Reception of distant learning degrees

You make the degree, the degree is important but when you are evaluated for the job, a lot of other attributes evaluated.

My good friend Sam decided to top up his BS from Univ of Phoenix with graduate level certificate from UC Berkeley.

But his 4 years with Microsoft successfully positioned him for his next gig 6 figure telecommuting job. His so happy to spend more time with kids and wife.

Now he is via DL working on his Masters in Engineering Management.

 

Keep in mind that you may be more credentialled at this point than your interviewer, and any skepticism on their part may be more of a reflection of them wondering what's keeping themself from getting to the next level. Also keep in mind that a lot of these interview questions are just there to see how you handle a response. If you let the question back you onto your heels, you may come up with defensive response. If you turn the question around and frame it more like: "Well, I was faced with the situation where I was deeply committed to my current work, yet needed to keep growing professionally. This particular school was a great choice for me because I could learn by taking my day-to-day work experience into class and learn up-to-date lessons that allowed me to be better on the job..." you'll come across more positively, and the question should stop there. Anyone who doesn't "get" the desire to keep working and keep learning probably isn't worth working with.

 

I asked my friends how the interviews went and they stated that everything was going fine with the interview until it got to the part of their education. The interviewers were looking at the colleges and universities that they had attended and started asking them how did you earn your degree from various schools?

The candidates that were asked this question stated that they had earned their degree via online or distance learning. In the case of the one person they had graduated from a brick and mortar school for their Associates degree which the interviewer never asked them with regard to that degree, but in reference to the others had asked how did you earn your degree from this school and this school?

The person answered honestly and said that one they had earned online, and the other was an assessment college in reference to the Big Three school. The candidate(s) were feeling confident in the interview until these questions to their education popped up.

The problem is how can you explain how you earned the degrees without sounding defensive? The other thing is it isn't as if the student can say anything other than that they earned them through online and distance learning. Or, in the case of the one candidate graduating from one of the Big Three that it is an assessment college.

It puts the candidate with the online or distant education and also the candidate with both these, plus a graduate from one of the Big Three into a defensive situation because they would like to explain how they earned them, but it basically seems like a hopeless cause when the person that is interviewing the person is already basically not impressed with it to begin with and therefore they know that they have already lost the battle before they even begin.

The candidate(s) both have good work history. One has owned their own business which is another thing that they have noticed hasn't always looked impressive to those that they have interviewed with, and to me that would seem like a plus in many respects because it would show self-discipline, and being responsible for your work.

There will always be stigma associated no matter what. Just like some will say that if you graduate from a school that is from a certain location some will say that it isn't as good as an education from another location. But, the big obstacle is that it puts the candidate on the defensive and in a no-win situation when one encounters these issues.

 

Thats a very good point.

 

Question: "How did you earn this degree from XYZ University?"

Answer 1: "The same way you earned your degree -- I took classes, passed the exams, and earned a degree."

Answer 2: "I'm sorry, I don't understand the question. What is it that you want to know?"

Answer 3: "Cum Laude."

 

Another way to look at it:

ACT scores, middle 50% of enrolled students:

30-33 Emory
25-29 UGA
20-24 Kennesaw State
17-22 Columbus State
----- University of Phoenix (no score required)

So the proposed "heirarchy" actually does correlate perfectly with admissions difficulty, at least as measured by standardized tests. Part of the reason for discrimination against DL schools is the fact that they tend to land at the very bottom in terms of admissions standards. How many DL schools have any kind of reputation for selectivity?

Incidentally, Georgia Tech (27-32) would rank between Emory and UGA by this measure.

Data from collegeboard.com

 

Nice angle which I can attest to. Most of the time, interviewers chose to totally ignore asking about my degrees. They probably did not want to see my pride when I describe them.

 

Very interesting to see my perceptions quantified. Thanks Caldog!

 

I haven't read the entire discussion but I think perhaps the industry you work in might have an effect. Based on my experience state, local or federal govt don't really care where you get your degree as long as its accredited. I think the DL crowd brings a whole lot more to the table in terms of work experience, certifications as well as military experience. I know my sup at the DOJ would rather hire someone with just an undergraduate degree from TESC along with several years of LE experience as opposed to a newly minted MPA grad from Stanford. Some private sector employers or colleges may not share that same thought however.