Are online degrees respected?
Higher education requires a tremendous investment of time and money, and online education is no different. All college graduates want their hard-earned degrees to be respected in the workplace, but this can be of particular concern for graduates of online education, a newer and less-tested method of learning. As online education grows in popularity, students and employers alike are asking: Are online degrees respected? Thankfully, the career outlook for online graduates is better than ever.
Online degrees: the controversy
As 2010 research from the Sloan Consortium confirms, students are pursuing online degrees in greater numbers than ever before. Online degrees offer a level of flexibility with which most traditional programs simply cannot compete--a benefit that appears to be helping drive their popularity. Unfortunately, it is this very characteristic that also creates a perception among some people that online schools are less challenging, and therefore less valuable, than traditional programs.
In most cases, this reputation is entirely unearned. A number of recent research studies have shown that in order to succeed in an online environment, students must display strong organizational and time management skills and a solid ability to complete tasks with minimal supervision. Furthermore, online programs can also be just as effective, if not more so, than classroom-based programs. A 2009 study performed by SRI International for the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) found that "on average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction." Online students were found to remain more engaged in their studies and retain information better than students in traditional classrooms, a credit to online programs everywhere.
While most online schools offer students a viable alternative to traditional education, not all institutions have students' best interests at heart. Schools known as "diploma mills" or "degree mills" provide fraudulent or unaccredited degrees while offering little or no instruction. As online education has grown, so has the number of institutions offering bogus degrees. Efforts by the USDOE and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) have substantially reduced the number of degree mills operating today, but this history has left some students and employers understandably wary of online training.
In the workplace: Are online degrees respected?
Back in 2006, when online education was less prevalent than it is today, the Providence Journal reported that Florida State University professor Jonathan Adams asked human resources professionals nationwide to choose between hypothetical job candidates with different degree types. His survey found employers preferred candidates with traditional degrees over online degrees about 96 percent of the time. As online schools have become more mainstream and better understood, however, the outlook for online graduates has improved tremendously. In a 2009 study conducted by the Society for Human Resources Management, an impressive 90 percent of CEOs surveyed said online degrees were more respected than they had been 5 years before, and 68 percent said they considered online degrees to be just as credible as those earned on a college campus.
It is important to note that while employers are more accepting of online degrees, they may evaluate them differently than they do traditional degrees. According to Ryan Hosler, materials analysis supervisor for the U.S. division of Areva Nuclear Power, where you attend school is more important than how you attend class. "I'll hire an engineer that has studied online so long as they've attended a reputable school," he said, adding that programs offering traditional courses in addition to online courses appear more respectable on a resume. "I'd be more wary of a candidate who has attended a school based completely online, but wouldn't rule them out based on that criteria alone."
Adams's findings show that Hosler's thought process is typical of hiring managers: respondents noted that factors such as the accreditation of the college or university, the quality of its graduates and the name of the institution awarding the degree were important considerations when evaluating online graduates. The best way for online students to ensure they get the most from their degrees is to hold potential schools to the same credibility standards employers hold.
How to choose a credible online degree program
Like students attending traditional universities, potential online students should research schools thoroughly before committing to a program. The USDOE and the BBB have established guidelines to help students identify potential degree mills, warning them to be wary of online schools that exhibit the following five traits:
- Degrees can be earned much more quickly than with a traditional college or university
- Mention of state registration rather than official accreditation
- Tuition is paid on a per-degree basis rather than by the class or credit hour
- Courses require little or no interaction with instructors or fellow students
- Address contains box numbers or suites
One sure-fire way to confirm that an online school provides reputable degrees is to verify that it has earned accreditation through a reputable accrediting agency.
Evaluating a school's accreditation
According to the USDOE, accreditation is a voluntary, non-government process by which a college or university is evaluated using certain minimum quality standards When an online school or its individual programs earn accreditation from a body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, students can be confident that the school meets the same standards as similarly accredited campus-based schools.
Potential students can learn more about accreditation and quality assurance among U.S. colleges and universities via the U.S. Network for Education Information, a division of the USDOE. They can also find a list of unrecognized or fraudulent accrediting agencies through the Oregon Student Assistance Commission's Office of Degree Authorization or a similar state agency.
The bottom line on online education
Online schools offer more than simple convenience: for many students, especially those living in rural communities or who must study around full-time jobs, an online degree is a lifeline to a better future. A growing number of employers consider today's online degrees to be just as valuable as traditional credentials, especially when earned through an accredited institution with some name recognition. With a bit of research, students can be sure they're getting the most from their education and their degrees.
