I’m a college student who is going to graduate relatively soon, but still has an interest in learning programming, and hopefully, having this knowledge of programming verified through possession of some sort of degree. I cannot keep going to college another 2 years to get an additional degree, so I started considering doing it online.
I’m good with computers and software, and took 3 years of programming in high school. So I have decent knowledge of Visual Basic and Java, up to the point of differentiating when and how to use various data structures.
Now, I’m interested in continuing this knowledge because it’s interesting, and probably useful. I’m a fairly smart person overall (3.98 GPA right now), but my strengths lay especially in mathematic and logical thinking, so I have no doubt that I can quickly wrap my mind around whatever concepts are needed for the degree without having to sit in a class and have someone nurse me through difficult concepts.
That said, I look at online degrees with skepticism and ignorance. Are there any programs out there that are respectable? How long do such programs take? How many hours a week would I have to invest in this? How much do they cost? Would it be likely that I could get academic scholarships for that sort of thing?
If the programs look like they really wouldn’t be worth the time / money in order to get a piece of paper no one values, then I’ll probably just turn to trying to teach myself, in which case I’d also appreciate if anyone knows of any sites (preferably because they’re free) or books that would provide a very good education in this field. Oh, and this is all in USA by the way.
So just to summarize…
-Online colleges that are respectable?
-How long total? How long per week?
-Cost? Academic Scholarships?
-Sites/books that can do the same?
Thanks in advance for any replies, I really appreciate it.
I don’t think there are degrees in “programming” as such, instead you should look into computer science programs. CS degree programs include some programming, usually, but are really more about the mathematical underpinnings of computation theory. You need to be pretty good at math to do one of those programs, although perhaps not to the same extent as someone who wants to be an EE. (Note: I have gone through neither type of program, so take my words with a grain of salt until someone more knowledgeable comes along).
Regarding the “respectability” criterion, more and more brick and mortar universities are offering programs that are partly or entirely online. You could start by checking your state university systems (U of State) and (State U). Even if these are not the absolute best in the world, it’s still better than paying a lot more to “Some On-Line Institution”.
Yes, I do mean computer science, I just uses the term ‘programming’ to emphasize the actual writing of code rather than dealing with hardware for example, which I figure would also fall under computer science.
I’m good with math, and can pick it up fairly easily, so that’s not too much of an issue. I’m just trying to get a sense for the logistics of these online colleges and how feasible they’d be.
I have a legitimate online MS degree in Electronic Commerce, which is basically a degree in setting up professional web sites that sell a product of some kind.
My company gladly foot the bill and it is accepted as a REAL degree. I had to take courses online at a particular time and the professor and the rest of the students would login at the same time. It was exactly like a regular college but I never personally met the instructor or any of the students face to face. We even had to team up with other students to complete projects together.
It is not a programming degree but I am sure such degrees are available. Just make sure to check the schools credentials and whether or not the degree is accepted by other schools.
I have a Master of Information Technology from Virginia Tech that I got entirely online. The classes require proctored exams. I took them at a local extension site but other people have to get their own proctors. It is a very good program, but the emphasis is not on programming but crosses a lot of disciplines. Once course was very Java oriented and we used various Java libraries to incorporate media players, etc. Another class was a network programming class with most of the work in Java, including building a J2EE web site. But the program also included a couple of database courses, a hardware architecture course, web-based commerce, one business management course, and a couple of other things.
My program was designed for working professionals who take one or two courses per semester. Each course involves 1-2 hours of class time and 3-10 hours of work per week, depending on the course.
It’s a good idea to check out what other major universities have to offer. It’s all the rage now. Also try University of Phoenix, which might not be as prestigious as the big brick & mortar universities but it’s got a decent reputation with a good online program and might make sense for graduate work.
MIT makes almost all of its course material available for free online now, although you don’t get any support or college credit. But you can learn a lot.
University of Phoenix is handy when you need a legitimate-but-fake degree just to be able to say that you have a degree, at least on the Bachelor level. Expensive, though. For Masters work, you ought to be able to find many fine schools, though.
Look at your local universities or colleges first. Any decent sized one will offer some sort of distant education program. Though they may not offer an “online” program, you may be able to complete the requirements for a normal degree by only taking online courses. If you do sign-up for a completely online school CHECK to make sure it is accredited by any relevant professional associations.
Go to your college library and find the College Blue Book series, which will probably be in the reference section. Take down volume 6 of the series, “Distance Learning Programs.” That is by far the best resource for this sort of thing. It lists both degree programs by school and schools by degree programs, along with other useful information about the schools and programs.
I think there are two issues here. The first is about accredited degree programs as opposed to non-accredited. It’s a vitally important distinction when discussing online or distance learning programs.
But I think there’s a second important issue, and that’s whether online degrees (from accredited schools) are generally discounted by employers. My sense is that they are.
Not if your résumé is good enough. In a lot of cases, it’s merely sufficient that you have a degree. Plus, if you have a degree from an online program at a traditional school, there’s nothing that even indicates that you earned it non-traditionally. Even for places like University of Phoenix, who’s to say whether you went to class or did it over the net?