Why choose a online degree program?

Question

I am thinking about earning a masters degree online and wanted to get the pros and cons of getting a degree online.

Answer 1

It depends on what you are getting the degree in and what work you want to do when you graduate. Many MBA and some IT degrees are available online and they are gaining acceptance. There are some psych degrees online, but personally, having taken a couple of online courses, I don't think you can get the well-rounded experience you really need in that field. There are some degrees where experience under a mentor that you meet with regularly is absolutely priceless.

That said, if the only way you can get a graduate degree is online it can be done. Be VERY CAREFUL to select a school that is accredited by one of the Regional Accrediting organizations if you're getting a US degree. There are some universities that say they are accredited, but their accreditations mean something different- basically they mean nothing to people in business or academia. You won't be able to get into a PhD program with one of those degrees (Unless it is also accredited in some weird way) and many places won't consider it a real degree.

Most of all watch out for the fake colleges that basically offer a piece of paper saying you have a degree for a fee.

Answer 2

I got my master's degree online and there are several pros and cons to taking that route.
Pros:
You can be "in class" basically on your own time schedule. I found that I work better later at night and I feel comfortable being online for long periods of time, so the schedule really did work out well.
I think online work is actually lighter work than on campus classes. I am not sure if it's because I am attending a completely different university now and the expectations are different, but I feel as if the work load is heavier in my on campus classes than it was in my online classes.

Cons:
Hard to do group projects (and many classes require group projects). I found that trying to be online at the same time as people from all over the country was difficult at times because of the time differences and people's schedules. However, we were always able to work it out in the end.

Hard to get one-on-one help from the instructor. Sometimes you might have a question that you really would like to have answered in person so you can understand a concept, but you have to wait for the professor to go online to read his or her email. However, because most of the professors are online most of the time, getting an email back usually isn't too long (it all depends on the professor's schedule).

If you are one of those type of people who need to SEE it and HEAR it to learn it, then online isn't the way to go. It will definitely depend on your personality and how much you like being online.

Good luck!

PS it isn't true that jobs look down on online degrees. If the university is an accredited university, your degree is still just as strong. I know my master's degree is still looked at as a valid degree. :)

Answer 3

If the degree is completed online from a traditional university with a good rep, then it doesn't appear to be a bubble gum degree. I am wary of the for-profit schools who mostly offer online courses.

Answer 4

Pros: Cheaper, less time, convenience of working from home rather than traveling to a campus, you can work on your own hours a lot of times.

Answer 5

sounds like a bubble gum degree and not very worthy of any respect