I am trying to gather some information regarding online history programs as I am now pursuing my PhD track in order to teach History in colleges.
I want to take my bachelors in History through online courses and then attend the university for my PhD. I have it narrowed down to two colleges, but I need some info on them.
So, which university is better for History, University of Maryland University College (UMUC) or University of Illinois Springfield (UIS)?
Does anyone else know of other colleges offering online History Programs aside from the typical online schools like University of Phoenix, Kaplan, Strayer, Norwich, etc…?
Some of the universities that are part of the University of London offer history degrees via distance learning. They’re reputable. Google “University of London External Programme”.
But…
Many (all?) PhD programs are still wary of online degrees. So if you must do this online, and if a PhD is your plan, before you go any further, please contact someone in the PhD history program at some of the unis you think you’ll target for your PhD. Tell them your plans, and ask them if they are realistic, or if you really should do your undergrad on a real campus.
In addition, no matter how you get your bachelors degree, if your goal is to be an academic, you <em>must</em> get your PhD in person. You can <em>not</em> get your PhD online, and then expect to be able to get a job as a professor, especially not in a competitive subject like history.
The thing to keep in mind for undergraduate programs that are fully on-line is that they don’t prepare you for “real” course discussion and one-on-one work with scholars, which makes graduate and post-graduate programs really wary in many cases. I had very, very briefly debated finishing my Bachelor’s through my state’s public on-line college, but then was told repeatedly by academics that virtually no reputable, selective graduate program in the liberal arts takes students from such programs. Graduate applications usually specifically ask for recommendations to discuss how well students interact in class, how they contribute to discussions, and so forth, so that’s going to be nearly impossible for you to work with.
Petersons has guides to accredited distance degrees, available at your local library or they have websites with these directories as well. With regard to the problem of graduate schools having issues with online degrees and the possible lack of contact with professors or classroom discussion, as the poster below noted, you might consider hybrid degrees where most work is online, but there are scheduled conferences and class meetings as well.
I wish you the best, and I do believe that distance degrees, fom accredited schools especially those with a brick and mortar backup, are the way to go, a trend that will continue to grow. You might speak to those graduate schools you are considering to get the scoop from them ahead of time, as to their possible prejudices or expectations. If their university offers distance degrees, then they can’t legitimately argue taht thsoe onlien degrees are of less value!
Sorry about the typo’s at the end of my reply above…“that those online degrees…” etc. Now that my kids are all in college, I can actually learn to touch type. That post of mine was done during a headache!
