Many people are skeptic about getting a degree online. What is the value of obtaining a degree online? Will I have a disadvantage to those who obtained their degrees at brick-and-mortar institutions? Will future employers favor those who have degrees from the traditional universities? These are all questions that arise when people have to make a decision on the form of education they wish to pursue. This article will offer trends on employers’ views of online degrees and the value an online degree holds.
Employer’s perception
When online degree programs began to popup, many employers were quite skeptical about the quality of the programs being offered. In a study in 2001, about twenty-nine percent of the employers questioned said they would never consider hiring an employee who obtained a degree via the internet. The other seventy-one percent either said they would hire candidates with online degrees or they simply did not care.
In recent years, many reputable universities, such as Penn State University and Florida State University, have begun to offer online degree programs. With prominent schools entering the online education arena, many more employers are starting to let go of their skepticisms. Employers are beginning to understand the quality of education received via online courses is equivalent or better than that of their brick-and-mortar counterparts. Employers are even encouraging their employees to attend classes online so they can advance in their careers.
Some employers prefer to hire individuals who have obtained a degree online because of the characteristics the individual possesses. Employers understand students of online programs are often self-starters, disciplined, and able to meet deadlines. All of these characteristics make the online student that more valuable in some industries.
There are, of course, those who feel online education is simply an “empty” education. They believe the students have not been able to have the full college experience and lack social interaction while attending online universities. They believe the students are not receiving the best education they could and would be counterproductive in the workforce. They believe the value of an online education is less than their brick-and-mortar counterparts.
Online degrees are more acceptable to employers if you have applicable work experience in the field. Experience almost always trumps any educational requirements. If you can sell yourself on paper by highlighting your accomplishments, you should have no problem with your future employer accepting your degree at the same level of traditional degrees.
Value of Online Degree
The value of an online degree varies from employer and degree program. Of course, if you attend an online program from a major university, like FSU, you may gain yourself some ground over exclusively online schools. The thing most employers do not know much about is the accreditation process which all schools of higher learning go through. Even though a school offers programs 100% online, they still have to go through the same process that Harvard did in order to be accredited.
Online degree programs are held to the same standard and, essentially, hold the same value on paper. Of course, there are some employers who would not mind having a Harvard graduate over an online degree program graduate, but that is just because of the name. Still, the value of an online degree is very high because you may be admired in the workforce because of certain qualities you may exhibit.
Online degree programs are a valuable asset in the workforce. Those who receive such degrees are admired because of they are seen as savvy and creative enough to successfully earn a degree online. The value of a degree from Florida State University’s brick-and-mortar courses and its online courses is essentially the same. The schools hardly ever make note, on the diploma, the degree was earned online. Basically, it is up to you to mention whether or not your degree was earned online or not.
In closing, the value of an online degree is no different than the value of a degree earned at a traditional institution of higher learning. While some employers are skeptical about the level of performance the online program has to offer, many are willing to overlook the fact the degree was obtained online, if there is applicable experience in the résumé. As technology advances, online degrees will more than likely become equals to those degrees earned at brick-and-mortar institutions.
