Obtaining a Masters Degree Online

Diploma Mills

2008-09-07T10:09:00.000-04:00

One thing to worry about, at least in my eyes, is the legitimacy of the online masters degree program. I don't mean legitimacy as in Harvard Business vs. your local state college. That would pertain to reputation and quality and respectability in the educational world. What I mean by legitimacy is accreditation.

Recently, there was an issue of a superintendent at the Freehold school district in New Jersey in which the superintendent had paid a diploma mill for a doctorate degree. The way the NJ school system works is that teachers and administrators are given pay increases for the degrees they acquire. Although this incentive is in place for degrees only from accredited universities and colleges, this superintendent went to a non-accredited college where his only major requirement for obtaining a doctorate degree was writing a 12-page paper. He was then given a diploma. For us real students, we know a 12-page paper could be less than 25% of the course work from a real, accredited institution. These are called diploma mills, places that hand out degrees as fast as McDonald's hands out cheeseburgers, so long as you pay the school's fees.

What is important to note here is that the non-accredited school was an online school. While you can be assured that a school like Drexel, Harvard, or Rutgers are all accredited, you need to make sure to do research when deciding on the right online program for you. The last thing you want to do is spend a lot of money only to have your degree be seen as irrelevant because of the school's lack of accreditation.

Here is a link to legitimate, state-recognized accreditation agencies:
http://www.elearners.com/resources/agencies.asp

Here is a link to a news article with more information on the problem with NJ school superintendents using non-accredited degrees to get more money:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/09/05/03diploma.h28.html

Drexel University

2008-09-01T18:40:00.000-04:00

Combined with the online masters degrees are online bachelor's degrees. One such program is at Drexel University. I am a computing technology major, which is another term for network administration. Computer science is usually what people think when discussing computer degrees for undergraduate studies. Problem with that is that computer science degrees are very math oriented, including years of calculus and other high-level mathematics. For someone like me, who may do well at math but don't want to dive into so much high-level mathematics, this is not appealing. My career goal is network administration. That is my current position at my current employer, and I do not want to take years of mathematics for a computer science degree. Instead, Drexel University has created the computing technology degree, which covers aspects of network administration like operating system architecture, database administration, and IT security as well as non-technical courses like project management.

You get the respectability and credibility of Drexel University without the strict structure of a traditional brick and mortar school. Their URL is http://www.drexel.edu.

High quality online programs

2008-08-17T21:06:00.001-04:00

Some high quality online programs include:

University of Phoenix
Drexel University (of which I attend)
Harvard Business School
Rutgers University
Penn State
Strayer University

One of the main benefits of online masters degree programs is the flexibility of the scheduling. The University of Phoenix, for instance, outlines a curriculum for each student to follow but allows students the ability to "attend" class on their own schedule. Same thing goes for Drexel University. Classes have standard assignments due and exams to take as with conventional programs but give more flexibility to their students. There simply is no reason to attend a brick and mortar school when online programs are available.

Why you should obtain an online masters degree

2008-08-17T19:24:00.000-04:00

Most professional positions require at least an undergraduate degree. You may be able to obtain a well-paying job with solely an undergraduate degree but a graduate degree is necessary in many fields to increase pay and climb the corporate ladder. While undergraduate degrees mean you have a good level of knowledge, masters degrees demonstrate not only a commitment to expanding your knowledge about your field but also a dedication to improving yourself. Furthermore, your level of education has a direct correlation to salary.

The traditional method for earning a masters degree has and most likely always will be attending a brick and mortar school. However, with increasing popularity, online degree programs have become major competitors to brick and mortar universities and colleges. Programs run by the University of Phoenix or Strayer University are growing in attendance. Unless you continued with a graduate degree directly after earning an undergraduate degree, returning to earn a masters degree means taking time away from work and your personal life. It means taking night classes and/or weekend classes that increase the load on an already busy personal life. And many institutions follow rigid schedules for their graduate students, forcing students to choose between attending class or sacrificing their continued education for their personal life.

Most online programs do not adhere to such pressured curriculums. The idea in and of itself means no brick and mortar institutes. Online masters degree programs understand that a good number, if not the great majority, or their students are full-time professionals, with their own families, busy with life and if they decide to pursue a graduate degree need to do so on their own time. Online programs offer that type of flexibility. Schedules accommodate busy personal lives. Students can earn credits according to their own availability.

Online programs have traditionally been likened to diploma mills that hand higher degrees to anyone willing to fork over the money. These types of institutions do nothing more than degrade their own reputation and the reputation of other legitimate online programs. However, modern programs like University of Phoenix, Drexel University, and even Harvard have bettered the reputation of online programs. Masters degree students can be assured that the online programs they enroll in are legitimate programs aimed at teaching professional skills and increasing the potential for higher salaries and job marketability.