Posted on Dec 31, 2014
College education - How are online schools viewed compared to brick and mortar schools that offer online degrees?
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More and more schools are offering online degree programs today, and it seems there are a ton of for profit strictly online schools out there many which "cater" to military. I know several years ago the general thought among HR and hiring manager types was the online only schools were a bit of a joke and were not taken seriously. Has this perception changed? Any insights into the different types of schools?
For my degree I did go with an online program, but one through a traditional brick and mortar school that offers online degrees (and really does work well with military experience).
*EDIT*
Ok, I quickly see that there is a distinction more between for profit and public schools. Now, for me without researching each "online" school I have no way of knowing which is for profit and which is a public university. Now, I would assume that a person in a hiring position would know these, but it's never safe to assume. Now that aside, as I think we can all agree that for profit degree mill schools will always be looked down on. But how about a school such as Western Governors University? It is a private but nonprofit university strictly online. I am wondering how it stands in the eyes of people doing the hiring compared to other "traditional" schools? Have we reached the point yet that they are viewed the same as the HR folks are going through a stack of resumes? Or do the "traditional" schools still hold the advantage for getting that interview?
For my degree I did go with an online program, but one through a traditional brick and mortar school that offers online degrees (and really does work well with military experience).
*EDIT*
Ok, I quickly see that there is a distinction more between for profit and public schools. Now, for me without researching each "online" school I have no way of knowing which is for profit and which is a public university. Now, I would assume that a person in a hiring position would know these, but it's never safe to assume. Now that aside, as I think we can all agree that for profit degree mill schools will always be looked down on. But how about a school such as Western Governors University? It is a private but nonprofit university strictly online. I am wondering how it stands in the eyes of people doing the hiring compared to other "traditional" schools? Have we reached the point yet that they are viewed the same as the HR folks are going through a stack of resumes? Or do the "traditional" schools still hold the advantage for getting that interview?
College
GI Bill
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
This is a duplicate discussion. Click below to see more on this topic.
Which is more beneficial while serving in the military: Going to college online or in the classroom?
I've tried both online and the traditional "brick and mortar" universities. For me, going online was more flexible with my daily schedule. This allowed me to finish my degrees at my own pace without interfering with my missions or developing my Soldiers. What are your thoughts?
Responses: 9
I think for this response, I must make a distinction between an actual online school and the "degree mill" online schools. One provides high-quality challenging curriculum to students who cannot attend a brick-and-mortar school, another simply takes your money for what amounts to a worthless piece of paper.
IMHO, people who have "attended" a quality online school can see the value of such an arrangement. I have three degrees, two B.S. degrees from "ground" schools, and an M.S. degree from a brick-and-mortar school that has a strong online presence and a well-run distance ed program. In my online program, I learned what I needed to learn, I expanded my resume, and extended my circle of friends, just like with my "ground" experience in college.
IMHO, people who have "attended" a quality online school can see the value of such an arrangement. I have three degrees, two B.S. degrees from "ground" schools, and an M.S. degree from a brick-and-mortar school that has a strong online presence and a well-run distance ed program. In my online program, I learned what I needed to learn, I expanded my resume, and extended my circle of friends, just like with my "ground" experience in college.
Sgt Jason West
I should have been more clear. I was thinking more from a hiring perspective. When going through a stack of resumes do you think we have reached a point where HR folks would give the same amount of attention to a degree from a nonprofit online school as they would to a "traditional" brick and mortar school (that may offer an online degree program so it's hard to say if the person attended in person or online). Is a degree from Western Governors University going to get the same consideration as they are flipping through the resumes as say The University of Texas at El Paso or University of Alabama at Birmingham?
My associates and bachelors were through distance education (before the days of "online"). I just finished my J.D. at a traditional brick and mortar.
I don't see that it had any different effect that I could tell.
I don't see that it had any different effect that I could tell.
Capt Gregory Prickett
That's why you go to an accredited school. Mine was accredited by the Middle States regional accrediting body, the same body that accredits schools like Carnegie Mellon (online degrees, too), Johns Hopkins (ditto), Penn State (ditto), etc.
BTW, you get past the own work requirement by having proctored exams. Most of mine were proctored by the Base Education Office, but some were proctored at local, accredited colleges.
MCPON Joe Campa holds a Bachelor's degree from the same place I got mine from. LTC Charles Aycock (USA, ret), in the Special Forces Hall of Fame, ditto. LTG Edward Baca (USA, ret), ditto.
Alumni of my school have attended top tier graduate programs like Harvard Law. I had no problem getting into my law school.
Sorry Mac. No cigar for you here.
BTW, you get past the own work requirement by having proctored exams. Most of mine were proctored by the Base Education Office, but some were proctored at local, accredited colleges.
MCPON Joe Campa holds a Bachelor's degree from the same place I got mine from. LTC Charles Aycock (USA, ret), in the Special Forces Hall of Fame, ditto. LTG Edward Baca (USA, ret), ditto.
Alumni of my school have attended top tier graduate programs like Harvard Law. I had no problem getting into my law school.
Sorry Mac. No cigar for you here.
There are quite a few threads on this where I've talked at length, so I'll just do the cliff notes here. As someone who has done a lot of hiring in the civilian sector, my approach - an that of most of the hiring managers I know breaks down like this:
1. Do you have a degree that I think is relevant? Is the school accredited by an agency recognized by the US Dept of Education? (bonus points for a "name" school or the one I went too. Not fair, but true) (negative points if the school has a bad reputation)
2. The end.
The ONLY time the actual school and whether it is online or brick, public/private/for profit matters is your first job out of school. Maybe.
There seems to be a LOT of angst on this topic, but I think it is overblown. Quite simply, there are too many universities out there for me to have an opinion on more than a handful. There ARE industries and segments of industries where you are second-rate if you didn't go to one of the top 3-5 schools in the nation, but that is maybe 0.1% of the job market - and those people know it.
Definition of terms:
Public - run by a governmental agency, not for profit (University of Washington)
Private - run by a non-governmental or organization, "not for profit" (Gonzaga University) - the quotes are because, let's face it, they aren't keeping the lights on by taking a loss....
"For Profit" - run by an organization that is offering a service in order to make a profit (University of Phoenix is probably the best know example).
Note I did not say that "for profit" is bad, though that is the current rap. They are worth doing research on. Most diploma mills fall into this category, as do some unscrupulous outfits that are just interested in separating you from your money (and your TA/GI Bill/Federal Financial Aid/ etc) in the most expedient manner possible. This isn't to say most for profits are bad - they aren't, but there are enough bad apples to pay attention...
1. Do you have a degree that I think is relevant? Is the school accredited by an agency recognized by the US Dept of Education? (bonus points for a "name" school or the one I went too. Not fair, but true) (negative points if the school has a bad reputation)
2. The end.
The ONLY time the actual school and whether it is online or brick, public/private/for profit matters is your first job out of school. Maybe.
There seems to be a LOT of angst on this topic, but I think it is overblown. Quite simply, there are too many universities out there for me to have an opinion on more than a handful. There ARE industries and segments of industries where you are second-rate if you didn't go to one of the top 3-5 schools in the nation, but that is maybe 0.1% of the job market - and those people know it.
Definition of terms:
Public - run by a governmental agency, not for profit (University of Washington)
Private - run by a non-governmental or organization, "not for profit" (Gonzaga University) - the quotes are because, let's face it, they aren't keeping the lights on by taking a loss....
"For Profit" - run by an organization that is offering a service in order to make a profit (University of Phoenix is probably the best know example).
Note I did not say that "for profit" is bad, though that is the current rap. They are worth doing research on. Most diploma mills fall into this category, as do some unscrupulous outfits that are just interested in separating you from your money (and your TA/GI Bill/Federal Financial Aid/ etc) in the most expedient manner possible. This isn't to say most for profits are bad - they aren't, but there are enough bad apples to pay attention...
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