Distance Education (school, credits, pay, program)

[Alexus]

I wholeheartedly support online education. I obtained my Masters in Computer Science from American Sentinel University and I was very pleased with the program. It was very tough and required a lot of ingenuity and creative thinking to graduate with honors. These schools are what you make them and you get out what you put in. I graduated with a 3.71 average. I could've done very little, graduating with a much lower average that reflected little time and effort. But I wanted to maximize this educational experience. I studied using the top textbooks for each subject and worked hard to go that extra mile and produce the "A" answer. This is where you stretch your mind and really get an education. Feedback was always accessible and very insightful. Doing it this way made the experience comparable to any B&M school, with the added benefit that this degree was done using a more convenient format at a much lower cost.

[cjma79]

Originally Posted by ZX14TJ

Thankfully, there is no such thing as a US regionally accredited medical school program.

You cant practice with Online MD

[Rita Mordio]

When I was in high school, the school system was able to offer classes that otherwise would not have been offered - thanks to distance learning.

For Instance:
*Japanese
*Chinese - Mandarin
*Russian
*AP (college level) Art History

Just to name a few that I remember off-hand.

I think the program is great for certain subjects - but not so for others.

[K-Luv]

Maybe five or ten years into the future an on-line degrees would be considered (more) acceptable, but honestly, right now they are looked at as kind of a joke. And no serious employer is going to take them seriously. Keep in mind that there is a difference between taking one or two on-line courses and doing your entire course load on-line.

I also believe that the experience of going to an actual school and interacting with flesh and blood human beings is something that is essential to the learning process. I dunno.....more and more people are spending their time in virtual social environments (ahem) instead of actually going out in the real world. It seems that on-line degrees are geared towards them.

[dgz]

I'm finishing up my Master's with Capella University. For comparison, I had participated in Drexel University's graduate program (a 'brick and mortar' school) about 20 years ago.

I've had to do a lot more work at Capella. Instead of just taking a class once or twice a week and listening to a professor talk (Drexel), Capella requires that you participate in these frequent online discussions throughout the entire week. You also end up having work due every other week (unlike when I was a Drexel and was expected to just complete a paper at the end of the semester). There are some conveniences that I really enjoy with distnace learning. I don't have to fight traffic and drive from my job to a class during rush hour. I don't have to be at a class at a specific time in the day; I can log in late at night after work. If I'm on the road on a business trip, I can log in from my hotel in the evening.

I have learned a lot through the courses that I'm taking. I would definately do it again (although I do regret that online classes seem to cost so much).

Also, I've worked for several large corporations for quite some time, and online degrees are widely accepted there, provided that the school is fully accredited. I think that one reason for its acceptance is that it is such an excellent option for 'road warrior' types. I've also noticed in my program that there seem to be quite a few people who work in different areas of the government as well.

I'm not sure how receptive an online degree would be in the medical community because I would imagine that you'd be required to do a lot of lab work, and consequently, you would need access to a lab. I can't imagine how you would pursue a medical degree online.

On the other hand, there are other majors that are very suitable for online learning (e.g., education, business, communications, etc.).

Originally Posted by npumcrisz

What is your take?

Easy and or convenient way to get a degree?
Do you phantom taking distance learning programs?
Are these college/ university programs worth it?
Which programs do you think are "NO NO" distance learning programs? I am presently thinking medical school programs. I hear they suck if not properly "done".

[truckingbronco]

The only time I've seen online courses from for-profit schools worthwhile is when someone needs to pick up a few extra credits to sit for a state sponsored exam like the CPA.

The truth is, fair or not, most employers look down on them. This is due to the fact that most online schools are "for-profit" and have zero admission standards and high dropout rates.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by truckingbronco

The only time I've seen online courses from for-profit schools worthwhile is when someone needs to pick up a few extra credits to sit for a state sponsored exam like the CPA.

The truth is, fair or not, most employers look down on them. This is due to the fact that most online schools are "for-profit" and have zero admission standards and high dropout rates.

What online degrees also say is that you did not want to make the time and effort to actually go somewhere and sit through lectures and being in a physical environment. If you don't put forth the desire to 'go' to a school, then most employers will assume that you do not want to 'go' to work. Essentially, you are going to be viewed as lazy, and the current thought of the moment is that on-line degrees are the easy way out. How attractive is that to a potential employer?

On a side note; my college offers a few biology courses online and at my school all biology courses have a mandatory lab. I can see how a few of the labs can be done online, but a majority of them require looking under a microscope and other hands on experience. Don't know how they get around it, but it does not seem like it would be the same.

[dgz]

No, there is a difference between lazy and being inefficient. Businesses don't want people who are inefficient, and I can't think of anything more inefficient than the time that is lost driving to a B&M school, dealing with the parking, etc. just to hear a professor talk... and usually for not more than an hour or two!

That's a huge waste of my time, when I can study online and participate in a lot of online discussions throughout the week with the professor and other students about the course. Of course, online learning does require that you actually read the books and make an effort to ask your professor and fellow students questions--unlike a lot of B&M course where a lot of students seem to expect the professor to just spoon feed them.

As I come close to complete my Master's after 3 years of study, I don't think I would consider doing a brick-and-mortar school again. They are just too inefficient with my time.

There are a few people who I work with who are very successful in their fields, but they're on the road a lot, and they are taking courses online. Consequently, when you take these online course, you usually find that you're surrounded by other people who are also already successful in their field, and not by kids just coming out of high school, or doing the Bachelor's and Master's degree without having much professional experience.

I've worked at Raytheon, Motorola, and a dozen other large companies, and online degrees (provided the school is accredited) are widely accepted there. However, these are degrees in Business, Teaching, etc. If you're going for a degree that requires doing working in a lab (chemistry) or field studies (geology), then a B&M school would be a better move. But for many fields, going through an online program is great.

Originally Posted by K-Luv

What online degrees also say is that you did not want to make the time and effort to actually go somewhere and sit through lectures and being in a physical environment. If you don't put forth the desire to 'go' to a school, then most employers will assume that you do not want to 'go' to work. Essentially, you are going to be viewed as lazy, and the current thought of the moment is that on-line degrees are the easy way out. How attractive is that to a potential employer?

On a side note; my college offers a few biology courses online and at my school all biology courses have a mandatory lab. I can see how a few of the labs can be done online, but a majority of them require looking under a microscope and other hands on experience. Don't know how they get around it, but it does not seem like it would be the same.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by dgz

No, there is a difference between lazy and being inefficient. Businesses don't want people who are inefficient, and I can't think of anything more inefficient than the time that is lost driving to a B&M school, dealing with the parking, etc. just to hear a professor talk... and usually for not more than an hour or two!

That's a huge waste of my time, when I can study online and participate in a lot of online discussions throughout the week with the professor and other students about the course. Of course, online learning does require that you actually read the books and make an effort to ask your professor and fellow students questions--unlike a lot of B&M course where a lot of students seem to expect the professor to just spoon feed them.

As I come close to complete my Master's after 3 years of study, I don't think I would consider doing a brick-and-mortar school again. They are just too inefficient with my time.

There are a few people who I work with who are very successful in their fields, but they're on the road a lot, and they are taking courses online. Consequently, when you take these online course, you usually find that you're surrounded by other people who are also already successful in their field, and not by kids just coming out of high school, or doing the Bachelor's and Master's degree without having much professional experience.

I've worked at Raytheon, Motorola, and a dozen other large companies, and online degrees (provided the school is accredited) are widely accepted there. However, these are degrees in Business, Teaching, etc. If you're going for a degree that requires doing working in a lab (chemistry) or field studies (geology), then a B&M school would be a better move. But for many fields, going through an online program is great.

I guess that I will have to take your word for it, but I still stand by my statement that for the time being they are not looked favorably upon.

[Bette]

I just started again with Nova and am taking 2 courses online. I find it challenging and I am working hard.

I hope my degree will be worth something b/c it is very expensive.