Online Degrees, are they worth it?

[greenlief]

NO!

explanation: Too good to be true. Online courses is different. It's a single course in a well rounded education. But an online university is too good to be true.

[Seveneighty]

Judging by the varying responses, I think people are confused as to what you mean by "online degree".

Can you give an example? ie. a link? I didn't even think there was such a thing as online PhD's, so I don't know what this one guy is talking about..

And if you're gonna come in here with a big red "NO!", perhaps you could explain why you're so sure?

[Bitz]

Wait, are you talking about distance ed? If so, I'm honestly not aware that you can do an ENTIRE degree from Waterloo through Distance Ed...

I also thought you were talking about those Online Only schools, that doesn't actually have any physical school.

But either way, if you're looking to do an entire degree, it'll still take some fair amount of time, you can't really pull off a degree in one year.

--Mark

I'm pretty sure that you can get entire degrees through distance ed....but only for certain faculties/programs. Certainly not in any math/engineering/science programs, but I believe that there are certain arts programs (for some reason social work and early childhood education seem to pop into my mind?) that allow for DE students. Even with those programs, however, I think that there are certain courses that must be taken in person (at any university, not necessarily UW), and those credits will eventually be transferred over and put towards the UW degree.

Don't quote me on any of that...I thought I read about that somewhere, but double check it to make sure!!!

[McJenny]

My first instinct was to say what most people here have said..but then I remembered when I told my boss I was taking distance ed courses over the summer (before i got the job) he was pretty impressed. He said it takes a more disciplined person to do distance ed since you arent reminded of due dates, and you are left on your own even more than in regular school. I think it depends on the employer you are dealing with. Different employers will see it differently.

Personally, I think which school you go to is over rated.

[BobW]

IF (and that is a big if) the program is offered by a properly accredited school, there is no problem with an online/distance course. The biggest thing is making sure that the accreditation is there. The USA is full of scam outfits that will sell you a phony piece of paper saying whatever you want. Once you get a few years of real work experience, no one will care where the degree came from, but initially, it will make a difference. So, if you are planning on staying in Canada, I'd suggest finding a Canadian source for the degree you want. Likewise, if you were going to be working in the states, then a US one would be more appropriate.

[Seveneighty]

Again, if its something like Athabasca University (www.athabascau.ca), then it should be no different than going to a 'regular' university. You can get a 4-year Commerce degree there, for example.

[nurse]

Athabasca is a wonderful way to obtain a degree when you are unable to attend traditional classroom settings. I am currently taking the MBA at Athabasca and have been enjoying it. Recently it has recieved recognition among US universities. They have been at it for a number of years and from my experiences are really quite good at it. I would worry a bit about the new online degrees as they may still be working out the bugs in their processes and when you need assistance the response may not be as speedy. Good luck

[Sylvestre]

The problem is people's understanding of what is a real degree. Most people seem to think all degrees are the same as those ads that show up as hotmail spam.
What the OP was asking was if real, verifiable online degrees are worth it.

The answer is - it depends.

Like B&M schools, online schools vary. (assuming it's not a scam), some are quite recognized, other are totally unknown. Beware there are lots of scam artists out there.

Some programs are better suited to online and others to B&M. I'd be wary of a science degree online since so much is dependant on actual laboratory work etc. Whereas I think it's quite possible to get a quality business degree online.

Realize that some people will hold a stigma since they equate anything online w/ scams however it's up to you to prove that your education is on par. And as always, after your first few jobs, what school you went to is no longer a factor.

[Son of Pezcore]

I think it depends on the person interviewing you. This thread as an example, everyone has a different perspective on online learning.

I have completed a Bachelor of Business Admin through Athabasca. I really enjoyed the online setting. I was able to work ahead of schedules when I was motivated, and I didnt feel the pressure to do work(go to classes) when I wasnt motivated.

I have been investigating the MPA/LLB program at UVic. They also offer the MPA as an online module. Which I am quite interested in. I was surprised to see a school like UVic offering a Graduate Degree 100% online.

I encourage you to do what you enjoy, even if it means a couple more years of being a mooch.

[Headhunter]

Unless it's through a major B&M schoo, Athabasca or maybe University of Phoenix, I'd be skeptical.

The ones you get in the mail from Company X with a bunch of grinning people and unbelievable quotes about quickie riches, are scams.

[divx]

Say NO! to drugs


In all seriousness, I would NOT recommand it.

[Son of Pezcore]

Say NO! I would NOT recommand it.

An online degree or school in general?


Just bugging.

[MichaelPublic]

I've been doing the CBIS program online/distance at UVic for a couple years. It's an accredited university course/certificate with good reputation etc so if you can find one with a good brick and mortar reputation then go for it. That said, I also work at UVic and if you're planning on going into academia/working with academia it's still very much "go to a good school, get great marks, know the right people" so stay in school til you barf/go mad/weave baskets.
Personally I'd try for Athabasca or Three Rivers (used to be Open University in BC) because people know about them, and degrees are for people to evaluate your skills without knowing you (yes I know they're for other things like learning
good luck, in North America there's a great swath of people who will earn a lot more just because they have a degree.
(Hmmm, wonder if I put enough flame bait in there)