<p>My parents are pressuring me into doing my bachelors degree online. Are online degrees taken seriously by employers? (I'm just coming up with my arguments against them)</p>
<p>It all depends on the school. Many top schools are offering programs online now. Are you planning on study beyond the bachelor’s degree, or straight to work? What field are you looking at? You might also consider starting online at a school that offers both online and campus-based programs, and moving to campus for your upper level classes. Either way, in most cases, the diploma and transcript look the same. The only problem might be a school that ONLY offers online programs (and even then, if they are known for your specific program, it won’t be a problem.</p>
<p>The key is to make sure the degree is from a regionally accredited university. I do not believe the degree will actually say it was an “online” degree. Same as any other college degree with Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, etc.</p>
<p>The answer to this question is shifting rapidly in the direction of acceptance, but I don’t think they are generally seen as equivalent, yet, to most employers. </p>
<p>What the situation will be in 4 years, no one knows, except they will be more acceptable. Equivalent, probably not yet. They will probably never be the equivalent of the elite schools, even if the education is from there, because what you are getting by being on campus is more than just an education, but a social network.</p>
<p>For you, I’d say the level of the education and the prestige simply are not the same as classroom learning. You miss the face-time (even when that occurs in online conferences.) You finish with a sequence of classes that you essentially undertook either on your own or via one-way listening to lectures. In general, the programs exist for their benefit (either a for-profit or as a revenue stream for the university.) Not to sharpen your wits. In many cases, they work best for people who need a masters (continuing education attainment) for the jobs they hold. (Eg, you see all those school teachers or administrators in tv ads for a couple of online schools.)</p>
<p>I would suggest you google as much on the quality reviews of these programs as you can. Of course, some classes are good, some courses can teach you. But you expressed in the past that your parents would like you to be an “educated” woman, not simply attain a degree, any degree. Good luck on this one.</p>
<p>Some highly reputable colleges have online degrees that are indistinguishable from an in-class degree, from an employer’s perspective. For example, I finished one of my graduate engineering degrees at Stanford while living and working in San Diego. I took my classes through their online program. These were the same classes that the in-class students took, which were recorded for viewing online. There was also a live viewing option, which allowed long distance students to ask questions during lectures. We’d sometimes get questions and comments from as far away as HP Barcelona, in Spain. I also took the same exams, was in the same groups for group projects, and even had the same oral presentations. My degree/diploma was the same one in-class students received, without any mention of online. I believe Stanford only offers grad degrees online, not undergrad; but there are other reputable schools that offer undergrad degrees.</p>
<p>Why are your parents pushing the online option? Are you in a remote location that makes it difficult to travel anywhere to study? Do you have severe health issues that make on-campus classes difficult? Do they believe that a particular online program would be significantly less expensive than the other option? Have you been so wild and irresponsible in HS that they do not believe you are ready to study (and possibly live) in a college environment?</p>
<p>Those answer are pertinent too.</p>
<p>^The answer to all those is no. (Two previous threads about the deal with my parents: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1549663-i-cant-deal-my-parents-my-anger-justified.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1549663-i-cant-deal-my-parents-my-anger-justified.html</a> and <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1554527-my-parents-want-talk-about-where-im-applying-how-handle-myself.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1554527-my-parents-want-talk-about-where-im-applying-how-handle-myself.html</a>)</p>
<p>OK, now I remember your situation. </p>
<p>I have taken both online and live classes. I do not recommend online classes for first-time college students because I believe classroom interaction is important. Most students learn much more readily when they are working with other students and with the course instructor. </p>
<p>That said, if your parents cannot be convinced that you are physically and morally safe on the physical campus of any decent college/university, but they will allow you to attend online classes at a similar regionally accredited institution, then your best bet would be to accept that option until such time as you are ready to leave home and make your own way in the world.</p>
<p>And I just thought of something. In one of your other threads you report that your parents won’t let you know your SSN. Have you asked your guidance counselor at school if your SSN is anywhere in your school records? It might be there.</p>
<p>My D’s friend got his degree on-line from Harvard. The diploma does not indicate it is any different than a degree earned on campus. He did have to take a minimal number of units on campus so spent one semester there. Other than that, he did his work from So. Calif.</p>
<p>On-line degrees are becoming more acceptable, however, I feel as if you would miss out on the interaction with other students, and in learning how to work with others in a group situation. As an employer, I would not hold an on-line degree with the same respect as one earned in the classroom. However, there are many employers who would not care. It might limit your choices in some cases.</p>
<p>Online learning is not yet state of the art. At present it is best for working adults with some college already, trying to finish degrees around the work schedule, just to get the piece of paper. It is no place for a freshman just graduating from High School. For one thing, the graduation rates are abysmal. For another thing, there is peer learning and study groups in the live classroom that you will miss out on. You will miss out on relationships with professors to mentor you and who may need to write you letter of recommendation should you choose to go to grad school. You will miss out on research opportunities, internship and jobs fairs. There are also limitations on what degrees are offered.</p>
<p>There are very very few reputable programs. And they don’t have reasonable track records yet. You want to make sure you only take classes from a Regionally Accredited non-profit institution. Not from a For Profit, even if it is National accredited, that is still no good, and no regional college will accept the transfer credits.</p>
<p>San Jose State University recently suspended it’s offerings of online courses allowed due to the 50 to 75% failure rate in the courses.
[San</a> Jose State suspends Udacity online classes after students fail final exams.](<a href=“http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/07/19/san_jose_state_suspends_udacity_online_classes_after_students_fail_final.html]San”>San Jose State suspends Udacity online classes after students fail final exams.)</p>
<p>If you are at a college that allows some coursework online, fine for a class or two if you find the in person one is full. But trying to do an entire undergraduate degree online is a 2nd class route to take–just a crappy way to go. Check the graduation rate of any program before buying in. I’d say no thanks.</p>
<p>Live community college classes > HYPSM online classes</p>
<p>online classes are better if you’re a working adult or as a complement to an oncampus degree (ie, you take 4 classes on campus and 1 online - that’s perfectly fine). It’s also possible as a graduate degree but it’s still less recognized - some colleges/grad schools specify “no online degree” for example. They want you to have attended an actual college. Once again, taking some classes online (like 1/5 per semester) is fine.
The problem is that it sounds as if your parents want you to take the entire degree online and it’s not clear whether it’d be from a brick and mortar university, or if it’d be from a purely online outfit. I can guarantee that there’d be a problem getting classes from a purely online outfit recognized, there are enough horror stories out there. At least community colleges are regionally accredited, their credits (mostly) recognized.
Entirely online undergraduate degrees for traditional-age students aren’t recommended because most students don’t finish them. At age 18, 19, you need to be in a classroom with peers and a professor in order to learn well.
As for schools that don’t have a campus at all, they’re often “for profit”, meaning their goal isn’t to make you learn and graduate, but to keep you as a paying client as long as possible so that they can make a profit off you. Explain to your parents that paying for these classes is not efficient.
Online <em>classes</em> from brick-and-mortar universities are more and more recognized, but I would need specific examples of regionally accredited, not-for-profit, purely online undergraduate degrees (is there even such a thing?), that are also as valid and as recognized as a state directional’s, let alone a state flagship or a respected private college.
Of course, you could want to major in something that’s not offered online - double major in Arabic and Political Science, or in Philosophy and Neuroscience - what would your parents say? Or is this “online degree” idea just a pretext to try and keep you at home, or prevent you from going to college?
If your parents are being controlling you must apply to the “automatic full tuition” colleges.
Have you tried talking to them about the women’s colleges, might that help alleviate their anxieties?
Would your parents change their minds if you got an awesome scholarship somewhere? Or if you got into a “prestigious” school - and what would they consider “prestigious”?
Would they accept a boarding junior college if they don’t want you to attend a 4 year university?
When do you turn 18?
Would your parents let you attend Zaytuna?
<a href=“http://www.zaytunacollege.org/[/url]”>http://www.zaytunacollege.org/</a></p>
<p>Unless one of your own fully accredited home-state public universities offers an online program, the only two you should be looking at are [Accredited</a> Online College | University of Maryland University College](<a href=“http://www.umuc.edu%5DAccredited”>http://www.umuc.edu) and [Penn</a> State | Online Degrees, Online Courses, and Online Certificates offered by Penn State](<a href=“http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/]Penn”>http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/) Both of these have been in operation for many years, and have served many students - especially US military personnel serving outside the US. These two do have track records that you and your parents can investigate.</p>
<p>I do wonder where your parents get the notion that just any online institution is “the same as” an on-campus program. Some are substantially similar in content, but many aren’t. And certainly the “classroom” experience is entirely different.</p>
<p>Perhaps the real question to ask your parents is if they truly are willing for you to get a college education at all.</p>