I need true, blunt answers on Online Colleges?

Question

I have continued to read the hundreds of questions regarding online degrees on Yahoo! Answers, but I'm still left pondering.

I KNOW that you need to look for a nationally accredited online university - so please don't mention that!

My true question is, without biased opinions, but real experience: are online degrees looked down on in the career place?

Are people turned down from jobs that require degrees that they have received via online (from an accredited online university)?

Answer 1

I always recommend that students go to the most recognized college that their ability, finances, and circumstances allow.

-Will my degree be accepted by my employer or the college I would potentially transfer these credits into? The best thing to do is ask your current / potential employer in advance. On consulting engagements with corporate HR directors, it really depends on the specifics. If you are competing against Ivy League grads for a position on Wall Street, forget it. The most common areas I've seen online graduates have success are:

A) They are already within a company, have an excellent track record, and need a regionally accredited degree to be considered for a promotion.

B) The "geographically challenged". If an employer is recruiting from a pool of applicants in the area (or looking to build a skill set internally), the only choice may be online degrees for certain skills or training. Think Idaho / Midwest or military personnel.

I work in a company with 7,000+ employees and we accept regionally accredited degrees, regardless of the delivery method (online or onground). The accreditation is important because it will allow you to be licensed for an RN, CPA, or whatever your career field is.

Actually, you don't want national accreditation, you want regional. Regardless of delivery method (on ground, online, hybrid), a higher ed institution in the US can have 3 institutional accreditation statuses.

1. Regionally accredited - the highest and most useful.
2. Nationally accredited - real, but not as recognized or useful. Yes it is less than regional accreditation, which isn't intuitive.
3. Unaccredited

Be sure to check here before you enroll: http://www.chea.org/search/

So it really depends on your personal circumstances and if you have other options.

Answer 2

Many employers will look at an online school as less then traditional college. When put up against someone with similar qualifications the person with the degree from a traditional college may get the job over the online grad.
I'm not saying that is always the case, but I know a few hiring managers who feel that way.

Answer 3

My best friend got her MA @ Nova Southeastern University online. It is a real university with thousands of students on campus and beautiful buildings and good professors. She went through graduation ceremonies there. She got her pay raise. No one really inquired about what college she went to for her degree but if it was brought up, everyone knew that classes online can be difficult and thought it was great.
My other friend got a degree @ Phoenix Online. There is no college or campus. He did not get his raise because his employer would not accept degrees from there. Of course because it was a waste of time and $, people didn't think much of his education.
An degree from an accredited institution is respected whether it was earned online, on campus, or parts of both. Besides that... who cares but you?

Answer 4

It depends greatly on your field. Health professionals with online degrees are simply not going to be credible, whereas webdesigners with online degrees may even be more credible than those who went to some traditional college or design school. Just ask yourself: Would YOU trust someone with your money if you knew this person acquired his or her qualifications online?
Another thing is the character factor. Education is supposed to shape the entire person, not just that person's knowledge. Online colleges do a shallow job in that regard, but for some professions, that's OK - like IT consultants, marine engineers, or physicists.
On the whole, to err on the safe side, I'd say 80% of jobs still require non-online degrees.

Answer 5

yes, it is somewhat looked down upon, but it really depends on the field.

if competing for a job and all other factors are the same, the online degree usually will get the shove.

why? i used to wonder until a friend got an online degree from florida community college in jacksonville.

the standards they had were so low, it was ridiculous. he even got a 100 on a final exam paper...give me a break, it was poorly written and even more poorly graded.

i think everyone in the human resources field understands the lack of standards and oversight online schools have.

not saying all of them have it, but way to many do.

there is woman in my class who got an online degree, she is going to college to complete a four year degree. she said going to school is actually easier than doing it online.

Answer 6

I think they are looked down upon, in the work force, And be careful,, check the bbb about the colleges,, Alot of them offer degrees which are only transferable through the state they are located in.

Answer 7

If it comes down to actual college, vs on line, on line loses.
You just do not have that exchange of ideas you have in an on campus environment.

Answer 8

I was told their student enrolment numbers are limited, so the courses are limited too. Poor recognition could be the problem.

Answer 9

they might be because emploeyers are looking for someone who has some type of experience instead of someone who sat at a computer for several hours getting notes from a teacher they don't actually meet in reality

Answer 10

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