Online Degrees; How do they stack up?

How do online degree programs stack up against traditional college degrees? It's both a commonly asked and good question.

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.

It is hard to make broad generalizations about the relative quality of online and on-campus degrees or how well they will be accepted by prospective employers and others. Students considering their options will probably be best served by carefully considering their individual circumstances and educational/career objectives. The one absolute is that students should not consider any institution that is not fully accredited.

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.

Of course, for most working adults interested in continuing their educations, convenience is a critical factor. For folks who don't have time to commute to and from a campus and/or folks with responsibilities which make it tough to attend fixed time classes, an online degree program may be the only viable option. And, in some instances, colleges offering online education may be more willing to grant credit for prior experience, shortening the time it might take to earn a 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.

My advice is that you contact people in your field...by phone, letter, or email...especially folks in the organization in which you work or the organizations where you might wish to work in the future, and ask how they regard online degrees. If you have an online degree and are up against another candidate for a job, would you be at a disadvantage? How about when you are competing for promotions? Ask the questions. And, ask some questions when speaking with admissions representatives of the colleges you are considering to find out how their graduates have fared after earning degrees. Does your profession or future job require licensure? If so, find out if the program in which you are interested qualifies you for licensure and how well graduates have done on licensure examinations.

It's important to factor in your level of motivation, your learning style, and your academic strengths and weaknesses when making your final decision about pursuing a degree online or on-campus. It might be smart to take a single course online to see how well suited you are to distance education before making a final decision.

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Daniel Z. Kane has worked at schools and colleges for 30+ years. He has created nearly a dozen educational websites on online degrees and online colleges to assist students, counselors, and parents.