What do you really think about online degrees?

Answer 1

Of the following, I'd ask which the other posters here with negative posts think are diploma mills? Every one of these and many more offer degrees online.

Harvard University
U Massachusetts (UMass)
Stanford University
University of Florida
Florida State University
UCLA
University of California (Dominguez Hills)
Peru State College
Western Governor's University
Community College of Southern Nevada
Webster University
SUNY - Empire State
Excelsior College
Thomas Edison State College
Charter Oak State College
Adams State College
Indiana University system
St. Louis Community College
University of Alabama
Troy State University
Utah State University
Central Carolina Community College
Drury University
East Tennessee State University
Jacksonville State University
Liberty University
Nova Southeastern University
Marshall University
West Virginia University (WVU)
Northern Virginia Community College
University of Missouri (Columbia)
University of Tennessee (Martin)
University of Wisconsin
University of North Carolina (Greensboro)
East Carolina State University
American Military University
Montana State University (Billings)
Limestone College

.... there are 100s of them if not nearing a 1000. Fact is, most colleges these days offer courses online and very many are now offering degrees wholly online. You aren't restricted to the heavily advertised proprietary schools (but some are ok if you like them).

It's not about online vs traditional -- it's all about the reputation of the school. Good school, good degree -- bad school, useless degree.

I'll note too - it doesn't matter at all what people who have no degree think of any degree, they won't be doing the hiring most likely.

Answer 2

Some of them are reputable, they offer a program in a subject that translates well to online, and the education is equivalent to that of an established university.

Others are rip-off diploma mills.

Most are somewhere in between. There are a lot of issues with online education that haven't started to be addressed; I taught online for years, but I've quit doing it now that I'm saddled with administrators who are ignorant and disrespectful of what happens in cyberspace. And then there are the places like University of Phoenix or Walden, where the faculty are almost all part-time and the tuition is enormous--they offer a decent quality of education, but at what a cost! when you could get full-time professors' instruction at a fraction of the cost from an online program from a state college.

Now, there's reliable research that many employers look at any degree earned primarily or entirely online with suspicion--if you earn a degree from one of the more noted online schools, you may have a harder time getting employed than you merit.

Answer 3

I wouldn't get an online degree mainly due to it's creditability and/or it's reputation.

Answer 4

unless it's through a accredited course of study and from a good school, i wouldn't consider the applicant for a job.