Getting a DEAC-Accredited Doctorate

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Rich Douglas, May 10, 2020.

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  1. copper

    copper Active Member

    Thanks for your input! Not convinced the alumni aspect is a major factor with distance learning?? I've spoken with alumni that are actually disappointed their alma mater now offers their same degree online. They have a sense their education is now devalued in some way. And yes, I am aware this is the new paradigm.
     
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  2. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Not so fast.

    The distinctions between RA and the various forms of NA are still huge. A switch in nomenclature on the USDoE website hardly changes. that.
     
  3. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    That's something that is hard to measure, especially from the job applicant's perspective. I doubt many people get told, "We were going to consider you until we saw that you had a doctorate."
     
  4. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Note how quickly the thread, yet again, moved from the quality and utility of the educational experience to that of accreditation and acceptance. Just....can't....budge....it.....
     
  5. JoshD

    JoshD Well-Known Member

    I believe this depends on the school itself. Personally, I have had great feedback from Fuqua students in the MBA and MQM programs. They have been very welcoming. Other schools may not be as team oriented...I cannot speak to that.

    There will always be people who feel their degree is devalued by allowing greater access to education. The same happened when Booth, Kellogg, etc. offered their MBA in a evening and weekend format. Cannot please them all. :)
     
  6. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    No, you can't budge it, because that's the real issue. A good D/L degree is not easier to earn in terms of academic effort than its B&M equivalent (Rather the reverse if my experience is any indication). Nor is it necessarily cheaper. But the nontraditional degree may prove to be worth less in the world of work than the B&M degree and I see little reason to think that will change anytime soon. Nor is the perception merely a matter of attitude. Sometimes it's embodied in licensing statutes and hiring standards, both private and government. In very general terms, if the student has a realistic choice of completing a degree in residence at a traditional university program or by D/L that student should opt for the resident program.
     
  7. JoshD

    JoshD Well-Known Member

    I think many will agree that attending an on-campus program will allow one greater access to internships, recruiting, etc. I cannot speak to licensing statutes because my career field does not require, nor really have, any licenses.
     
  8. JoshD

    JoshD Well-Known Member

    I will also add that age comes in to factor with in residence programs. For instance, if you go and look at a MS Finance, MS Business Analytics, MS Accounting, etc. program, the average age is typically 22-25 years old with work experience usually less than 2 years. Beyond that, at least in business schools, they will recommend an MBA or an Executive MBA if you have over 7ish years of experience. For some of us, distance learning is the only option due to our age. Are there outliers? Certainly. However, the majority of students in specialized business masters programs are going to be under the age of 25 and those of us over that age gaining access to in residence programs would be difficult.
     
  9. copper

    copper Active Member


    One can get a high quality education for free by reading books, journal publications, etc. The problem is the utility of that knowledge without a"legitimate" piece of paper to validate it which requires not only an investment in time but money.
     
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  10. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Well, let me ask you, how do you think this sort of thing could be measured?
     
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  11. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    When someone applies for a job via the HR Jobs web portal at the company I work at the education portion is not even allowing "other" when selecting the institution.
    There is a drop-down menu and for the US only RA universities are listed for selection.
    I'm not sure what candidates are doing, maybe contacting HR if their degree is not available for selection.
    The portal is more friendly to someone with a non-US degree, they have an option to enter the foreign school details.
     
  12. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Quantitatively? That would be theory-testing. It would require the creation of an "armchair theory" around which hypotheses would be created, followed by inferential statistical methods and an argument as to why the hypotheses held or did not, and an argument as to what it all means.

    Qualitatively? Thick, rich stories from people who've done it would be my approach, followed by qualitative data analysis to form a grounded theory about the phenomenon--if one is to be found within the data.

    Or we could just bandy comments back and forth. A lot can be learned that way, too.
     
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  13. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I would guess your system misses a lot of RA schools.
     
  14. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    Years ago (talking 2007-ish?) I had a lady ask me once "isn't getting a degree online easier?" I was pretty brief in my response because I remembered that she was the same person who told me she cheated her way to an AA in General Studies from a community college. Yeah.

    I figured only dopes like that thought the way she did, but I was surprised when I got into conversations with tenured professors who had similar views: they'd never taught an online class, never took an online class, and didn't know anyone who had taught one by their own admission, but that didn't matter. They were convinced it was easier and substandard. Sure, in some cases it's true, and it's also true that there are easy and substandard B&M classes. The problem with the view the opponents of distance learning generally have, is that they view ALL of distance learning as either easy, substandard, or both.
     
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  15. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    You know what I would do? Not apply.

    I realize not everyone has that luxury. But unless I were absolutely desperate, I would not pursue an opportunity with a company that does that sort of thing. Set aside RA/NA and, the obvious problem that Rich states about missing a number of RA schools (including closed schools, I'd bet). That is a system that basically says "Foreign graduates need not apply" and Neuhaus doesn't roll that way.

    I once left an interview midway through when they tried to require me to fill out a voluntary EEO self identification form. If you're mistreating applicants then there is little hope that you're doing the right thing by employees.
     
  16. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    It's a common problem. But it's becoming harder to hold that position with a straight face. It was easy to demonize DL when it was only a few players, and UPhoenix had the most press.

    I have friends who are still in the Navy. I earned my bachelors at, frankly, one of the few at the time that not only offered DL but could handle the logistics of getting me textbooks overseas in a timely manner. These days that isn't an issue. Some of those friends have degrees from schools like Georgetown and Drexel. A young woman I once worked with, who is forever in my mind the one who uttered the phrase "How was I supposed to know you could still get the clap if you were on Yaz?", is now a Senior Chief Petty Officer. When I left she was a Seaman who was on the verge of getting drummed out over high year tenure (too many years without advancing) with a partially completed associates degree from UPhoenix. She wrapped that degree up through a degree completion program at the University of Chicago and has a Masters in HR Management from Villanova.

    She's still quite clearly dumber than a box of rocks but dammit if her resume doesn't look quite impressive. And it was all earned via DL. You can look at me and tell me my educational background is crap, that I took the easy way out, that all of my schools are mills or whatever you like. It's harder to take that same stance when the person's degrees are from UChicago and Villanova.

    This whole "online learning is bad" idea is, I think, going to die off sooner or later. Even the schools that were vehemently against DL before are now forced into doing it. I don't think it will bring about widespread change. But I wouldn't be shocked if some of the holdovers started doing it as well.

    I don't think any serious industry leader views rants against online learning today as anything more than an old man yelling at a cloud.
     
  17. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    My wife heard me chuckle when I read the last sentence. She asked me what was so funny. I began to read this post out loud. By the time I got to "inferential statistical methods" she just said "ugh, nevermind!" and walked out of the room.

    :D
     
  18. Megatron424

    Megatron424 New Member

    I was very disappointed in one of my favorite undergraduate professors that I had the pleasure of chatting with a few weeks ago. I informed her about my intent to complete my ADRP on online degree programs at HBCUs. Her immediate response was that online learning was substandard. When I asked why she stated that you cannot tell if the student is actually writing the papers. WTH. . . I nearly fell out of my chair laughing. I asked her how do you know your students are writing the papers in your class now? It's completely ridiculous. Having completed an undergraduate degree "on campus", I can tell you there is really no difference. You may have a class lecture three times a week for 50 minutes, however, after the first day the classes are 70% empty until mid-terms and finals. If the courses were live-streamed, you may have actually boost participation. Most kids did not bother to leave to dorms after the grabbed the syllabus.
     
  19. copper

    copper Active Member

    "Many of the Ph.D.s I’ve interviewed say their doctorate did not open doors to nonacademic careers."

    https://chroniclevitae.com/news/2223-odds-are-your-doctorate-will-not-prepare-you-for-a-profession-outside-academe

    Good read! With that said, a doctoral degree holder is not necessarily a Ph.D. holder. I personally look for utility that puts food on the table. If research or academia is your cup of tea then go for it! Stroking an ego or the desire to be addressed as "Doctor" is not my goal!
     
    Last edited: May 12, 2020
  20. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    There's even research suggesting online students cheat less than classroom students.

    It's unfortunate, but for a lot of academics, it's easier simply to dismiss online learning out of hand than it is to endure the tedium of keeping up to date with the tools of their own trade.
     
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