Has anyone attended an online university? - Was it worthwhile? How do you find the best "accredited" Univ?

Question

I am in my junior year of college, have been going part time for years. Now I have moved to another state - out of state tuition and transfer of credits is no fun, and there's a baby on the way! Online ed sounds good but I don't know whether to trust it - will I be able to get a job with the resulting degree?

Answer 1

Most "online" schools don't have good reps. Consider your options carefully.

There are reputable, "brick and mortar" schools that offer degrees online. Their good reputation for their on-campus programs will flow over into their online program.

To be quite blunt, an online OR an offline degree from U Phoenix, or Devry or schools of that like will only get you so far, because the reputations of these schools isn't the greatest with employers.

Yes, they are accredited. Yes, some graduates have had great success. But no, I do not hire or recruit from these schools.

A degree of any sort from UMass Amherst, or U Nebraska Lincoln, or U Maryland, will likely be seen as more acceptable by more employers, and may, therefore, get you further.

Some great universities that offer online degrees include:

University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
University of Denver
University of Maryland
Duke University
Drexel
Carnegie Mellon
Penn State
Ball State
U Nebraska - Lincoln
Babson
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
University of Illinois

And there are others. But in general, when you're looking for a distance learning degree, try to find a program at a school that has a good reputation for their "brick and mortar" campus. Start with your own (new) state's college system, and go from there.

Good luck.


Someone else mentioned online PhD programs. Be especially cautious there. A PhD is an important degree, and where you go really matters if you're going to be able to use it to get a job afterwards. Be very cautious. Be aware of the reputation of any school you look at within your field.

Answer 2

Yes. I earned my MBA and almost finished my PhD through hybrid programs. Most of the course work was done via asynchronous online methods. If you think about graduate work is mostly research.

My personal experience as both a student and an instructor has been excellent in an online environment. Of course, I am only referring to fully accredited institutions. It was worth it. I would not be teaching college and consulting all over without it.

As far as finding the best, I always have three recommendations for everyone looking into online/distance education. They all have to do with exploring; after all you have to defend your assets.

1. Make certain that you have triple checked their accreditation. First, they tell you what it is, then you go to that accrediting body's website (not through the link provided by the school), and thirdly you would visit the department of education to see what they have to say. Do your diligent research into the institutions once you have narrowed down to a couple. You can look at the Better Business Bureau for more information on the college.

2. You must have extreme self motivation and be able to teach yourself per say. This means that you will not have someone telling you verbally, so it is up to you to get the information from the course room, text, and other resources. The best way to look at it is like a guided independent study course.

3. Review your goals, personal and professional. Make sure that the school that you are going to offers the programs that match your goals. Do not settle. There are many programs that are similar, but you have to make the ultimate decision. Do not let be based on finances and length of program, but the fact that when you are finished or near finished you will be able to assume your proper place in the career field sought.

The accredited online degrees are credible and you should be able to get a job. Why would more and more universities and colleges be offering the online programs, if they were not credible? I think I have mentioned accredited quite a few times, so this is of course a concern.

You should market yourself and not the degree or university. There are many traditional universities offering degrees that can be earned through online methods. Look at that if you are truly concerned with the name of the school. Good luck on your search!

Answer 3

Since you have at least 2 years of college done, I'd try your hardest to finish at a traditional school. Most online schools are only regionally accredited by a single accreditor. Most traditional schools are nationally accredited by most, if not all, of the accrediting bodies.

Your out-of-state tuition will become in-state within a year's residency, no?

Frankly, I've seen some of the work required by both U of Phoenix and Walden and I was not impressed at all. Any school that will offer an online doctorate needs to be considered in great detail before enrolling there.

My advice: finish at a traditional school. I don't have data to back this up, but I'd stake my future fortunes on the fact that traditional school graduates will earn more than their online counterparts.

Answer 4

I'm looking into online doctorate programs. It so hard to actually attend the class with so much going on in our lives. But you have to ask yourself whether you will be disciplined and vigilant enough to actually to do the work at home, because I'm sure you know that there just as many distractions at home...

Universities can't say they are accredited if they aren't. I would look at the top online universities and go from there.

Answer 5

you found the right person. some of these online schools are not online at all; walden, u of phoenix, capella, strayer, kaplan are acreditted like any other college/u and require 4 wk "colliqiums" from time to time which are on campus and expensive - like, where would you stay? instead of sat's and gre's, they want essays, statements, references, ....all that stuff. I enrolled in grad psych at walden last summer and got expelled b/c I was in the hospital for 9 days. then capella admitted me and I got stafford loans - subsidized and unsubsized - but there I had tech problems with my password. how the hell do ya get to your courseroom when you can't even login! they denied my request for tution waiver, so now I'm screwed. I owe so much money I can't pay it off for years. Canyon College may be your best choice. they are eligible for financial aid (at least in IA) and are finally getting a decent rep. they are accreditted.

Answer 6

Lots of state universities are offering "distance" courses that you can take online, by video, etc. Id check out a state school, or really research online options. There are so many fake ones out there, so be carefull! Good luck!

Answer 7

Regarding the PHD programs, Argosy University has a very good doctorate program in Education and in Psychology and they offer these programs on campus and/or online.

Answer 8

University of Phoenix