Online Degree vs. Traditional

College Search & Selection Online Degrees
41

Sorry for the long post. I fully agree that for-profit online degrees do not carry the same weight as established brick and mortar by itself. “By itself” being the key here. I will keep this solely about Bachelor’s degrees. This is coming from someone that has both a state college Bachelor’s degree in Sociology (totally useless out of college as far as gaining employment) and recently a for-profit, accredited, online BS Bus Admin degree (Walden).

If you are just out of high-school or do not have any “real world business” experience beyond low-level retail etc; then definitely go to a brick and mortar.

If you already have significant “real world business” experience or skills then go online. If you have other qualities to back it up, an online degree is a great addition to your resume. Also if you have kids, etc, another good reason to go online. Yes, it’s expensive, but also “time is money”. Brick and mortar school online courses are longer.

I am experienced in my field and fortunately have the added skills of being fluent in Mandarin and English, so I may not a very good example as I never had issues with employment. But this latest degree definitely allowed me to demand a raise and make companies compete for my services, even in the current economy.

Also, online for-profit school legitimacy will improve. The stigma exists, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn most graduates are already experienced professionals, very articulate, experienced, and very skilled. Such “late bloomer/late degree holder” adults in the workforce are going to increase very quickly in the coming years and compete with “brick and mortar” bachelor’s graduates.

For lack of better terms, these late bloomers are desperate in this economy, will work extremely hard, and employers will start to see this. I’m 29 and not yet a parent, but I know many such late bloomer parents around 35~45 and they will walk across landmines to take that job from you. Espeically today. Once more of them show results, the more they will become legitimized among HR. Also, keep in mind, more people in HR will also come from online for profit schools.

42

I think each and every school and program are different. The best way to choose a school is usually based on the experiences of other students! I had a great experience at Lincoln College Online - I am a big Fan! Lincoln Online College is a great online school for associates and bachelor degree programs. They are a really good Online College!

43

I want to register myself in walden university’s online programme.can anybody guide that how credible is this university?

44

Never before have I seen a thread with so many people posting for their first time. Hmm, I wonder what that means?

45

Studies have shown that as many as three-quarters of employers’ today view online degrees gained from established, well-known universities as being more valuable than those from universities that cater only for online degrees.

The good news is that employers’ recognition of accredited online degrees obtained from some of the newer learning institutions through distance learning programs are increasing as the profiles of these learning centers and the online degrees they offer rises.

46

Online degree from respected, traditional school? Good.

Online degree from some for-profit “school”? Not so good.

47

As online colleges continue to grow in popularity the debate and comparison with traditional colleges continues to get hotter and hotter. Both types of institution has its pros and cons and people will take a particular side based on personal interest or which is more applicable to the particular environment.

There is not much difference in the type of course work delivered by online or traditional institutions. This is due to the fact that all courses must meet particular standards before they can be approved by the various educational boards.

In traditional colleges, students are tutored on campus, thus utilizing the physical facilities of the institution. They establish face-to-face relationships with their instructors and peers as they all function in a physical classroom environment.

Unlike traditional institutions, students are unable to gain practical experience in some of the subject areas they study, especially where hands on experience is necessary. Traditional institutions invest heavily in various forms of lab equipment and group events that they use to prepare students for the working world.

Online colleges cost much less than traditional colleges for the delivery of the same course material. This is so because online students require less physically of the online institution. In the traditional college, it is necessary to invest heavily in building classrooms, providing maintenance and upkeep and getting additional administrative and support staff.

All their course material is delivered to them by video, email of through hard copy books. As a result, students realize significant savings from the lack of requirement for relocation and fuel for travel. In the traditional institution environment, students have to relocate to a particular institution to utilize its facilities for their education.

What we have seen evolving in this battle between traditional and online colleges is an appearance of a merger between the two. Most traditional institutions are now entering the field of online education to give students the option of the method of education they desire. This results in an improvement in the overall education and value for the students and attracts more students to the institutions.

48

I agree with you, however, I will say that a degree from a for-profit school (phoenix, devry, etc.) is bad, while one from an accredited non-profit is good.

49

I don’t understand why schools like University of Phoenix brag about being accredited, it’s just the bare minimum standards to operate a legitimate university.

All these onlines schools are doing is inflating the value of a college degree. When you are cranking out 400,000 diplomas in a few years, at a cheap cost, what do you think is going to happen?

College degree? BIG DEAL! Anyone can go online and get one in a couple years for a cheap price.

It’s a scam that will eventually bubble and burst, and their recruitment process is the first sign of how high their standards are.

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I think that says enough about the quality of these institutions and their standards.

It’s a paper chase…

50

Getting an online degree is really practical for individuals who want to maintain a full work schedule while earning a degree. I know that some schools do offer students the option to take online courses alongside in-person classes, but that varies per institution.

I think that it’s best for working professionals who want to accelerate their degree. For example, ASU offers an online MBA program at W.P. Carey ([Top</a> Online MBA Degree Program | W.P. Carey School of Business](<a href=“http://wpcarey.asu.edu/mba/online/]Top”>Online MBA Degree | ASU W. P. Carey School of Business)) that is designed for people who want to maintain their full work hours while earning a degree that will give them a leg-up in the business world.

Look at reputable institutions that are ranked and accredited.

51

I am not sure how this web site works but I have a huge question. Ive been taking online classes for almost three years now, and Ive made great grades and been a good student, I get to an accounting class and Im failing because I dont understand anything in it. Now the school wants to kick me out and not finish my associates degree because of this ONE class…is this fair, can they do this? What can I do does anyone have any advice for me???

52

I’d be very reluctant to get a degree from a for-profit, online only school.

The stigma is only getting worse as their practices are being exposed.

53

Be careful–many of these programs are seen as diploma mills and NOT valued by employer or much of anyone. They do NOT give the students any new skills and are seen as a rip off and looked at with great suspicion by employers.

It is fascinating to me that you would start posting just to tout the wonders of online degrees, Emmajacob36.

Due diligence is VERY important to find REPUTABLE programs, which provide value to the student (and skills that translate to the job). Ask employers which programs/Us they value & also which ones they DON’T. Most are willing to share such info.

54

Being a working adult, I chose a local private college for my degree BS in Accounting. I had many class options such as time/location or online, I was not restricted to one mode of learning and I loved having the support of a local university. And truthfully, a few accounting classes I did not wish to take online due to complexity so having the campus class option was great. Just something to think about.

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55

It is very convenient. On the other hand, there is little interaction with professors and classmates which would help you understand the material.