As the number of
colleges and universities offering online degrees continues to
increase, and as more and more people enroll in
online degree programs,
questions are raised about the value of degrees earned via
online education and the acceptance of such degrees as compared
to those earned through traditional classroom study.
In fact, it is
possible to point to research indicating that students earn
equally well in online and in classroom-based instruction, there
is research indicating that traditional programs result in
better learning outcomes, and there is data which suggests that
online learners take more away from their experience than
students in traditional campus-based programs.
Thus, it seems
likely that broad generalizations about the quality or perceived
value of online degree programs will not be useful to people
considering them. What might prove more valuable is an analysis
of their individual situation, with particular emphasis on their
educational and/or vocational goals. Of course, students should
always limit their choices to fully accredited institutions,
whether they plan to pursue a
degree online or attend a
traditional
college or university.
In choosing a
degree program...any degree program...it is important to be
clear about your goals. Are you primarily interested in personal
development or do you hope to pursue a new career or move
forward in a current one? Is it important to accelerate the rate
at which you earn a degree or can you move forward at a more
leisurely pace? Do you seek licensure or certification, and if
so, what is required and by what agencies or organizations? In
addition to institutional accreditation, is professional
accreditation an issue? Only after these and related questions
are answered can you begin to determine which institutions and
degree programs make sense for you.
Convenience is, of
course, another important consideration. Many working adults, in
particular, have limited time to travel to and from a campus,
and it can be difficult, given life's other demands, to be tied
to a fixed class schedule. For folks with these challenges,
online degree programs are often a clear choice. Online
education may also offer more opportunities for applying
previously earned credits, including those for life experience,
which might in turn make it easier to earn an accelerated
degree.
For most people,
finances are a major factor in choosing a college or university,
online or otherwise. Initially, few online degree programs were
able to offer significant need based financial aid or loans, and
even fewer offered
scholarships. Today, however,
many students in distance education program receive financial
aid, including loans and scholarships.
Certainly online
degree programs offer convenience, and many offer tuition
payment plans, tuition rates and financial aid which make them
affordable...in some cases, even cheap. And, it is not hard to
find people in many professions who have enhanced their career
options by earning
online degrees. The tough
question to answer is how well online degree programs are
accepted by employers. Again, as with one of the questions posed
earlier, generalizations may not be instructive.
Perhaps your best
bet is to do some informal research. You can call or email
people in charge of hiring in the professions and or individual
organizations of interest to you and ask them if they
differentiate between candidates with classroom-based and online
degrees. And, ask the admissions representatives at the colleges
you are considering to provide you with a list of the
organizations in which they have placed graduates (and the
titles of the positions in which they were placed). Of course,
if certification or licensure is an issue for you, be certain
the program you choose meets all the requirements for the
credential you seek.
Finally, when
determining whether or not an online degree is a good choice for
you, you would be well served to consider your learning style,
preferences, academic skills, and your ability to self-motivate.
If you have serious concerns, you may want to attempt a single
online course or an online educational
certificate program before
deciding to pursue a full fledged degree program.
