In addition to the lab problem, might there also be insufficient demand for it? My general impression is that most people who are seeking degrees online are looking for a credential with an immediate vocational application; they are interested in studying computer programming or accounting or human resources management, not history or math or physics. But I could well be wrong about this.
It seems that a lot of the “online” and or “quickie” degree programs are designed as a career boost, e.g. government workers who are on a formal salary schedule where their salary is formally computed based on years of experience and education, rather than negotiated (e.g. base salary of $30k, with $1k for each year of experience, then a boost for the highest education achieved, $2k for an Associate’s degree, $5k for a Bachelor’s, $7k for a Masters, etc.
And yeah, hard lab science (e.g. Physics or Chemistry) requires lab time.
Math, I would suppose you could do remotely (since all you need are pencil and paper, and possibly software tools), but I’m not sure that those programs are in demand online. Think about it - if you were a low level DMV drone barely making it, and you know you can get a $3k raise for getting a BS, are you going to go for a Math degree, or a “Human Resources Management” degree where common sense rules and there are very few facts except to always call an attorney before doing something stupid and always keep paperwork for everything?
I wonder if there are any online science programs that will let you do lab work at the local high school? In the US, pretty much every high school has lab equipment, though you might not have the chemicals you need in stock.
It isn’t just having the chemicals, it’s disposal and who gets sued when you do something stupid with no supervision. When I was a TA I had to be CPR certified with specific hazard training every year.
It’s obvious that there are some people in this thread who don’t know what is involved in obtaining a science degree.
Even if you major in math, which may or may not involve a lab, you will be required to take other classes that do. Like physics or chemistry. I majored in biology, but there was no escaping a full year of calculus, a full year and a half of chemistry, and a full year of physics. BS’s are all about being well-rounded just like BA’s are. It’s just that you’re supposed to be well-rounded in the sciences rather than the humanities. Science in general requires A LOT of hands-on work.
I’m thinking a math major may need access to expensive software packages that an online institution may not want to buy remote server licenses for. When I took calculus, we were given group assignments involving Mathematica, and we were forced to go to one of the campus computer labs because it wasn’t like something we would could or would want to buy on our own. I’m imagining it’s a million times more intense for a math major. I’m thinking of something like SAS. The license for that thing can run in the thousands, and a math major would only use that for statistical stuff. Anything involving theoretical work would be that much more estoteric, so that much more expensive.
If you’re really serious about getting a BS, you can’t do it online. I don’t even know why you would want to do it online, because science is all about making things go boom and building stuff, in addition to deriving equations. If you find a program offering it, you’ll get a very crappy education and it will be extremely expensive AND you will not be competitive against someone who went to a brick-and-mortar school. There are better, more economical ways of going to school and working full-time than going online.
You can do hard science degrees by distance learning. Have you looked at the Open University in the UK? They certainly do science degrees and some of their courses are available worldwide but I don’t know which ones are available in the States.
I already have the vast majority of credits that are required for any BS.
Had I not had a miss-understanding on transfer credits with my advisor, I would have had my BS. I was missing one series of core classes and it would have taken significant time to complete.
Anyway, I do understand how Physical Science is better taught in person, but Math I would argue could be done remote.
I have actually started email conversations with the local department head, we are talking about options including him offering equivalence tests however I would need to take the last 45 credits in school, that may require quitting my job which should not be an option.
However I have almost rationalized taking two years off to finish a degree that won’t help my career and will leave me deep in debt.
Maybe, but probably not. Working with other students is an absolutely vital part of the experience, and I don’t see how that’s going to be the same online. I’m willing to admit that I might be wrong, but I’m pretty confident here.