Do online colleges hold any weight? As a working adult with kids, I cannot afford to waste time and money.?

Question

I fear I have wasted my time with a particular college, just from hearsay. Is the University of Phoenix a papermill?

Answer 1

Attending an online college (as opposed to not at all) does give your resumé a boost, and learning at least a little is unavoidable, but they generally don't provide the same quality of education as a reasonably good traditional school. The focus of all online universities I've encounters is the degree, not the education. Unfortunately, this is true of many classroom based schools as well.

University of Phoenix is one of the better known online universities, but I can't really speak to it's quality beyond that. I don't have any reason to think it's any more of a papermill than any other online college, and if your goal in attending (if that's the right word) college is to improve your desirability as a potential employee, employers generally understand that a working parent probably doesn't have time to attend a standard university. Working adults are really the target group for online universities, and, while a kid attending school online straight out of high school is generally a sign of shear laziness, for a working adult, it is often the only option, so it's a perfectly respectable decision. However, if your doing it purely to increase your own knowledge and understanding, you'd be better off taking night classes at a local college.

Answer 2

When checking out online schools, I make sure that they have a brick and mortar counterpart.

For example, the University of MN offers some classes online, so those are safe. University of Maryland will actually allow you to complete some degrees completely online.

Depending on your degree, you may be able to do a lot of classes online or the entire degree. Capella University seems to be an OK school - my university (Augsburg College) has worked in the past with them, developing curriculum and offering online classes.

As for the University of Phoenix, I think that one is ok - my previous employer paid for (tuition reimbursement) one of my co-workers to get a degree and I think it was from there. That I would have to verify.

Oh, another warning sign to look for - if they offer financial aid but through their own loans. those loans are generally more expensive to pay back than federal programs like the Stafford. Also, I would feel comfortable with any school that Stafford loans would be disbursed to - the government isn't going to give a paper mill money.

Answer 3

I am an Admissions Officer for a University that has an extensive online program as well as classes on campus. Online degrees hold as much weight as if you were in a brick and mortar building taking classes. The degree you receive is only as good as you are! It's what you do with that online degree that gives it distinction.

At many schools offering online programs you never have to step foot on campus. Many offer classes synchronously *real time* and asynchronously *anytime* to fit your busy schedule.

When choosing an online school make sure you ask about the accreditation! You want to choose a school with regional accreditation...NOT National! Regional is the best accreditation available.

And, no, U of P is not a diploma mill, but there are better schools. If time is critical, you may find U of P inconvenient because they require you to belong to a study group where you have to coordinate your schedule with the schedules of 4 other busy working adults from all over the country, or world.

Check out Strayer University at www.strayer.edu - and good luck!

Answer 4

On-line colleges are not necessarily poor-quality institutions. There are excellent ones as well some not so good, just like traditional colleges. The important thing is to find the best degree program in your field of interest by comparing several on-line university programs. Another alternative may be the new "blended" course format in which only part of a course is on-line, while the rest is on-site in a traditional classroom. This may offer the best possible and most flexible education for an adult learner in your situation.

Answer 5

I graduated from University of Phoenix about 5 years ago. It's not a papermill, but it ain't Harvard either. If you work at a large company that uses degrees to determine your salary or your eligibility for management positions, it will definitely be worth your time and money (though get them to pay your tuition if you can). If you're paying yourself, you might want to consider community colleges or State Universities which should be significantly cheaper.

My opinion of UOP specifically:
It's designed for working adults. If you show up to class, do the work, and pay the dough, you will pass. Testing does not compose a large percentage of your grade. It's mostly papers and presentations. You will get your degree much faster than at a conventional university.
They had very good instructors on average for business type classes (finance, marketing, communications, etc). There were several instructors who had actually run or were running their own businesses, and they had a lot of practical info to pass along.
But they had below average instructors for the technical classes (programming, computers, network architechture). Some of them were just plain incompetent. This may have been due to the exceptionally good job market for technical people at the time I was taking classes, or it may just be their standard operating procedure.

Answer 6

I am working on a Masters at U of Phoenix online. I chose this school after making sure it is a fully accredited institution.

As far as it being a paper mill I don't know. What I do know is that the professors I have had so far are extremely experienced in their fields....I'm studying Criminal Justice Administration....and the classes are challenging.

I don't feel like I am wasting my time.

Answer 7

University degrees carry weight, however, on line universities are no slouch 'papermills'. University of Phoenix is the most well known of such on line schools that touts being fully accredited as would any campus college or university.

You may not enter the Fortune 500 corporate world with an on line degree......yet.......but some savvy planning WITHIN the job you obtain from such a degree can ADVANCE your career.

Answer 8

Yes, online colleges are good, but it can be hard to spot if they are a scam or not. Some colleges (not online) also offer degrees that you can get online. All the courses you would need to take are offered online. I'm not sure about the University of Phoenix though.

Answer 9

Yes some accredited colleges offer online courses and degree programs. Check out Liberty University in Lynchburg VA. It is a Christian based college but it is a fully accredited four year university offering online courses and degree programs. My cousin's husband is chairman of the board and I can say for sure that all the online courses they offer and fully accredited and transferable.

Answer 10

Yes of course. First make sure its a local physical university. For example, if you live in SF, look up UCSF, or SFSU. They both offer full degrees, and you can take classes online. Face it, in order to obtain a full degree (bachelor's) you will have to eventually attend lecture; but you can get away with probably a quarter to half of your credits online.

Good Luck!