has anybody even done online masters? what are your views?
my university (USC) offers completely online master’s degrees in engineering. The classes, lectures, HWs, tests, grades, etc. are all exactly the same as the on-campus students, and you recieve the exact same diploma when you graduate (there’s no indication it was an online degree). So in that case the online degree is “worth” exactly the same. See <a href=“http://den.usc.edu%5B/url%5D”>http://den.usc.edu</a>
I do not know much of engineering at all.
But a nice program like the one jbusc linked to is the only way to go with an online ba or masters. Make sure the school is on the up and up.
That seems like a swell program, btw.
I agree with merlinjones… it depends on the school and its reputation. If you do an online masters program with a school never heard of, or a school that annoys people with too many advertising popups (e.g. Walden, Phoenix et al.), or a school that is obviously just there to get people through their programs “really fast” with high proprietary tuition rates, you may not get much respect for the degree.
I have heard from a student that Thomas Edison College <a href=“http://www.tesc.edu%5B/url%5D”>www.tesc.edu</a> has some good programs. It is a NJ state school.
I’m actually going to pursue a masters in theology (church history) through the University of Wales. As far as online degrees go, most, if not all, “real” schools (such as USC) give you a degree without noting its online status. Providing it’s a respected institution, it should be fine. More and more schools are doing this, which I think is great, because sometimes life situations don’t allow people to drop everything and attend school wherever it happens to be. Good luck!
I received my BSN and MSN in Ed online with the University of Phoenix and I am now working on my PhD in Distance Education with Capella University. When I talk to other students who have attended traditional universities and compare notes the education was very similar. I was exposed to students from around the world at University of Phoenix, expected to participate often and attend on a regular basis. The only main difference is there was no face-to-face interaction, but plenty of interaction. I love online learning. I work full time and wanted to continue my education but could not attend a brick and mortar and still work full time. I feel as qualified as the next person who has a MSN, I only choose to do it differently, Mammasita
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While the University of Phoenix is probably the best of the online schools not affiliated with an established college or university, credentials from University of Phoenix do not carry the same weight as those from other established schools. There is still a lot of suspicion about the caliber and quality of these programs.
Columbia has online for MS/Phd in Engineering. The degree will not say on-line. I think it targets internationas that cannot come to USA to study and busy professionals.
I agree with 311Griff. On-line degrees are good as long as the school is well respected.
If University of Phoenix weren’t mired in the occasional media controversy, the degrees would probably be accepted at more workplaces. Intel Corporation will no longer re-imburse employees for educational costs incurred at University of Phoenix.
Management was unhappy with the overall value (compared to other degree programs.) Hopefully Intel will re-evaluate at some time in the future, and find sufficient merit in UOP’s programs to reverse the current policy.
imo, online degrees are great way to learn using your free time. But you should choose your university carefully because there are some FAKE universities offering FAKE degrees.
I have heard some good things about University Canada West ([University</a> Canada West | Enroll in Canada’s Fastest Online Education Program](<a href=“http://www.UCan.ca%5DUniversity”>http://www.UCan.ca)) Although it isn’t very well known it gets you a legit MBA fast to help on your career search.
Think about it like this: The last time someone told you they had a Masters degree your first thought was probably, “Wow, good for them they must be disciplined and smart.” This is more often the case than dissecting which school they went to. More education is never a bad thing.
Online degrees are going to become more and more accepted, especially since many schools teach exactly the same material in online classes as their face-to-face classes. Reputation, however, is critical. I know how it sounds, but if your school sounds cheap, you won’t even get an interview, so you have to consider the school’s accreditation and name value before Day One.
You should also be very picky in the school you choose, including online. Do research, find and compare what they offer. Can you get the specialization you want, what are the required courseload and time commitments, and does the school offer placement assistance for online students the way they do regular students? You should be aware as well, that for some people an online degree is much more difficult than face-to-face. Your participation will be required on a daily basis, and you can’t hide in the back in an online class - the professor will know every keystroke of your participation, and whether you were prepared or not. You will also have to be self-disciplined for quizzes, assignments and exams when you never see your classmates to remind you and study together (you can get study groups together, but it’s definitely not spontaneous the way it is in f2f classes).
If you are unsure at all about an online school, ask around. Find someone you respect and discuss the school without using the words ‘online’ or ‘distance’ and see how they react. Like so many things, you tend to get out what you put in.
Hello despSeekPhD. How has the online church history program gone for you? I am starting a Church history program online with the University of Nottingham. It is new starting this year. Hope to hear your report.
let me put it this way:
ten years from now, you won’t even be asking this question.
I have 2 bachelor’s and a doctorate from brick and mortar schools. The doctorate was the hardest thing I have ever done. I have had a swerve in my life and have had to re-train. I am taking the MA in Teaching from National University in California. I will finish in July of 2011. It is a very rigorous and demanding program and it is intense. The school is very good and the faculty is amazingly helpful. While people think that education is an easy degree, it is anything BUT easy. The biggest difference between this and a traditional school is that you don’t have to drive to another town to go to class and your MUST be a self starter. If you have to have someone to spoon feed you information, you are in the wrong kind of program. Writing excellence is demanded and, as stated above by others, these degrees are fully accredited with no strings attached. The cost at NU is about $1500 per course. Believe it or not, that is not much more than tuition books and fees at a state university in Texas. But if you are not dedicated to getting an education, don’t waste your time and money. I would also avoid the University of Phoenix and go for a much more established, non-profit school.
Here is my experience. It really depends on both the school AS WELL as the degree/field. For fields such as Education as well as some Administration such as public admin and nursing admin, a degree from a controversial school such as University of Phoenix will be fine. I know several people who have degrees/crendentials/advanced degrees from these types of schools and have done well (promotions, jobs…etc.)
For a field such as business (MBA), this is company dependent. I know a few people who may have lost on on a job or promotion becuase their MBA was from UoP and not a regular school. On the other hand, one guy I know got his MBA (paid partly by his company) from UoP and was promoted. So some companies do recognize UoP, but my guess is it <em>CAN</em> hurt you.
Engineering is a different story. Maybe it is just at the small group of companies, I’ve been with, but I know first hand that in at least 3 companies that I’ve personally had first hand involvement, comments were thrown around like “oh, but that degree is from National University or Coleman or ITT or University of Phoenix” and the resume is skipped over. Several times. This happened at at least 3 different companies that I’ve worked at where we were looking to hire new people.
So, bottom line, online or offline, I think for teaching/education, these schools are fine. For some administration even MBAs it is okay (but varies by company). For Engineering, these schools are deffinately frowned upon. That is just my experience though.