Online Degrees, are they worth it?

[spfdz]

What do you guys think of "online" degrees? Do you think they are laughed at by employers or actually good? Also, what's a reputable school that offers online degrees preferably for information technology.

[UrbanPoet]

do you mean the ones that you see on pop up ads? the kind that offers Phd's and MBA's in 3 weeks?

uhhh... :o

[Seveneighty]

I don't know about online degress, but Athabasca University (based in Alberta) is a good, reputable school for distance learning. They may have the degree program you're looking for..

[Tharyn]

Personally, if I was hiring for a position and I had two applicants, just fresh with a degree, one with an online university, and the other with a degree from a known university, I'd take the student with the degree from the well known university without a second thought.

There's things you gain in going to a regular university that you just don't get with online courses, interaction with your peers, working and communicating with others etc...

But in all honestly, I don't trust ANY online degree, hell I don't even like DeVry, or any of those "specialty" schools, as far as I'm concerned they just rob you of your money and give you a sub-par education in a shortened timespan.

--Mark

[spfdz]

^^^^ Would you trust an online degree from Waterloo? (Reputable school) ^^^^

The thing is I'm doing a 3 year college program now.. if I do university after, it might be another 3 more years. That's more schooling then I would of ever thought I would be doing. And if I did another 3 years, that means another 3 years freeloading off my parents. I want to move out and goto work, this is why I don't want to be in the classroom setting fulltime.. if I did part time, that's just going to be a long time.

I was thinking of getting a online degree from a school in America since they got degrees for shorter programs. Obviously I'm looking for a reputable school though.

And No, I wasn't thinking about the PHD degrees in three weeks lol.

EDIT: Also, on a resume it would say _________ College/University. I wouldn't state it was an online one of course :)

[Chris78]

Yes, I think online degrees are fine as long as they are offered from a reputable school.

[Tharyn]

Wait, are you talking about distance ed? If so, I'm honestly not aware that you can do an ENTIRE degree from Waterloo through Distance Ed...

I also thought you were talking about those Online Only schools, that doesn't actually have any physical school.

But either way, if you're looking to do an entire degree, it'll still take some fair amount of time, you can't really pull off a degree in one year.

--Mark

[xwar]

not recommended

[Seveneighty]

not recommendedCare to elaborate at least a little bit?

[CSR]

It looks good on paper, that's about it.

[guest 03]

I don't know about online degress, but Athabasca University (based in Alberta) is a good, reputable school for distance learning. They may have the degree program you're looking for..

I took classes from Athabasca U and it was favourably looked upon.

I also took classes from SAIT, in IT and my former employers were impressed with my motivation to do the classes from home.

Online classes are good if you do not want to show up to a class or be stuck doing tons of time consuming group work.

Also, alot of school will let you transfer or add the online credits to your reg university degree!

[spfdz]

Wait, are you talking about distance ed? If so, I'm honestly not aware that you can do an ENTIRE degree from Waterloo through Distance Ed...

I also thought you were talking about those Online Only schools, that doesn't actually have any physical school.

But either way, if you're looking to do an entire degree, it'll still take some fair amount of time, you can't really pull off a degree in one year.

--Mark

No I was just using waterloo as an example. It's a reputable school. I'm looking for purely online, looking for a school in the USA though.

I simply can't just put in another 3 or 4 years full time in the classroom. I'll be like 26 by then.. like I said above, that's a lot more education then I was expecting.

Also for above, I'm not looking for something to pull off in a year. Probably two years or three. I heard in he USA, you get a degree for a two year course. I think a degree from the US, and a diploma from a college in Canada would look great no?

I took classes from Athabasca U and it was favourably looked upon.

I also took classes from SAIT, in IT and my former employers were impressed with my motivation to do the classes from home.

Online classes are good if you do not want to show up to a class or be stuck doing tons of time consuming group work.

Also, alot of school will let you transfer or add the online credits to your reg university degree!

Did you transfer credits? How long did it take you to finish the course? And about how much money did you spend?

[Headhunter]

It looks good on paper, that's about it.
Pretty much, employers aren't exactly thrilled with the "I went to school, except I didn't really go anywhere" method of learning.

For most fields, college/university is to prove that you have the dedication and work ethic to survive. Companies have their own ways of doing things that they expect you to adjust to; your fancy education's methods are pretty much thrown out the window if they don't match.

[ttt]

What do you guys think of "online" degrees? Do you think they are laughed at by employers or actually good? Also, what's a reputable school that offers online degrees preferably for information technology.

it's a waste of money. i hgihly doubt that employers are gonna take these online phd seriously.

[spfdz]

it's a waste of money. i hgihly doubt that employers are gonna take these online phd seriously.

I didn't plan on getting a PHD...

[greenlief]

NO!

explanation: Too good to be true. Online courses is different. It's a single course in a well rounded education. But an online university is too good to be true.

[Seveneighty]

Judging by the varying responses, I think people are confused as to what you mean by "online degree".

Can you give an example? ie. a link? I didn't even think there was such a thing as online PhD's, so I don't know what this one guy is talking about..

And if you're gonna come in here with a big red "NO!", perhaps you could explain why you're so sure?

[Bitz]

Wait, are you talking about distance ed? If so, I'm honestly not aware that you can do an ENTIRE degree from Waterloo through Distance Ed...

I also thought you were talking about those Online Only schools, that doesn't actually have any physical school.

But either way, if you're looking to do an entire degree, it'll still take some fair amount of time, you can't really pull off a degree in one year.

--Mark

I'm pretty sure that you can get entire degrees through distance ed....but only for certain faculties/programs. Certainly not in any math/engineering/science programs, but I believe that there are certain arts programs (for some reason social work and early childhood education seem to pop into my mind?) that allow for DE students. Even with those programs, however, I think that there are certain courses that must be taken in person (at any university, not necessarily UW), and those credits will eventually be transferred over and put towards the UW degree.

Don't quote me on any of that...I thought I read about that somewhere, but double check it to make sure!!!

[McJenny]

My first instinct was to say what most people here have said..but then I remembered when I told my boss I was taking distance ed courses over the summer (before i got the job) he was pretty impressed. He said it takes a more disciplined person to do distance ed since you arent reminded of due dates, and you are left on your own even more than in regular school. I think it depends on the employer you are dealing with. Different employers will see it differently.

Personally, I think which school you go to is over rated.

[BobW]

IF (and that is a big if) the program is offered by a properly accredited school, there is no problem with an online/distance course. The biggest thing is making sure that the accreditation is there. The USA is full of scam outfits that will sell you a phony piece of paper saying whatever you want. Once you get a few years of real work experience, no one will care where the degree came from, but initially, it will make a difference. So, if you are planning on staying in Canada, I'd suggest finding a Canadian source for the degree you want. Likewise, if you were going to be working in the states, then a US one would be more appropriate.

[Seveneighty]

Again, if its something like Athabasca University (www.athabascau.ca), then it should be no different than going to a 'regular' university. You can get a 4-year Commerce degree there, for example.

[nurse]

Athabasca is a wonderful way to obtain a degree when you are unable to attend traditional classroom settings. I am currently taking the MBA at Athabasca and have been enjoying it. Recently it has recieved recognition among US universities. They have been at it for a number of years and from my experiences are really quite good at it. I would worry a bit about the new online degrees as they may still be working out the bugs in their processes and when you need assistance the response may not be as speedy. Good luck

[Sylvestre]

The problem is people's understanding of what is a real degree. Most people seem to think all degrees are the same as those ads that show up as hotmail spam.
What the OP was asking was if real, verifiable online degrees are worth it.

The answer is - it depends.

Like B&M schools, online schools vary. (assuming it's not a scam), some are quite recognized, other are totally unknown. Beware there are lots of scam artists out there.

Some programs are better suited to online and others to B&M. I'd be wary of a science degree online since so much is dependant on actual laboratory work etc. Whereas I think it's quite possible to get a quality business degree online.

Realize that some people will hold a stigma since they equate anything online w/ scams however it's up to you to prove that your education is on par. And as always, after your first few jobs, what school you went to is no longer a factor.

[Son of Pezcore]

I think it depends on the person interviewing you. This thread as an example, everyone has a different perspective on online learning.

I have completed a Bachelor of Business Admin through Athabasca. I really enjoyed the online setting. I was able to work ahead of schedules when I was motivated, and I didnt feel the pressure to do work(go to classes) when I wasnt motivated.

I have been investigating the MPA/LLB program at UVic. They also offer the MPA as an online module. Which I am quite interested in. I was surprised to see a school like UVic offering a Graduate Degree 100% online.

I encourage you to do what you enjoy, even if it means a couple more years of being a mooch.

[Headhunter]

Unless it's through a major B&M schoo, Athabasca or maybe University of Phoenix, I'd be skeptical.

The ones you get in the mail from Company X with a bunch of grinning people and unbelievable quotes about quickie riches, are scams.

[divx]

Say NO! to drugs :lol:


In all seriousness, I would NOT recommand it. :)

[Son of Pezcore]

Say NO! I would NOT recommand it. :)

An online degree or school in general?

;)
Just bugging.

[MichaelPublic]

I've been doing the CBIS program online/distance at UVic for a couple years. It's an accredited university course/certificate with good reputation etc so if you can find one with a good brick and mortar reputation then go for it. That said, I also work at UVic and if you're planning on going into academia/working with academia it's still very much "go to a good school, get great marks, know the right people" so stay in school til you barf/go mad/weave baskets.
Personally I'd try for Athabasca or Three Rivers (used to be Open University in BC) because people know about them, and degrees are for people to evaluate your skills without knowing you (yes I know they're for other things like learning:)
good luck, in North America there's a great swath of people who will earn a lot more just because they have a degree.
(Hmmm, wonder if I put enough flame bait in there)