A Damning Article About Online Education from NYT

College Search & Selection Online Degrees
1

I am surprised that no one has commented on the “Degrees of Acceptance” article over at NYTimes.com (free registration required.)

<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/education/edlife/conted.html?ref=edlife[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/education/edlife/conted.html?ref=edlife</a>

“Ninety-six percent said they would choose traditional candidates over those with virtual degrees. Graduates of hybrid programs (online and in classrooms) didn’t fare much better, with 75 percent choosing candidates with traditional degrees.”

and

““Recent graduates who apply for jobs without much work experience may find that having an online degree on their résumé translates into having **little chance of being hired,**” concludes the study, by Margaret H. DeFleur, associate dean of graduate studies and research at Louisiana State University”

Online schools, it appears, only have value if the person hiring you doesn’t know you went to an online school.

2

Well, I hate to sound like a dishonest person. But, can you not just make a current resume and staple a copy of your diploma behind it without anyone figuring out you did your BA online? I mean, I guess that would work if you did not go to a University which was solely an online University like the University of Phoenix? No offense to the University of Phoenix, that is just an example.

I am finishing up my BA at Southern Christian University as well as BYU and I am not telling any employer that I am finishing or shall finish my BA online because my diploma will not reflect that at all. My respective courses of study are Literature and Liberal Studies with an emphasis in American Studies and a minor in theology, so I am semi out of the loop with some things pertaining to employment because I shall be going to grad (state) school soon. Not a state school that I have researched minds that I am finishing things up online because I am working with two schools which also have regular classes and dorms and what have you.

However if one is studying something very technical, then I can see where an online BA would not work in your favor because your employer would desire to see your transcripts in addition to your Diploma and more than likely think up something negative.

Did you guys know that LSU offers scads of classes and certificates and one graduate degree online? They do, if you want to look it up.

I think, even though it is hard to do depending on where you live, that networking is super important when you are obtaining your schooling online. If you do not try really hard to obtain some experience in your field while you are studying hard, then sure, you may not get hired as an accountant or what have you. It is really important to network if you are an online student and I sometimes wish that more online students would band together to network in their communities.

I am a grown lady and I made a myspace page solely to network with my fellow students (in a wholesome way). And, I am searching high and low for volunteer work which pertains to my educational goals solely for the experience. People have the right to put down online schooling if they choose, but all of us students are at fault also because we need to start banding together for the sake of our futures. A lot of online students just work and stay focused on finishing up without thinking of their long term goals sometimes (with regards to employment opps) and I think that if we had more backing and worked together, then things could be better with regards to employment opps.

I am not saying we are lazy, it is just sometimes hard to balance three or four major things like family, work, school, and keeping things open for school related experience.

3

what it is that online education can give us.

Your mentioning that in many cases, those of us who have multiple commitments (and couldn’t sit through classes), online education makes education possible at all.

I was being being narrowly careerist. It sounds like you’re interested in getting an education, not a degree. My hats off to you.

I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said.

4

Well, heck bluerain, I guess that marks the end of this thread, eh?

5

There are a lot of schools that offer online education, and they promote it with a clause that states the actual paper diploma doesn’t indicate “online” anywhere.

Some schools who have online programs are Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Penn State, University of Findlay, etc. The truth is… if the diploma doesn’t indicate it, and the school is known as a brick and mortar place, then what difference does it make? seriously?

6

If your employer feels like he/she was lied to, then you’ll be out on your duff…

Also, some universities, while they do not say ‘online’ on the diploma, only exist on the internet.

7

Well, bluerain, I think that it is maybe a bad idea to go to a school which only exists on the Internet. I think that the best way to go is to make sure it is also a “real” University also.

For example, I am going to SCU as well as BYU. I know of BYU very well, but SCU was somewhat new to me. I actually went to Alabama (which was not really hard because I live in TN, it is not super far away) in order to doubly make sure that the University was also a “brick and mortar” University and I did that after triple checking their accreditation claim.

Going above and beyond things and triple checking certain things might sound like a lot. But, it is not a bad deal.

With regards to employers. I just truly think that you have to make your own decision. Staple a copy of your diploma to your resume and maybe even obtain a statement from the school proclaiming their accreditation. Making a prof write out a generalised statement of what you have learned is not horrible either because no one is going to doubt a PHD.

I have a different mentality than some folks because I live where there is horrible poverty and not scads of jobs. So, fibbing is obviously bad. But, protecting your own rear isn’t.

8

I have a traditional degree and am working on a traditional masters, but I was a criminal justice minor and wished I completed my 2nd bachelor’s at the same time. I saw Penn State had an online campus (degree says Penn State, not Penn State Online) with a Criminal Justice Major. I just applied. Seriously, I really wouldn’t care if it said “online” or not. an Online degree is better than NO DEGREE. And, I figure having 2 degrees is better than 1…online or not. Penn State is pretty reputable, so I think it was a good thing. I travel a lot with my job, so I figure it was a great thing to do while I’m sitting around in a hotel room for weeks at a time with nothing to do after dinner.

9

uicgrad1

Good for you!

Always remember, the real Universities do trademark their names and all. You did the right thing by picking a nice place like Penn State.