<p>I asked a similar question about a year ago, but new situations have come to light, and I’m right back to square one in deciding what to do.</p>
<p>To start with, the company I work for has 2 very different positions, either of which I would be interested in pursuing one day. One is that of a computer programmer, and the other is a technical writer, which requires a degree or background in either Communications or Writing.</p>
<p>I have to complete my degree online as I am a working parent. I have been attending Liberty for a couple years, and will be receiving my associates degree in Information Systems this fall. I’ll have to say, I have enjoyed the programming classes I have been in. could either stick with this program and graduate with a bachelor’s in Information systems, or I could transfer back into Alabama. </p>
<p>There are two sides to the Alabama coin. The bummer is that the available online major is “interdisciplinary studies” which seems like it would scare employers off, but I have also heard that any degree from Liberty could do the same. The positive thing about Alabama is that I get to choose my two areas of concentration, which would be Communications and Advanced Writing. Writing has always been a passion of mine.</p>
<p>Obviously, neither one of them would be ideal, but I guess it comes down to which one raises less of red flag. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.</p>
<p>What is the major that you’re looking at for Alabama? Is it the one in New College that lets you design your own major? Why is that your only option?</p>
<p>Yes, that’s the one. It is my only option because I already tried the online Business Administration degree offered through the University, and I hated what I was studying. I’m not going to do well pursuing a degree I don’t enjoy.</p>
<p>I should also add that if I finish the degree with Liberty, I plan to pursue a Masters in MIS through Auburn, but if I get the Interdisciplinary Studies degree from Alabama, that’s probably going to be the end of the line.</p>
<p>I personally do not consider Liberty a real school, and if I were in the position of hiring years down the line, I would never consider a Liberty graduate.</p>
<p>Can you ask HR at your company if one would be preferred over the other? Otherwise, if you like what you’re doing, I’d see no problem continuing. Once someone has been on the job with a company most other aspects (performance reviews, etc) are more important than where a degree came from. If you’re worried about bias, check there, not here. They’ll be making the decisions (or know who will).</p>
<p>Zonlicht,
Could you please elaborate? Are you simply echoing what a biased Bill Maher said, or do you have legitimate reasons for thinking that? I’ve heard other people say that, but I’ve never gotten a good answer as to why. It has the highest accreditation it can receive, I’m just curious why so many people are bias against it. </p>
<p>More importantly, would you feel the same way if you were hiring someone who had the Bachelors degree from Liberty and a Masters from Auburn? Would you still feel their Bachelors wasn’t real? I’m not arguing, I really am curious because I want to know how the general public would perceive the degree and why.</p>
<p>Creekland,
That’s good advice, thanks. There apparently isn’t a bias at my current job because they are paying for me to attend, but if I ever leave the company down the road, I’d like to know my degree still holds value.</p>
<p>New College at Bama is kind of a cool thing. You design your own major. It doesn’t prevent you from getting jobs, getting into law school, med school, B-school or whatever.</p>
<p>Barrons—I’ve never been one to eliminate a students choice with a zippy one-liner, but there are all sorts of schools you have denigrated in that way with off handed comments because you don’t like their “culture”. But when someone uses the same tactic and denigrates a Liberty education…it’s suddenly religious discrimination ?</p>
<p>The law is the law. And I have never gone so far as to say I would never hire a grad because of that culture. Big difference between making fun of places that are a little too into the uber-preppy thing or whatever exactly you seem think I said versus illegal discrimination based on basic constitutional rights.</p>
<p>Good luck proving the religious discrimination when the OP doesn’t get the job. Also, there is a difference between religious discrimination and not believing an institution provides a good education.</p>
<p>Again, once you’ve been on a job, your degree will be practically meaningless for a new job (unless your new job is academia where they care more). Degrees matter for new hires as employers have very little “other” to go on aside from perhaps an internship. For those who have been on the job, job performance trumps wherever the degree came from and it’s not even close in the voting. For new college students, I’d never recommend online-only classes/degree as those are still looked down upon. For people who have work experience and only need the “degree” online is a great option. Pick where you like or what’s most convenient for you.</p>
<p>As for bias? IF there is any, you are just as likely to get someone who is pro Liberty/Alabama as against either. It will all depend on the individual. Even on here, comments biased for or against will be based upon the individual’s feeling for or against the religious base of Liberty or the southern base of Alabama (and both will have people who try to counteract the stereotypes in general). Fortunately, IME, most who hire wouldn’t let either stereotype affect them for someone who has work experience. If you were a new hire straight from college, then look carefully to see where graduates get hired. That would be far more telling than a thread on a message board.</p>
<p>Oh please, the entire basis for the dismissal of LU by Maher and most others is because they do teach religious based beliefs on creation and evolution as another theory. That’s it. Since the entire basis of that is in religion I think the connection would be easy to prove. Otherwise LU has full national accreditation and graduates have gone on to many typical grad schools.</p>
<p>Four Year Medical Schools (M.D.):
Boston University Medical School
East Carolina University School of Medicine (Greenville, NC)
East Tenn. State Univ-James H. Quillen College of Medicine (Johnson City, TN)
Eastern Virginia Medical School, (Norfolk, VA)
Georgetown University Medical College (Washington, D.C.)
George Washington University (Washington, D.C.)
Loma Linda University School of Medicine (Loma Linda, CA)
Marshall University Medical School (Huntington, WV)
Medical College of Georgia (Augusta, GA)
Medical College of Virginia (Richmond, VA)
Nova Southeastern School of Medicine
Ross University School of Medicine (West Indies)
Rush Medical School, Illinois
Thomas Jefferson School of Medicine (Philadelphia, PA)
University of Alabama School of Medicine – (Birmingham)
University of Arizona (Tucson)
University of Colorado (Denver)
University of Idaho
University of Indiana Medical College (Indianapolis, IN)
University of Miami Medical School (Miami, FL)
University of Minnesota - Duluth School of Medicine (Duluth, MN
University of Mississippi School of Medicine (Jackson, MS)
University of North Dakota (Grand Forks)
University of South Alabama College of Medicine – (Mobile)
University of Texas at Houston Medical School, (Houston, TX)
University of Virginia Medical School (Charlottesville, VA)
University of Washington (Seattle)
Waynestate University (Detroit, MI)</p>
<p>Dental Schools:
Boston University, Boston, MA
Case Western (Cleveland, OH)
Columbia University New York, NY (School of Dentistry)
Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA
University of Iowa
University of Pittsburgh (School of Dentistry)</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone who has replied. I still haven’t decided on anything. I know Liberty can be polarizing for some (just take a look at this thread), but I just want to know why. As for Maher, he has a history of being anti-religious, and his comments on Liberty were bogus anyway. The basis of his argument was that they teach creationism instead of evolution. Well, I never took Biology from there, and their belief in creationism doesn’t come into play when I’m learning new programming languages like C++ or Java. Also, Maher said that people having degrees from Liberty cheapen his degree and that he “had to sell a lot of drugs to get that degree.” That comment cheapens my accomplishments, which include studying my butt off for countless midterms and finals, writing 15-20 page research papers, and like I said earlier, learning new computer languages. </p>
<p>As for getting into grad school at Auburn, I know students who have graduated from both schools and gotten in. </p>
<p>And finally, sorry Zonlicht, but I have to call you out. You haven’t been to Liberty, and my guess is you don’t have any firsthand knowledge except for Maher’s comment which you parrot verbatim. It was you in fact that said just the other day to another poster "Kudos for owning up to your slanderous statement, made without visiting or attending either school. Making such a baseless statement does not help the OP”</p>
<p>I’m still not a whole lot closer to know which looks better on a resume: “BS in Interdisciplary Studies from Alabama”, or “BS in Information Systems from Liberty and MS in Information Systems from Auburn.”</p>
<p>“One of the distinguishing fac-tors of Liberty is that every single student here takes a class called creationist studies,” said Campus Pastor Johnnie Moore. “It’s kind of at the core of our identity.”</p>
<p>And just because someone is pro science, it does not mean they are anti religion. I know more than one faculty member from Cal Tech who goes to church, but still understands the earth is older than 10,000 years.</p>
<p>I don’t listen to Bill Maher, but I did read Kevin Roose’s book The Unlikely Disciple about Liberty, where he attended class for a semester. Although he had some nice things to say about Liberty, he also describes courses with very little academic rigor – in several courses students are given simple work sheets to fill in during the lecture – which IMO does not qualify as “higher education” or training the mind. While this may not be true for all LU courses, it has enough of a poor reputation for academic quality that it’s easy to see why a potential employer will not be impressed with a Liberty degree for reasons that have nothing to do with religious discrimination.</p>
<p>My views on Liberty University are not a result of Bill Mahr’s statements. I stated MY opinion; I told you what I would do. Yes, one word can make a factual statement into an opinion. I suspect that a sizable proportion of Americans share my beliefs.</p>
<p>You came to CC so that others can help you make a choice that would better serve you professionally. Many members have cast doubts on the quality of a Liberty education. Take from this what you what, but if you want to be entrenched in your preconceived notion of Liberty excellence, there is nothing we can do to help you.</p>
<p>You should go back, read and understand the situation on the Duke board that you referenced. Statements of opinions and facts are quite different. Reading comprehension is very important in the 21st century.</p>