College education - How are online schools viewed compared to brick and mortar schools that offer online degrees?

2014-12-31T14:19:16-05:00

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?

Response by Sgt Jennifer Mohler made Dec 31 at 2014 2:18 PM

2014-12-31T14:18:28-05:00

The view is still the same for the general public. I think this is because of the scandal with the Corinthian collages. After careful consideration I choose AMU. It is an all online school, but it seems to have a positive reputation and stands shoulder to shoulder with traditional schools.

Response by TSgt Joshua Copeland made Dec 31 at 2014 2:23 PM

2014-12-31T14:23:02-05:00

Other. It is more a difference between public vs for profit schools with for profit being looked down upon.

Response by 1LT Nick Kidwell made Dec 31 at 2014 2:33 PM

2014-12-31T14:33:24-05:00

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.

Response by Capt Richard I P. made Dec 31 at 2014 5:10 PM

2014-12-31T17:10:50-05:00

Sgt Jason West, I posted a few links to some studies about education in another discussion, you might enjoy them.

https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/transition-what-do-you-wish-you-had-known-or-done-earlier

Transition: What do you wish you had known or done earlier? | RallyPoint

There are already a few good threads on this, but each are few months old, and most give advice either too specific (headhunting firms and programs) or too general (use transition assistance). Here's some of what I've learned so far (and I still have a long way to go-still being on the fence and all) As I've considered a transition I've learned the following points would have been helpful to know earlier: 1. Figure out what you want to do: A.)...

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Dec 31 at 2014 8:21 PM

2014-12-31T20:21:35-05:00

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...

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 31 at 2014 8:29 PM

2014-12-31T20:29:11-05:00

Unless an online school has an actual brick and mortar campus, it will be viewed with suspicion, especially from other institutions of higher education, regardless of for-profit or public. The really big things you should look at when choosing a school are accreditation and programs offered. Past that, you should look to see just what you will actually be able to do with your degree.

Response by TSgt Joshua Copeland made Dec 31 at 2014 8:30 PM

2014-12-31T20:30:23-05:00

SFC Jerry Crouch hit on something that is important. Outside of regional accreditation, there are other professional accrediting issues to consider. business degrees, law schools, engineers, architecture, are just a few that come to mind.

There is an all online law school out there that is part of the Kaplan group of schools. Want a law degree just to have it or to further a business interest? Not a bad option. Want to actually practice law outside of California...it is an uphill battle. Someone form Mass sued to get admitted to practice but that was on an individual basis.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 1 at 2015 7:53 PM

2015-01-01T19:53:24-05:00

Part of my selection of an online Master's degree was whether it had a brick and mortar location. This would prevent any questioning of the value of the education. My school made a bowl game this year.