# Internet Degrees-Any Good? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 7, 2006, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-degrees-any-good/351747 "2006-04-07T17:25:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-degrees-any-good/351747/1 "2006-04-07T17:25:49Z")
I mean from Phoenix college, Online University, or colleges that are basically online. More to the point, \*\*do HR departments/managers/real universities hire \*\* people with these degrees? I’m wanting to get a master’s in Economics, but my alma mater doesn’t offer one, and the other closest college is 20 miles away…to far for me, right now. thanks, hh ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-degrees-any-good/351747/2 "2006-04-07T17:40:39Z")
We have done this specific question many times here. The consensus is that while some online degree institutions are a sham, there are some like the University of Phoenix that offer real-training. However, there is a real bias against them with many people and many HR screeners and hiring managers may disregard an application or think less of an applicant that has an online degree versus a traditional one. This may change some since many traditional colleges and universities are offering online degrees and courses themselves. Online degrees offer special challenges as well such as potential alienation from classmates and professors as well as additional self-motivation required to complete a degree in that setting. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-degrees-any-good/351747/3 "2006-04-07T19:31:52Z")
At my company, we consider a bachelors or MBA at Univ of Phoenix to be equivalent to any four-year institution during the application screening process. In other words, we don’t think “less” if you got your degree from Phoenix or the University of Hawaii, for a local example. We’ll find out during the interview if you got the knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-degrees-any-good/351747/4 "2006-04-07T20:13:46Z")
There are diploma mills which only give degrees in “Give us enough money 101”, and nobody who has a clue gives any credence to those. Some accredited schools, however (and please note that Phoenix is **not** accredited) also offer distance-learning courses and sometimes even degrees. In those cases, the degree is just as good as any other degree the school offers, and I don’t think you’d even need to specify on an application that it was a distance-learning program. I don’t think that there are yet any accredited schools which offer exclusively Internet programs, though. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2006, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-degrees-any-good/351747/5 "2006-04-08T04:05:41Z")
1. The University of Phoenix _is_ [accredited](http://www.ncahlc.org/?option=com_directory&Action=ShowBasic&instid=1949) by one of the major regional boards. 2. They spam. I get spam regularly from them. I have never gotten spam from any regular college. That tells me a _lot_ about what kind of place it is. 3. I would never hire someone with a degree from a place like UoPh or accept them into a graduate program. It’s at least one notch below a DeVry. 4. Go with an online program from a brick and mortar school that is _identical_ to the on-campus program.