Today I felt the brunt of DL’s and Adult Education’s negative reputation

There is going to be variance from one program to the next, but as a sweeping generality, I think Vincey may be correct.

Disclosure: I have taken courses from 6 different colleges and universities (2 online and 4 in-residence)...none from for-profits.

 

I think your good to go, crack those books!

 

Well, that's all well and good because it's probably smart marketing. The net effect is that they all seem like experts.

I'm just commenting on the irony that we live in a world in which obvious displays of income aren't 'tacky' but educational achievements are?

And, for what it's worth, I'd agree about Strayer. I took courses there as well. On the other hand, I'm not sure anyone cares about GPA's any more.

 

I think that's tacky too

 

My disclosure: Opinions are based on taking at least one class from five non profits (two ranked highly in USN&WR) and three for profits (one RA, two NA).

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the opinion of some guy, who according to you does not have a degree. Being a hiring manager for the Geed Squad hardly makes him a top authority on hiring matters.

There are so many unheard of schools/Universitites. So what do most hiring authorities do? Look up the school for accreditation in the USDOE and CHEA databases for validity. If you just say, I graduated from XXXXX with a confident tone, people usually say, "Oh, ok". That coupled with a good work history and a decent appearance will set you apart in getting a job and promotions.

That dick can make fun all he wants, but you have the degree, and he doesn't, plain and simple my brother. Think about it!


Abner

 

Duquesne University offers several leadership related graduate degrees (Leadership and Business Ethics, Leadership and IT, Community Leadership, Sports Leadership, Leadership and Liberal Studies). The main page for the online programs is down right now, but the information page is here;

http://www.sites.duq.edu/leadership/index.shtml

 

Well since everyone is in a disclosure, I've attended the following for profits:

Ashworth = I do not recommend them.
Kaplan = your mileage may vary...I on the whole did not enjoy it.
Ashford = wonderful school, wonderful people.

and the following non-profits:

Tarrant County College = a terrible place, I did not enjoy it.

St. Joseph's College of Maine = probably a good school but forget about them going out of their way to help you out if it contradicts an obscure policy of theirs. I wasn't blown away.

Louisiana State University = so far so good. They use a learning method very much like Ashworth College did oddly enough but much more organized and quick about things. And they are AACSB.

Southwestern College = probably one of the best schools in the nation in my humble opinion. Wonderful place, wonderful people.

I think that's about it so far...of the 7 schools I would classify 2 as "good" and 2 as "okay". I'm pretty picky.

 

I recently graduated from UMUC with a Masters degree and I can tell you that it was a very rigorous program. I am a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park and some of the courses I took there were nowhere near as rigorous as the ones I completed at UMUC.

 

Yes sir, a very rigorous program. Awesome discount for veterans, to boot.

 

I think it's safe to say that "rigorous" is the official word of the day

 

So, somebody who doesn't have a degree is mocking people who got their degrees from Strayer and UMUC? Sorry, but this guy has no credibility whatsoever. Now, if he had an MBA from Harvard...

I give no weight whatsoever to such naysayers. I have said this before: if that is an employer's attitude toward someone who has worked hard to increase their knowledge and skill set, that is an employer I would not want to work for in the first place. You can't change someone else's behavior, but you can certainly change who you chose to work for.

 

Hi Bruce,

I know exactly what you mean, my father earned one of those "worthless" criminal justice degrees from Cal State L.A. It only led him to be accepted into Pepperdine University, where he completed a masters degree, became California's first Puerto Rican police chief, served as a special investigator for the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and retired as Senior Investigator for the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. Gee, if it weren't for that "worthless" CJ degree, he might have had a real career

 

While my career has been nowhere near as impressive as your dad's (mostly by choice...never taken a promotion exam because I'm PFL), my "worthless" CJ degrees have netted me a 25% pay increase, two part-time teaching jobs, and will add points should I ever decide to take a promotion exam in the future.

 

It's funny, my CJ degree helped me to become promoted to the youngest Staff Sergeant in the history of our department, it also allowed me to pursue an MBA so that I could eventually leave law enforcement as a profession. Isn't life funny?

Terry,

As for a Harvard MBA looking down his nose at Strayer, unless he's actually attended Strayer his opinion would be no more valid in my eyes than the "uneducated" fellow whose comments started this whole thing. Then again I measure a college or program by much more than rigor, but by involvement, dedication to education, a dedication to student success, etc.

 

Yes, but how would you measure a college as an employer?

 

I can't say I agree. I have taken classes with online schools and B&M schools, classes at for profit and non-profit. The UF classes were hard...really hard but the thing that made them the hardest was the final exam where other schools were all paper writing. In the end, the GPA's were all the same.

 

This is precisely why I will be attending grad school in a brick and mortar classroom. It's not because I see the b&m schools as being superior, but they are still widely perceived as being superior. For me, I feel like I need to do grad work in a classroom.

Pug

 

I am a hiring manager and give weight to online degrees. As long as they are from an accreditied school I will move forward. I always do play ignorant and ask about the school on the interview. Some people explain exactly what the degree is and how they earned it (pride) but a few have flat out lied about it and misrepresented the degree. I had one person tell me their CCU degree was accreditied when they earned it in the late 90's and went on about the rigors of the exam process. Now I know they are dishonest. I when on to tell them I earned a CCU degree but the process was completely different They responded with "....oh". The interview quickly ended.

 

I'm not saying the Harvard MBA's opinion is more valid, just that they would be more likely to look down their noses at a Strayer degree.

Heck, where I live, University of Oklahoma graduates look down their noses at Oklahoma State University graduates.