Is having an online degree a joke?

BrownParent
Fri, 11 Oct 2013 01:11:41 +0000

Online learning is not yet state of the art. At present it is best for working adults with some college already, trying to finish degrees around the work schedule, just to get the piece of paper. It is no place for a freshman just graduating from High School. For one thing, the graduation rates are abysmal. For another thing, there is peer learning and study groups in the live classroom that you will miss out on. You will miss out on relationships with professors to mentor you and who may need to write you letter of recommendation should you choose to go to grad school. You will miss out on research opportunities, internship and jobs fairs. There are also limitations on what degrees are offered.

There are very very few reputable programs. And they don’t have reasonable track records yet. You want to make sure you only take classes from a Regionally Accredited non-profit institution. Not from a For Profit, even if it is National accredited, that is still no good, and no regional college will accept the transfer credits.

San Jose State University recently suspended it’s offerings of online courses allowed due to the 50 to 75% failure rate in the courses.
[San Jose State suspends Udacity online classes after students fail final exams.](San Jose State suspends Udacity online classes after students fail final exams.)

If you are at a college that allows some coursework online, fine for a class or two if you find the in person one is full. But trying to do an entire undergraduate degree online is a 2nd class route to take–just a crappy way to go. Check the graduation rate of any program before buying in. I’d say no thanks.