Are Online degrees just as good as the ones from a regular Brick and mortar college and or university?

Author: admin  |  Category: law degree online

Are degrees from places such as Concord Law School, Univeristy of Phoenix and De Vrey are they just asa credible as ones from let's say a Harvard, Yale, Stanford, University of Texas, USC or UCLA? And can you actually get a real career through these programs?

In the comparisons listed in your question, the answer is no. You can't compare any school (online or not) that accepts almost anybody with some of the most selective schools in the country.

The real question should be are online degrees useless? No. An online degree in finance from a typically online school will not qualify you for a vice-president position at Lehman Brothers. However, it will qualify you for an entry to mid-level position at a medium sized financial firm. Online degrees have their limits, but they are not useless.

Also, you have to look at the type of degree or field. You can get a law degree from Concord Law School, but the only state where you can sit for the bar exam would be California. So, unless you are in California, a Concord Law School degree won't get you a job at all.

If your only option for obtaining a college education is to attend school online, I always recommend the online programs at state universities and colleges. There are a couple of advantages to this. One, the degree will not indicate that it was obtained online, therefore, there won't be any associated online stigma attached to it. Second, University of Florida or Penn State or any other state school sounds a whole lot better on a resume than University of Phoenix or DeVry.

There is another reason to avoid University of Phoenix or DeVry, cost. You can probably get an education from a state school or community college for less than one-third the cost of Phoenix of DeVry. So, why waste your money?

Here are some school websites that have online programs. There are many, many others.

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.

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

Good luck

6 Responses to “Are Online degrees just as good as the ones from a regular Brick and mortar college and or university?”

  1. ♥luvly21♥® Says:

    I don't know…but this question gets a star because i've always wanted to know that too…
    References :

  2. Ethelucy Says:

    As long as it is an accredited college it should be the same. Even brick and mortar colleges must be accredited in order for them to be of any real value.
    References :
    http://www.serve.com/thelovechurch/SaintJamesCollege/onlineeducationinfo.html

  3. Jen Says:

    Yes, online degrees are just as good as from a campus degree.
    The online programs have the same accreditations as the main campus programs.
    The degree does not even state that it was an online program. It just says the name of the institution that you received your degree from.
    I hope this helps.

    I do somewhat agree with leetron. You do have to chose the online university that you are going to attend carefully. U of Phoenix degrees are not worth much anymore.
    Online courses are more difficult and you have to be very disciplined and motivated.
    Not all online degrees are watered down. Do your research and you should be fine. Keep in mind when looking for a college you want a college that is regionally accredited. If it is not regionally accredited, then you may have trouble transferring credits if you decide to change universities.
    References :
    I work for a respectable online university.

  4. Chris Says:

    Generally online degrees are not as well respected. Obviously just because someone pursues a degree online does not mean they are less intelligent than traditional university students, but many online schools accept just about anyone who will give them cash making the degree appear as much bought as it was earned.
    References :

  5. Leetron Says:

    This is a question that gets thrown around a lot. The real answer is No. I know tons of people in the IT and engineering industry and they will all tell you the same thing. Regardless of accredition and what not. College isn't just what you learn in books, its more networking and showing you can work with people. Also, many of the online schools are for-profit. This mean that the acceptance rate is almost 100% and that tends to water down your success.

    HOWEVER….

    There are colleges that will offer fully online degrees and not distinguish between online and in class. The best three I know of are Penn State University (www.psu.edu), Robert Morris University (www.rmu.edu), and Rochester Institute of Technology (www.rit.edu). Be aware that these online degrees are not watered down like most online ones are, and you have to be smart and diciplined to do this.

    All that said, the answer to your question is No. But that is not to say that an online education does not help. But if you put it up against the traditional degrees, they have no stability.
    References :

  6. NGC6205 Says:

    In the comparisons listed in your question, the answer is no. You can't compare any school (online or not) that accepts almost anybody with some of the most selective schools in the country.

    The real question should be are online degrees useless? No. An online degree in finance from a typically online school will not qualify you for a vice-president position at Lehman Brothers. However, it will qualify you for an entry to mid-level position at a medium sized financial firm. Online degrees have their limits, but they are not useless.

    Also, you have to look at the type of degree or field. You can get a law degree from Concord Law School, but the only state where you can sit for the bar exam would be California. So, unless you are in California, a Concord Law School degree won't get you a job at all.

    If your only option for obtaining a college education is to attend school online, I always recommend the online programs at state universities and colleges. There are a couple of advantages to this. One, the degree will not indicate that it was obtained online, therefore, there won't be any associated online stigma attached to it. Second, University of Florida or Penn State or any other state school sounds a whole lot better on a resume than University of Phoenix or DeVry.

    There is another reason to avoid University of Phoenix or DeVry, cost. You can probably get an education from a state school or community college for less than one-third the cost of Phoenix of DeVry. So, why waste your money?

    Here are some school websites that have online programs. There are many, many others.

    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.

    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

    Good luck
    References :

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