800 buy a degree programs" do you mean degree mills?

 

Yes. Something along those lines.

 

Yes Randell. I just want to know its respected throughout the academic community.

 

No, I don't (but I may be biased).

Regis is well-respected in Denver, to my knowledge. It's a Jesuit university and Jesuit schools are known for good, solid academics, if not Ivy League.

In Seattle, Seattle U is a good school for networking, name recognition and Regis is Denver's equivalent. Boston College, Gonzaga, Georgetown, Santa Clara - all are Jesuit schools, and all are decent schools.

If you still have questions about Regis, why not ask around in Denver, call some employers or go to the LinkedIn Regis U group and ask some questions on how their degrees are perceived?

 

I certainly wouldn't consider it in the same league as a "1-800-buy-a-degree" program. When I was working on my MBA through Regis I was completing 10+ page research papers on a weekly basis. It was the most demanding academic work I've ever done.

 

As mentioned above very often your degree is a "check the box" requirement. In a job interview many employers look for some prior work experience (since you are looking for a DL degree I assume you are also working). Prior to a job interview research the company background and products (for larger companies see their annual reports) are so you can ask pertinent questions. If you do not have work experience get some part time or volunteer work as a minimum.

 

Regis is a fully accredited university with a solid reputation. What might lead you to think it was less than that?

BTW - I'd say that BC was more than "decent."

 

Regis is a solid school, with good rankings, and a long-standing tradition of academic excellence. However, the OP seems less concerned with academic excellence, and more concerned with perception. Therefore, I'd recommend you take Mbaonline's advice and check around the area with local business leaders or hiring committees to assess the local perception.

And, if this is something that's going to bug you and haunt you, and you're not comfortable with the program's perception, drop it before you're too far in, and transfer to a state school, or other well-known school you're absolutely comfortable with. I've started three different programs (one was NA before I knew about RA vs. NA), which I ended up dropping based on what I found out about perception, and finally threw in the towel and graduated with TESC. The last program I cashed in on was Colorado State University-Global Campus. It's a fine school, best I've experienced online for an undergrad program. However, I compared how many credits I still needed with the fact that I almost had enough to graduate with TESC, plus you can't really ever just say "I graduated from CSU." You pretty much HAVE to say "CSU-Global." So, after wasting two months of my GI Bill, I gave it up and transferred, because the name recognition didn't outweigh my desire to graduate early.

My point is, if you're on the fence about this thing, and it's always going to bug you, give it up now and go to another school. This school will forever be on your resume. However, if you're just looking for assurances that the school is a good one, then yes, it is. It's a RA, non-profit school with a deep history. It's not a fly-by night diploma mill. My only concern with Regis would be if their advertising campaign really takes off in the next few years with Regis billboards everywhere. Then, although academically they would be unaffected, the perception might start to change and people might start seeing the school in a different light. Just check around a bit.