Online schools vs. Traditional school
 

So, here's my problem. I'm currently in graduate school and it is very very time-consuming, which I knew it would be. Well, a friend of mine suggested doing online grad school, such as University of Phoenix, because it would be much more flexible with my schedule and I wouldn't have to "make" class and the drive, etc. But, here's my question, are those schools as creditable as others and how effective is this teaching method? Anyone go this route? Thoughts, comments???

Well first of all-- it depends on what your major is. That is VERY important before I can address some issues.

Also, it depends on if you are already in a position with a company and they are asking you to get a degree and they are paying for it. If your employer is not asking you to get the degree for advancement, and you are going to try to use this to get a better job, beware, most people/companies do not respect an online degree. So someone with a "real" degree will get job consideration over an online degree candidate. Please forgive my use of "real". But that is the reality of it. Yes, the degree is real, but it is not as respected.

Effective teaching method? That is depends on your major. The REAL question is-- is it an effective learning method for you? Some people do not do well reading textbooks over the internet. Especially if you are "timed" on the amount of time spent online per class. Because if you discover that you do not do well reading the texts online, you will have to use a real textbook to read and actually learn but you will still need "spend" the allotted time online. So it is double time.

If you decide to pursue an accredited degree from a "real" accredited college, credits often can not be transferred from an online school to a "real" accredited college. So that says something right there. Yes, they degree may be accredited, but the courses are not transferable to a real college.

There are so many variables that need to be addressed before I can go ay further.

Yes, pursuing a graduate degree is time consuming. Yes, there is a lot of driving and expenses, but it pays off in the end. You got into grad school. (Congrats!!!) Online degrees are for people who CAN'T. They do not have a good enough grad point average or whatever. Online schools accept just about anyone. That is why employers have no respect for the degree.

edit: Just to clarify, there is a difference between a traditional college offering Online Classes, such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton (you still have to meet their stringent acceptance criteria) & online schools like FMU or Phoenix. The only ones who will say "hey this is the wave of the future" and "online schools are more widely accepted by employers" are the online schools themselves...

P.S. - Instead of some cheesy school, there are real schools that you can go to online. A friend from my law classes is concurrently enrolled at Oregon State - doing all his classes online. :shrug: (he lives here in the bay area). Pretty cool.

I completed my masters degree online through Boston University and it was very much indeed a "real degree" and very much respected, however detached I was from the physical campus. The very same degree was also available through the physical campus, was accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and therefore, the degree work was nearly identical. The only difference was that I was thousands of miles away from Boston and never stepped foot into a campus.

Currently, I am a Ph.D student and I had no problems whatsoever in getting in with my "online" masters degree. I had the GPA, the test scores, and the publications that made my acceptance a no-brainer. What I found was that not only were the professors in my department impressed, but they were rather curious about my online experience and how it compared to the traditional school experience. It also put them at ease to know that since I had made it through the program successfully, it meant that my time management skills were probably a lot stronger than most students'.

There are some definite perks to pursuing a degree online-- it works with whatever schedule you have. However, the downside to that is that it is imperative that you have excellent time management skills. You must be able to discipline yourself and say, "Okay, on Wednesday from 12-5pm, I will be working on statistics," or something along those lines. If you're not disciplined, it will be extremely easy for you to slack off on the readings and get behind on the assignments. If you are the type of student who can only focus in a classroom setting, online is probably not the way to go.

Since my degree was through BU, I worked with some amazing professors who taught me some incredible things in my field. I also had the opportunity work alongside people who worked in different capacities within my field. And in actuality, I found that I experienced more camaraderie with my fellow online students than I ever did at a physical campus. We all realized how difficult it was to complete this degree and therefore, we'd hold study sessions (online) about the topic matter. This was especially helpful in classes like statistics, where you oftentimes depend on the teacher being physically present to tend to your needs.

I don't know about the University of Phoenix or any of those strictly online schools, so I can't say anything. My recommendation would be this-- if you're considering an online graduate program, try looking for those programs that are at physical campuses that are recognized for their physical degree programs. Boston isn't the only one-- I know that the University of Louisville has online degree work, as well. Those programs are out there, if you just look around.

edit: I didn't attend an online graduate school because I could not get into a quote/unquote "real" graduate school. When I graduated with my bachelors degree, I graduated with full honors, as top student in my department, with several publications under my belt, and numerous other accolades. I was quite capable of attending graduate school. However, due to personal circumstances at the time, I was unable to move and the universities where I lived did not have what I wanted to study. Boston's program fit my needs at the right place at the right time. Incidentally enough, I have had no problem with transferring my online coursework into my current Ph.D degreeplan at a major research university. Even when you earn your degree elsewhere, most major universities still require you to take a series of courses that will get you up to speed with what is going on at that particular university.

Thanks...very insightful and helpful. I had a feeling I was doing the right thing and should probably stick with what I'm doing. I guess, in reality, I'm overwhelmed and looking for the "easy" way out...yuck! I hate feeling like that. My job is so stressful and demands so much of me and I don't want school or my job to suffer - not to mention I'm trying to get back into a workout regimen. I guess it's just a matter of juggling.

Graduate school is time consuming, whether you do it online or at a traditional setting. I've had experience with both and each have their strengths and weaknesses. But I wouldn't call one easier than the other-- my online masters degree was not easy by any means. If anything, it was probably a little more difficult for the fact that I had to supplement for little things, like not being able to go to my professor's office for help or having to make up my own school schedule. The workload (reading, assignments, discussions) were just as much difficult online as they were at a physical school.

great points and I appreciate you taking the time to say so