Do degrees earned from online universities hold value with employers?

Question

I am a busy, working adult and would like to further my education. I have been contemplating enrolling in an online university, but I am worried that any degree I might earn won't be valuable when I look for a new job.

Answer 1

You can go to school online, but attend the online section of a regular state school. There are two advantages to this. One, the degree conferred from a state university to online students is no different from the degree conferred to on-campus students. Second, the state colleges and universities will be less expensive.

If you are just starting your college education or have less than 60 semester credit hours, try your local community college first. They may have an online AA degree program. If they don't, try other community colleges in your state.

Once you have an AA degree, you can enroll in an online bachelor's degree completion program at one of the state universities. Many state universities now have online degrees. The following are some websites to get you started.

http://www.fhsu.edu/virtualcollege/
http://www.peru.edu/offuttafb/degreeprograms/onlinelearning.htm
http://outreach.uwyo.edu/ocp/
http://www.distance.msstate.edu/
http://www.distancelearning.ufl.edu/degrees.aspx
http://www.apu.apus.edu/index.htm
http://www.online.uillinois.edu/
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/ode/CollegeOverview.asp

When comparing tuition costs, you have to check if the school is on semester or quarter credit hours. To convert from quarter hours to semester hours, divide the tuition by 0.67. For example, if tuition is $180 per quarter credit hour, that is equal to $268.66 per semester credit hour.

To give you an idea as to how much University of Phoenix, Capella, Strayer and Kaplan overcharges, UoP tuition is $494 per semester credit hour for undergraduate courses. Capella, Strayer and Kaplan are in the $450 to $500 range. Fort Hays State University charges $137.50 per semester credit hour. University of Wyoming is $134 per semester credit hour. University of Florida is $172 per semester credit hour. Peru State is $130 per semester credit hour.

Finally, when you choose a school, make sure it is at least regionally accredited. You can check accreditation at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/search.asp You can learn more about accreditation at http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html

Finally, there are a couple of forums online with members who have obtained their degrees online. Some have gone pretty far with their online degrees. The forums are free to join but you can read the forum without joining. You just won't be able to post. http://forums.degreeinfo.com and http://www.instantcertonline.com/forums

Finally, just because a few people don't think of online education as valid, doesn't mean it isn't. Here are a few articles about online education for you.

http://owli.org/home/node/793
http://owli.org/home/node/509
http://owli.org/home/node/10
http://owli.org/home/node/783
http://owli.org/home/node/647
http://owli.org/home/node/1498
http://owli.org/home/node/1230
http://owli.org/home/node/249

Good luck

Answer 2

Online universities are of great help to those people who want to continue their college and get their diploma. If you are dedicated and committed with your current job, but you also want to finish your studies or get a master’s degree, then this should not stop you from dreaming. If you want to take this path and try online education, then you are on the right track especially if you will choose Academy of Business Management in Switzerland. There is nothing to worry about even if you will not take your college through a traditional education because many employers nowadays are open minded when it comes to online education. The important thing is that you need to graduate from a good and accredited university like ABMS.
The main reason why an online course is not a wrong move is because there are myriad of courses for you to choose from. You can choose according to your interest and skill, so you will not be forced to get a course that you do not want just to get a college diploma. You will be surprised with number of choices. The only problem that people experience in online education is confusion of what course to get. Also, there are lots of choices for online universities offering different courses and degrees. However, you should only choose one that is accredited or else your hard work and diploma will be put to waste. If you will search the internet, then you will find out lots of positive reviews regarding ABMS from their past students who have been very successful in finding their dream job with good compensation. There is no way that you can go wrong once you choose to pursue your online education in ABMS.
Many are not aware that when they choose the path of online education they will be able to save a lot of money. This is very true because you do not have to worry about transportation, books, allowance and other expenses. Aside from that, the university is offering scholarships as well as tuition fee assistance to students. There is a general scholarship that can offer 15% discount on tuition and a women scholarship. Again, financial difficulty is not a hindrance to anyone who is determined to finish their college education. Swiss qualification is valued by diverse companies around the world. Employers from diverse parts of the world respect the Swiss degree especially in the field of management because they are aware of the quality of education that Swiss universities like ABMS offer.
Once you apply for a job after you graduate from this university, then employers will first consider you application with Swiss qualification and diploma. You will get an obvious advantage over other applicants on the position that you are applying for. They are providing flexible study schedules from Friday to Sunday because they know that these are the best days of the week when working individuals can study at their own pace and time without thinking of their work schedule.

Answer 3

Yes. As long as it is a regionally accredited university.

Answer 4

I would regard online universities as the absolute last resort for someone seeking higher education.

The quality of education these programs offer is minimal - there is simply no substitute for the kind of dynamic interactions and discussions that commonly occur in face-to-face college courses. Also, the quality of educator is significantly less at online universities - the best faculty choose to teach at real colleges and universities. Both the pay and work environments are far superior to online universities. So, for great classes from great instructors, go to a real college or university.

Also, because of the minimal training they offer, employers and graduate institutions place little value in degrees earned from online programs. Many of these programs lack even basic accreditation for the degree programs they offer.

Bottom line - you will receive little if any personal or professional benefit from online universities relative to what you could have received from a real college or university.

Answer 5

It is valuable to have the degree, however traditional college degrees look better. Have you considered enrolling in a traditional college that holds online classes? Many traditional colleges are doing this now to meet the demand and then the employer, when looking at you university will assume you attended the traditional school not the online version.
There are also many Universities that cater to adult working students, some meet on evening and some meet on weekends. I currently attend a university with classes only on Saturdays, I love it.

Answer 6

No.

Schools like the University of Phoenix are regionally accredited -- but that means little. They are For Profit corporations that lack the more prestigious national accreditation. Employers do not take them seriously. One reason is that they take anyone -- so employers can't distinguish quality by looking at the school's graduates. The other reason is that many feel that the classes from these schools lack rigor. I addition, these schools charge twice as much as a reputable public university.

Read the story at the following link to get more details.

Answer 7

If the degree is from an accredited university, the employer will respect it. However, you are doing something important too. Work experience is a big plus with employers. If you are switching careers, consider changing jobs in your last year so you get some "real world" experience in that field.

Good luck! :)

Answer 8

Yes.

As long as it is a regionally accredited university.

Many big name colleges these days offer degree programs online - and often the degree / diploma does not indicate that you earned it online.

Just make sure that it is accredited.

Answer 9

It depends on if it is a reputable university (and I don't mean one that advertises a lot). Check for those that are accredited AND HAVE NOT been fined.