Having a bit confusion about Online Degrees that no matter how many degrees you pursue online it can't match the caliber of traditional college degree & also not all of the employers accept online degrees. So is it worthy to pursue an online degree?
Rock: not all of the employers accept online degrees John: It is surprising how little research there is on this crucial matter. The first significant study, years ago, by Sosdian and Sharp, covered only "the big three" (Excelsior, Charter Oak, Edison) and found that not only did 100% of the employers surveyed accept them, but there was a significant subset that liked them better, because the student had shown the ability to work independently and unsupervised. Also: During the nine years (1991-1999) that I was involved with marketing the online MBA of the Edinburgh Business School (which became the largest MBA in the US at the time), we kept careful data on the first 1,000 students in the US and Canada who sought approval and, in many cases, payment from their employers. More than 99% accepted it -- most at once, some after we supplied more information. The handful who said 'no' mostly did so because they had a policy against non-US degrees because of having defense contracts or other reasons. The only absolute rejection was from a regional office of Ingersoll-Rand, where 12 employees wanted to sign up. I went to Texas to meet with their HR manager who had turned it down. He closed and locked his office door and then said, in effect, "I had to bust my ass for two years getting my MBA from Rice. If you think I'm going to make it easy for my people to get theirs, then you've got another think coming. And if you tell anyone, I'll deny I said that."
Wow. I bet when he was a kid, he had to walk 10 miles through a raging snowstorm to get to school. Uphill. Coming and going.
There is a stigma, in some minds, against "online" degree's. I have experienced it firsthand with my degree from COSC (never mind that I only took 2 courses there). With that said, there is a potential stigma against a university of Florida degree if the hiring manager happened to go to Florida State (I've seen that one too). I think you need to analyze the risk and rewards of any selection. Most of the negativity I have experienced seems similar to what Mr. Bear related. Some folks seem to want it to be as "difficult" as their own experience and will view everything through the prism of their own personal bias. I am struggling with this issue in relation to the Harvard Extension School. My daughter really wants to give HES a try. I think it will be perfect for her, and I am certain that if she applies herself she can do very well there.....but will that just lead to a lifetime of people telling her "oh, well, you didn't REALLY go to H A R V A R D then". Funny thing is that kids on campus often add online courses to their regular workload...they are, in part, getting an online education in some respects. End of the day I think you are doing the right thing. Analyze it, compare it to what you need, and make the best decision you can. I am very pleased with my "online" degree and would match it against anyone in my field. It was the right decision for me. I also believe there is less stigma attached to such an education as time passes. The internet isn't going anywhere and online education just continues to grow exponentially...one day it may well seem old fashioned and silly to drive to a classroom and sit there while someone "teaches" you.
Being in Massachusetts, I know many, many people who have taken courses at Harvard Extension, but I've only "met" one person (a former DI member) who actually graduated from there with a degree. I know HES alumni are afforded the benefits of "regular" Harvard alums, including membership in the Harvard Club (which may be worth it in and of itself), and for what it's worth, my sister-in-law who is a double Harvard grad (A.B. & M.B.A.) doesn't blink her eyes about HES....she just considers it part of the overall university.
"It depends to a large extent on your situation. For people who cannot attend college physically, online education provides an opportunity to get an advanced degree. It gives them a chance to compete in the job market on an equal footing. So far as complexity of the coursework is concerned, it’s much the same for both online and classroom programs. But online degrees certainly lack the kind of interaction and personalized instruction that classroom-based programs offer. And these days, distance learning programs are more readily accepted than you can imagine so long as you don’t make the mistake of going to a fly-by-night institute that sells diplomas in the guise of online education!"
