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The Pros/Cons of an Online Masters

August 18, 2008 RSS Feed Print

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Andrew G.R.

Ten years removed from college, and for the first time in a decade, I'm flirting with the idea of continuing my education. I'm honestly not sure where this newfound idea is rooted. Boredom? Ego? A challenge? Thirst for knowledge? The truth will shake out over the next few weeks as I begin to familiarize myself with the GMAT, online programs, and the positive/negatives of the endeavor. (My sneaking suspicion is that the MATH will ultimately keep me away.)

Here are some questions that need to be answered before I move forward:

What will I study and how will it help my career?
Will an advanced degree help me at my current job or is a company/career switch necessary?
How will I pay for it? What's the ROI?
Even though my job doesn't outwardly offer tuition reimbursement, is there a way I can convince them to foot the bill?
Do I have the time to commit?
Are there other alternatives that can satisfy my list of pros? Perhaps a certificate program?
How important is the name of the school attended? What if they only have an online presence? (Stay away from diploma mills and understand the differences between nationally and regionally accredited schools.)

Here's a quick hit of pros/cons on obtaining an online masters.

PROS:

Expanded base of knowledge
Resume enhancer
Ego booster

CONS:

Studying for test
The expense
Time required to choose a school

What's on your list of pros/cons? And what other questions do you think should be asked?

Gosh, it sure would be nice for an online school to approach me and have me blog about the entire experience in exchange for an education...

In the meantime, I'm making it a mission to uncover some answers before I move forward.

After holding down various media jobs, including stops at MTV Networks and Fox News, Andrew G.R. was completely discouraged—not only about his own career but about the lack of job resources that truly spoke to him. Enter Jobacle.com, the employment blog and podcast designed to Make Work Better.

***

Attention all resume writers: Blogger Andrew G.R. is now holding the Jobacle Resume Challenge. Rewrite G.R.'s resume and get a shot at stardom. If you win you'll get a few prizes—including promotion in a three-month banner posted on Jobacle.com.

Tags:: continuing education,; internet,; careers,; online education

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It's very easy to discount an online masters degree if you have no need of a masters degree at all. But I do need it, and for me online is the ONLY option. For personal reasons I will be moving to a larger city within the next 2-3 years, and when I do that I'll surely need a masters to get a decent-paying job in my field and beat out the competition. However, I like my current job and don't want to interrupt my career track to go to school. The answer? An online masters.
Nobody out there should forget the reason online degrees came into existance in the first place: because there was demand. Without this option, good hard-working people like myself would be unfairly shut out of the educational process. And education should be inclusive, not exclusive.
I need to join other posters in emphasizing that many respected universities offer online programs that would be a boost to many resumes and careers.

GJ of VT 10:10PM August 30, 2009

In response to the post titled "It'll close doors", you are making a gross assumption believing that all online degrees are so easy to spot. Most major universities now offer online graduate and undergraduate degrees that are absolutely indiscernible from their on-campus counterparts.
A few examples include (but are not limited to):
- Penn State University
- Arizona State University
- Indiana University (I intend to apply to their Kelly School of Business online MBA program which is currently ranked #22 in the nation and my degree would be no different than if I had attended class on campus).
- Gonzaga
- Oregon State
- Carnegie Mellon
The real driver comes down to the individual. Do you have the wherewithal to attend class, complete projects and assignments and participate in general knowing that the only one driving your time line is you? If you do then there should be no reason for you to discount an online degree as one of your options for furthering your education.

Tony of WA 3:11PM August 23, 2009

I think when most people think of online education they immediately think of the usual suspects- University of Phoenix, Strayer, AIU, Devry, etc.
What most people forget is that many well known public and private universities offer online graduate programs where, upon completion, the students receive the exact some degree as those students that physically attended the school. These programs have the exact same admission requirements and standards as their on campus counterparts.
Just to name a few schools with these programs: Drexel University, Auburn, Arizona State, Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech, Emory University, Indiana, UMass, Virgina Tech, OK State. I'm sure there are many others and I think more and more schools will be looking into online courses and degree programs in the future as a way of making it easier for non-traditional students to further their educations.
Let's not lump all online degrees into the same pile and label them worthless.

Tony 1:38AM February 12, 2009