In my earlier post, i wrote about my decisions for searching an online school to further my education. I stop frequently to wonder, is it worth the time and money I will put in it … ?
What do you think ?
As an IT/Comp Science major, two universities close to me are Golden Gate & National University. They both hold good reputations but are not like other state universities. No football team… none of that.
Their buildings look like business commercial buildings. There isn’t a feeling of going to a brick university with old trees that have grown over the years…
But if you are like me… then you dont have the schedule allowance of attending regular university… and when you get off work… not many classes are offered.
So the question is… are online degrees worth it even if they aren’t from regular state university…
Will IT individuals be able to work for employers like Intel, HP, Dell etc. with an online bachelor’s IT/Comp Sci degree?
Leave me your feedback or any university that you feel is a better option in Northern California . . .
i care because i want to ensure it has brick and mortar school and is well known where i am from. i want to work in california all my life. if i go to some online school that is in virginia and claims has campuses all around, and after i graduate the school disappears or looses accredition, my degree is going to be worth nothing.
knowing a college that i can visit and study in realistic terms, makes me feel comfortable and which is why i’d rather find something in california or atleast around the west portion.
but i’m open to others…if it comes highly recommended…so if you got 1, let me know !!!
Look at USC - Online engineering and CS degrees. You essentially just watch the same class that on campus students watch, and then fax in your homework.
I received my degree in computer science from Franklin University and within one month of graduation I was offered (and accepted) a job at HP. The fact that my degree was earned online did not seem to be an issue with HP or any of the other companies I interviewed with. Nobody really asked how my degree was earned and I didn’t make an issue of it, however since my work history showed I held a full-time job in Sacramento, California at the same time I attended Franklin (which is located in Ohio), I’m sure most employers figured it out.
Franklin is a regionally accredited, not-for-profit university with 3 “real” campuses in the Columbus, Ohio area. They have been in business for over 100 years and have been operating their online degree program for about the past 8 years. Their program is unique in that they have alliances with over 250 community colleges that allow you to complete ALL lower division courses at the community college. This means that you can complete up to three years at the community college instead of the traditional two. This really helps to save on tuition! I completed my lower division courses at Foothill Community College in California. Foothill offers a wide selection of online courses so I was able to complete the entire degree program online and both Foothill and Franklin offer courses year-round so I was able to complete my degree in only 2.5 years.
I would have never been able to complete a degree without the online programs at Foothill and Franklin. Not only would my schedule not allow time for traditional courses, but the online courses were better suited to my learning style. I had tried traditional college many years ago and absolutely hated it and had no desire to go back to school that way.
There are many good online programs available nationwide (and just as many bad ones, so be careful!). I wouldn’t worry about the location of the school unless you desire to also be able to take classes on campus the traditional way. Just do the research and find a program that is reputable and accredited and that meets your needs. I think you will definitely find it worth the time and money!
^ That Reuters link is not to a news article. It’s to a press release written by Western Governor’s University, which is an online school.
In other words, it’s not a valid source.
I don’t know of any reputable online programs that are based in universities near you, but there are some good, brick and mortar schools out there that offer online degrees. Often, they’re hard to find in google searches - what tends to come up in such searches are the for-profit unis, as they have the marketing budgets. Instead, it’s often best to find out what all the unis local to you are, and then go directly to them - to their website, or even to call them - to ask if they offer online degrees.
For example, some of the Cal States do, but this isn’t a well advertised fact. I have no idea which Cal States are near you, so I can’t tell you if those local to you offer online degrees. You’ll have to contact them.
As another poster said, USC does offer online degrees in your field, and it’s a well respected school. It might be a reasonable choice, if you can’t find something more local.
Other solid schools that, as I remember it, offer degrees in your major online (you’ll need to check specifics re: major) include Worcester Polytechnic, Carnegie Mellon, U Illinois Urbana, UMass, U Maryland, Penn State, and Drexel. These are well established, respected, brick and mortar unis. Some are even tops in your field.
There are many accredited colleges that also offer online degrees. What is nice about getting an online degree from one of these colleges is that no one will know you completed your degree online unless you tell them. I have to agree that colleges that are strictly online are not seen as equal to employers or to graduate schools. However, if you complete an online degree from a school that primarily is physically attended, then neither employers nor graduate schools will view your degree any differently.
I am not familiar with California colleges (I am in Massachusetts) but I know that the University of Massachusetts offers completely online degrees and I’m willing to bet that the state universities of California also offer them. Often times general searching for online degrees only turns up colleges that are strictly online. Try going to the college website for the schools in your area and look for online degree options. If not, you can also contact the school directly because their site might be geared towards students who physically attend the school.
Many colleges that offer online degrees only offer them through their Continuing Education program. Try searching or contacting colleges’ continuing education program for online degree information. Another tip is if you have already completed some college but are looking to finish your degree online, see if a college just offers the courses you need to graduate online. Some colleges might not offer complete online degrees but they may have online classes. If the classes they do offer online will complete your degree, you can transfer in with the credits you already have.
I think that employers (or at least the type of employers you want to work with) realize that not everyone can take off from their job for three years to get a masters but that the person had a desire to learn more. People who pursue online masters degrees are enterprising and realistic and care enough to get their masters online instead of just not getting it at all.
from a real school yes, from an online school not so much…there are more grad programs than undergrad online though from when I was researching on the east coast, just starting to research in cal…