# How do professionals see online degrees? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 16, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-professionals-see-online-degrees/496687 "2009-05-16T23:39:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MissIntent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/97f17d/32.png) [@MissIntent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissIntent)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-professionals-see-online-degrees/496687/21 "2009-05-18T19:26:42Z")
This is an interesting discussion to me. I was just accepted to a local program for an MBA with an emphasis in accounting. My undergrad is in accounting and I part of the reason for the MBA will be to get course work necessary for my CPA exam. So I hope that my goal and aims here will make this MBA worthwhile, even though it is not a top 10 or top 20 school. My father has his MBA from U of Phoenix. He was working full time with 3 kids under 10 when he started pursuing it. His company actually paid for the degree, he’s very proud of it and he has said it helped him to move up with in the work environment. He works a job he really enjoys now and makes a very comfortable living. Everyone’s opinions on this definition vary, but in my mind, he is successful. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-professionals-see-online-degrees/496687/22 "2009-05-18T19:57:43Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > I’ve been thinking about asking a similar question, so hopefully the OP will forgive me tacking it on here. If it’s too far afield I’ll try my own thread. > > I have no interest in a degree per se (I have enough of them already), but do want to find a good online school to take a few computer courses. I’m self-taught in HTML, PHP, MySQL, and a bit of VBA, but it’s very shade tree-mechanic in nature. For each, I’ve read a couple good books (i.e., not at the Dummies or Idiots Guide level, but they do start from the beginning) and learned a lot through task-based problem solving. > > I’m finding that learning Flash and Javascript (more than just basic snippets) will be very helpful. Web work is ancillary to our business, but clients are increasingly asking us for it — having the skills in-house will allow us to respond much quicker and manage projects better. But I don’t think I want to go through the whole this-is-easy-I-can-figure-it-out-on-my-own route again. I will if I have to, but I’d love to find a one or two semester course with structure and _feedback_ to create a solid foundation. > > There’s a bajillion tutorials and help out there (it’s how I got up to speed(ish) in PHP, etc.), and a lot of courses for sale. But if I’m going this route, I’d like to hit as “real” a school as possible, whether brick-n-mortar with an online component or online only. But, since we run our business out of our house, it has to be completely online. > > The way I see it, I want to find a school that, once enrolled and paid up, will give me access to student software/hardware discounts. That is, if it’s good enough for Adobe or Microsoft to consider ‘real,’ then it’s been vetted (i.e., accreditation isn’t necessary, since it’ll never go on a resume). But that seems awfully silly — hence this post and quest for opinions. I’ve taken several computer-related classes, both in-person and online, from the local community college. They were inexpensive and pretty good - the last one I took was Perl programming and was totally online. The instructor was happy to look over a script and critique it for you if asked. I don’t know if my student status would have gotten me any discounts - I didn’t need to buy anything at the time - but I wouldn’t have been surprised if it did. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-professionals-see-online-degrees/496687/23 "2009-05-18T21:06:35Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Degrees from the University of Phoenix are generally regarded as not worth the paper they’re printed on, so stay away from them. Other online programs can viewed well, if they come from more well-known institutions. But some people will always be suspicious of anything new, so the online degree doesn’t carry quite as much weight as a classroom-based degree. > > It’s also worth mentioning that, while the master’s may help you find a job, but it may not, and it’s an expensive proposition. You need to have specific reasons to believe that it’ll help you find a job, and evidence that those reasons are good reasons, in order to really justify going for it. ultrafiflter; What are you basing this on? I actually predicted the same thing as what you stated, but have since learned differently. When I was in grad school a couple of years ago, I did a study and wrote a paper on this very subject. You might be surprised to know that in my research employers use degree requirements as a way to more or less weed out too many resumes. Completing the requirements for a degree showed a certain level of tenacity and ability to reach goals, and that’s about it. After that it was about “what experience can you offer me to complete the tasks that I was to hire you for?” ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-professionals-see-online-degrees/496687/24 "2009-05-18T21:15:51Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > A problem I have right now is I can’t even get a damned interview for something I want, even if it’s crappy entry level jobs. If I could get that I am pretty confident that I can impress you face to face. If I can add some more letters to my B.A. then I am hoping that it will at least let me a damn interview. > > Am I kinda right in that even? Read my post above. Much to my surprise (and in contrast who say UP degrees and other online degrees are worthless), they’re not! And for exactly the reason you’ve posted above. Having a degree at least stops your resume from getting rejected because level of education is one of the measuring sticks for the position. Oh, and for the record (in case anything thinks I’m trying to defend my own online degree), I received my bs and ms from a traditional brick and mortar university. I made the decision several of you are going through right now. I didn’t want to be judged by the type of education I received. So in summary: - Any degree from anywhere is better than no degree - Yes somewhere people do care where you receive your degree from, but not as many as you think - most online UP / Devry type of schools are EXPENSIVE, if given equal opportunity to attend either type of school, attend a traditional brick and mortar type of school. It covers all the bases, and is probably cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-professionals-see-online-degrees/496687/25 "2009-05-18T21:41:37Z")
By the way **Rhythmdvl** your question (as well as any others like it) are more than welcome in this thread!! ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-professionals-see-online-degrees/496687/26 "2009-05-19T03:14:06Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > A problem I have right now is I can’t even get a damned interview for something I want, even if it’s crappy entry level jobs. If I could get that I am pretty confident that I can impress you face to face. If I can add some more letters to my B.A. then I am hoping that it will at least let me a damn interview. > > Am I kinda right in that even? It’s possible that a master’s degree could help, by providing an avenue to gain some relevant skills and experience, but it would be an expensive, time-consuming way to get it. I would recommend seeing what you can do to change your situation without the degree before committing to a masters program. Do you have anyone who can give you useful feedback about how your job search is going and anything you might be able to do differently? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-professionals-see-online-degrees/496687/27 "2009-05-19T03:29:57Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > ultrafiflter; What are you basing this on? I actually predicted the same thing as what you stated, but have since learned differently. When I was in grad school a couple of years ago, I did a study and wrote a paper on this very subject. You might be surprised to know that in my research employers use degree requirements as a way to more or less weed out too many resumes. Completing the requirements for a degree showed a certain level of tenacity and ability to reach goals, and that’s about it. After that it was about “what experience can you offer me to complete the tasks that I was to hire you for?” If you have data, I’d be interested in seeing it. Can you PM me info to track the paper down (or maybe a link)? ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-professionals-see-online-degrees/496687/28 "2009-05-19T04:40:56Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > If you have data, I’d be interested in seeing it. Can you PM me info to track the paper down (or maybe a link)? [Here is a useful table from Businessweek showing pay starting, after 5, 10, 15, 20 and total lifetime for the top 45 MBA programs.](http://bwnt.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/mba_pay_2009/index.asp?sortCol=est_career_pay&sortOrder=2&pageNum=1&resultNum=100) ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-professionals-see-online-degrees/496687/29 "2009-05-19T06:35:34Z")
Why do you want to get an online degree? Your answer is right there. Online degrees are popular with people who regard their degrees as nothing more than an expensive piece of paper that they want to get in the easiest most effortless way possible. So, not unreasonably, online degrees are regarded as expensive pieces of paper that required a minimum of effort to get. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-professionals-see-online-degrees/496687/30 "2009-05-19T07:27:05Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Why do you want to get an online degree? > > Your answer is right there. Online degrees are popular with people who regard their degrees as nothing more than an expensive piece of paper that they want to get in the easiest most effortless way possible. So, not unreasonably, online degrees are regarded as expensive pieces of paper that required a minimum of effort to get. They are not so easy. What they are, is flexible. It’s very hard for a working person to attend a traditional brick and motar University. It is true that there are “diploma mills” out there, where getting a degree is not very hard, assuming you can write the check. But they generally have limited if any accrediation. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-professionals-see-online-degrees/496687/31 "2009-05-19T14:20:02Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > They are not so easy. What they are, is flexible. It’s very hard for a working person to attend a traditional brick and motar University. Pretty much this. I can’t really afford to stop working and attend a brick and morter uni…so online would work easiest for me ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-professionals-see-online-degrees/496687/32 "2009-05-19T14:46:34Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Pretty much this. > > I can’t really afford to stop working and attend a brick and morter uni…so online would work easiest for me In my experience, a good online class is actually more difficult than a traditional classroom setting. If the prof does their job, there is a ton of interaction on message boards between students. You get flexibility, but you really have to work at the discipline of a lot of interactivity. It can be a difficult choice. Both types of classes offer flexibility in their own way. With an online type class you get flexibility of doing your school work and message postings late at night when you finally have time to settle down for ‘me’ time. However you also have to be more diligent about regularly staying up with the school work. With a traditional course you have the rigors of attending class regularly, but you usually know about work such as term papers ahead of time so that you can prioritize accordingly. i.e. "I have a test tomorrow in class A, I’m going to push back my reading assignment for class B until next week. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-professionals-see-online-degrees/496687/33 "2009-05-19T14:56:23Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > If you have data, I’d be interested in seeing it. Can you PM me info to track the paper down (or maybe a link)? If funny you ask this. [Ellen DeGeneris] not ha ha funny, but weird funny[/Ellen DeGeneris] \<– Um yeah, if I misspelled that, I don’t really care. I’d be interested in seeing it too. Within the last week I asked my wife if she had any idea where any of my grad school papers were since we moved (last July) because I had found a crumpled up exam in the back of my desk drawer. She had no idea. I’m concerned that they are the victims of a massive home clean up / organization effort that we initiated to make our old house sell faster. (it sold in less than a month by the way!) As far as a link to the paper? I can’t imagine any paper I wrote in my first year of grad school was ever published. I know I personally didn’t get it published. I can’t imagine any of my school colleagues did either (four of us worked on the research, surveys, etc). ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-professionals-see-online-degrees/496687/34 "2009-05-19T15:36:58Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > I graduated from college last year and I am getting nowhere fast when it comes to my “real” job. Your problem is not your lack of a master’s degree; it is that you have unrealistic expectations about how promotions work in the real world. For your first six months of your first job out of college, you are showing your employer you have the soft skills of consistently showing up on time, being able to handle and incorporate constructive criticism, trustworthiness, dependability, ambition, etc. I doubt you’ve had your annual review yet. By this time next year, a promotion should be in the works, if you’ve handled your current position well. If this a let-down, I suppose the best that can be said is that you are from from unique in feeling disappointment over that. But, since so few of us are independently wealthy, you’re going to have to shine it on. Better to make peace with it now and start climbing the ladder than to hop from job to job and waste those years spinning your wheels. > [@](#): > > I am getting no offers, no interviews, absolutly nothing. Possibly because it is a poor economy. Possibly because potential employers think you are on the outs at your current employer and they don’t want to inherit a problem employee. With under one year of work experience, you’re still an entry-level hire, so you don’t bring much to the table. By the way, work experience, especially once you have a bachelor’s degree, still goes far further than a master’s, except in a few fields. It’s much better to have five years of WE and a BA/BS, than it is to have an MA/MS and two years of WE. Of course, there are situations–like a really bad employer or truly dead end jobs–where you just have to throw caution to the wind. In that case, I’d sooner suggest moving to Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles and taking a temp gig before shelling out thousands of dollars to the University of the Internets. What is your precise situation anyhow? ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-professionals-see-online-degrees/496687/35 "2009-05-19T15:57:26Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > Your problem is not your lack of a master’s degree; it is that you have unrealistic expectations about how promotions work in the real world. For your first six months of your first job out of college, you are showing your employer you have the soft skills of consistently showing up on time, being able to handle and incorporate constructive criticism, trustworthiness, dependability, ambition, etc. I doubt you’ve had your annual review yet. By this time next year, a promotion should be in the works, if you’ve handled your current position well. > > If this a let-down, I suppose the best that can be said is that you are from from unique in feeling disappointment over that. But, since so few of us are independently wealthy, you’re going to have to shine it on. Better to make peace with it now and start climbing the ladder than to hop from job to job and waste those years spinning your wheels. > > Possibly because it is a poor economy. Possibly because potential employers think you are on the outs at your current employer and they don’t want to inherit a problem employee. With under one year of work experience, you’re still an entry-level hire, so you don’t bring much to the table. By the way, work experience, especially once you have a bachelor’s degree, still goes far further than a master’s, except in a few fields. It’s much better to have five years of WE and a BA/BS, than it is to have an MA/MS and two years of WE. I think most of this is pretty good advice. I think since 1996 or so people out of school have had an unrealistic expectation of what the working world is like. Maybe even since the 80s. Everyone thinks they are going to light the world on fire and should be promoted every year so they can become the next 26 year old Vice President. They fail to realize that there are people who have been doing their same job for 5, 10, 20 years or more. Without knowing the OPs specifics, I think a Masters degree is a bad idea at this point. Masters are for people who want to focus in their particular discipline. The OP doesn’t have a set discipline yet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-professionals-see-online-degrees/496687.md?page=1)