Is having an online degree a joke?

Data10
Thu, 10 Oct 2013 16:01:09 +0000

Some highly reputable colleges have online degrees that are indistinguishable from an in-class degree, from an employer’s perspective. For example, I finished one of my graduate engineering degrees at Stanford while living and working in San Diego. I took my classes through their online program. These were the same classes that the in-class students took, which were recorded for viewing online. There was also a live viewing option, which allowed long distance students to ask questions during lectures. We’d sometimes get questions and comments from as far away as HP Barcelona, in Spain. I also took the same exams, was in the same groups for group projects, and even had the same oral presentations. My degree/diploma was the same one in-class students received, without any mention of online. I believe Stanford only offers grad degrees online, not undergrad; but there are other reputable schools that offer undergrad degrees.