• Welcome to the FREE TUGBBS forums! The absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 32 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 32 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 32nd anniversary: Happy 32nd Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    All subscribers auto-entered to win all free TUG membership giveaways!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $24,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $24 Million dollars
  • Wish you could meet up with other TUG members? Well look no further as this annual event has been going on for years in Orlando! How to Attend the TUG January Get-Together!
  • Now through the end of the year you can join or renew your TUG membership at the lowest price ever offered! Learn More!
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    Tens of thousands of subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Distance Education-Online Degrees??

M

markel

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
349
Reaction score
0
Has anyone ever travelled this path to obtain a college degree? If so, was it a positive experience? I'm assuming that some of these schools are legit, while others probably aren't. The thought of doing this has crossed my mind, so I'm looking everywhere I can for opinions. Thanks !!

Mark
 
My daughter will be graduating this summer from Phoenix on line with an accounting degree. I assume it's legit since her employer paid for it. She'll be flying out to Phoenix to attend her ceremony. I know she's worked very hard in her on line classes.
 
Mark,

Our daughter completed her entire degree on-line with Chico State in California. She is now working towards her Masters Degree on-line as well. You are correct when you say some are legit, some are not. Most colleges now offer some sort of degree-on-line program. You should check with colleges near you to see what they have.

I have also taken several classes on-line towards a degree and it was a really positive experience for me. I work better alone than in a classroom setting, so it was perfect for me.
 
I earned a BSBA degree from the University of Phoenix and my husband is about to graduate with a masters in IT. I worked very hard for my degree and felt I learned as much as I would have in the traditional classroom setting.

That being said, I do agree with a lot of the critisism in the article. There were times when I felt I was teaching myself, but I think that was based more on the classroom setting and not a reflection of most of the instructors. Also I sometimes wondered how some of my fellow students made it as far as they did in the program when their writing ability seemed barely at the highschool level. My husband has said the same about some of the students he's in class with also. I wonder too, if I had put half as much effort into my assignments would I still have gotten the same grades.

The online program was the only option for me so I was pretty thankful to have the opportunity.
Julie
 
Online degree programs

I graduated from Penn State in 1986. I have recently looked into their online degree programs. All personnel have been very responsive. They have a limited number of Bachelor's and Master's Degree Programs online at Penn State. However, of all the online colleges, PSU has by far, the best reputation, IMHO. For example, their Master's School in Geography was just rated NO/ 1 in the country. They offer a Master's In Geographic Information Systems online.

Check them out. They are expensive, but I think worth the $$$. I don't know about the reputation of other online programs.:D
 
Make sure the school you are considering is accredited.
 
I am currently enrolled at Colorado Christian University studying to complete my BSBA. My credits from Ohio State transfered. This is my 2nd semester. I am here to tell you that it is harder online. You have to be disciplined. The program that I am in breaks the semester into mini terms; each lasting 7 weeks with there only being about 3 weeks of overlap where you are taking 2 classes at the same time. That means each course is compressed. We cover the same amount of material as a full semester course does. The program at CCU consists of online chats, discussion threads and even group projects. I don't feel like my education is being compromised in any way and would recommend you give it a try. Just be careful of where you go.
 
My son got his Turf Management Certificate from Penn State. All classes were online. The cost per credit was the same as if he were attending class in person. He had to get a proctor from a local school to administer his tests. The tests were sent directly to the proctor.
 
I recieved my BS from Excelsior College in NY. It is fully accredited and has been operational for over 20 yrs.

It was very easy to get into a Masters program with this degree.
 
I would not recommend Phoenix. I started my PhD at University of Phoenix and left the program, disgusted in the way they forced you to be in a group of students who may not work as hard or timely as you but your grade depends on them. Also many students in the EdD program could barely write--what kind of standards do they have if teachers in theri EdD program have 4th grade writing skills?

Background: I did my BS traditionally in the 70s. I did my MBA in 2004-5 in person through an accelerated program that was comprised of lots of independent study and group work. So I have seen more than one type of "classroom" and have been able to adapt.

My impression of UOP was that you did not need to be a rocket scientist but as long as you followed the other sheep you would get a degree. Although the caliber of my work was very much above average, my teammates chose to wait until the 11th hour to work on the group projects and it was too stressful for me to work that way. I appealed to the instructors and advisors and they did nothing, so I left the program.

The icing on the cake was they have surveys after each course. I filled them out with specific examples of situations. At the end of the survey, they say they will contact you. Right. Never heard from them.

In contrast, I teach as an adjunct at a local school and they talk to you about the end of course surveys if they get lots of complaints. I recommend you look at local schools--they may be more accountable to their students.

In general, online studies require the ability to manage your time well. You spend lots of time typing your classroom participation.

I also recommend you talk to others who have gone through the programs you are considering and ask them what they liked and didn't like.

Good Luck to you!
 
I would not recommend Phoenix. I started my PhD at University of Phoenix and left the program, disgusted in the way they forced you to be in a group of students who may not work as hard or timely as you but your grade depends on them. Also many students in the EdD program could barely write--what kind of standards do they have if teachers in theri EdD program have 4th grade writing skills?:wall:

Background: I did my BS traditionally in the 70s. I did my MBA in 2004-5 in person through an accelerated program that was comprised of lots of independent study and group work. So I have seen more than one type of "classroom" and have been able to adapt.

My impression of UOP was that you did not need to be a rocket scientist but as long as you followed the other sheep you would get a degree. Although the caliber of my work was very much above average, my teammates chose to wait until the 11th hour to work on the group projects and it was too stressful for me to work that way. I appealed to the instructors and advisors and they did nothing, so I left the program.

The icing on the cake was their surveys after each course. I filled them out with specific examples of situations. At the end of the survey, they say they will contact you. Right. Never heard from them.

In contrast, I teach as an adjunct at a local college and they talk to teachers about the end of course surveys if they get lots of complaints--I know of a teacher who was fired because of those surveys. I recommend you look at local schools--they may be more accountable to their students.

In general, online studies require the ability to manage your time well. You spend lots of time typing your classroom participation.

I also recommend you talk to others who have gone through the programs you are considering and ask them what they liked and didn't like.

Good Luck to you!:clap:
 
Interesting comments on the University of Phoenix. I'm not surprised that profit is the main focus, not education, with the Apollo Group as the parent company. They had such a messy and greedy foray into buying Sylvan Learning Centers/Educate, Inc. a few years ago, that the centers went private again when the original execs saw the need to buy it back.

This group has relentlessyly pursued me for a Ph.D. program, but in doing my "homework," I've found that the caliber of doctoral students there does not appear to be a high one. The message I basically get from my recruiter is if you can pay, you can come. Well, for a $55k program with UP, I'd rather carry myself down the street to The College of William and Mary and earn a more respectable degree.

Finally, we have friends who teach for UP's online classes; I've even considered it myself, but I do not think there is educational value in the structure UP offers. Our friends who are part time professors basically squeeze this in as an extra money maker, not a serious endeavor. As one put it (an Army Lt. Col.) "Yeah, I sign on a couple of times a day, throw out some discussion questions, and make sure some answers are coming back in. For those slow on the uptake, I answer the questions they bombard me with by email."

Online may be convenient, but I question the true rigor, value, and respectability that UP provides.

Just my two cents...

Jeni
 
normab said:
I would not recommend Phoenix. I started my PhD at University of Phoenix and left the program, disgusted in the way they forced you to be in a group of students who may not work as hard or timely as you but your grade depends on them. Also many students in the EdD program could barely write--what kind of standards do they have if teachers in theri EdD program have 4th grade writing skills?

My impression of UOP was that you did not need to be a rocket scientist but as long as you followed the other sheep you would get a degree. Although the caliber of my work was very much above average, my teammates chose to wait until the 11th hour to work on the group projects and it was too stressful for me to work that way. I appealed to the instructors and advisors and they did nothing, so I left the program.

The icing on the cake was they have surveys after each course. I filled them out with specific examples of situations. At the end of the survey, they say they will contact you. Right. Never heard from them.

In general, online studies require the ability to manage your time well. You spend lots of time typing your classroom participation.
Click to expand...

These were the exact same complaints my husband and I had/have about UOP. At one point my husband thought about leaving the program, but felt he had just gone too far to switch schools. He is in his last week of his last class for his Master's degree and he's stressing right up until the end about his teammates pulling their share of the load.:mad:
Julie
 
Julie-

I'm glad your husband is able to finish up and earn his degree. The stats show that UP receives some of the highest levels of federal financial aid and has one of the lowest graduation rates- 16% or less. Yikes!

Jeni
 
Jeni said:
Julie-

I'm glad your husband is able to finish up and earn his degree. The stats show that UP receives some of the highest levels of federal financial aid and has one of the lowest graduation rates- 16% or less. Yikes!

Jeni
Click to expand...

Thanks Jeni. My husband will be so glad that he'll be finished in a few days and I'm really proud of him. It is troubling that UOP's reputation is not so good. We were initially impressed with UOP when we started the bachelors program and we both gave it 100%. For me it was more of a personal goal than a professional one, but for my husband, getting a degree was definitely a career move.

julie
 
I went with Charter Oak State College, out of Connecticut.

There are some very basic questions you need to answer before looking for a good program:

1 - Do you want to consolidate credit you have already earned?
2 - Do you want to take classes online, or in a classroom?

If you already have many credits, you are looking for degree completion. This means you want a school that will accept the courses you have already taken, and if you are within 20 or so credits of a degree, you also want a school without a residency requirement. Some places require at least 30 credits be from them, some the LAST 30 credits.

The "Big 3" degree completion schools are Charter Oak, Thomas Edison, and Excelsior which used to be called Regents University. All 3 of these accept most transfer credits, as long as they come from accredited schools. Each has its benefits and pitfalls, but they all allow you to complete a degree without taking ANY of their courses. You have options to take standard classroom courses from almost anywhere, online courses, correspondence courses, credit by exam, and even portfolio credits (where you justify credits based on life or work experience). Note that portfolio credits sound easy, but they are not. You have to find an equivalent course, and show that you have learned the equivalent material through your experience.

A good site to start your research is degreeinfo.com. Their forums are to distance learning what our here are to timeshare. There are many questionable schools, but there are also many good ones. I completed my degree in december, through a combination of regular courses (the bulk of my degree), online courses, combination online/correspondence courses, and exams. It is not something I would recommend for a young inexperienced student. Online and correspondence courses require discipline, as you don't have the teacher looking over your shoulder every week. For those above who found their classmates lacking, I found the same of both some online classmates and those taking regular classes - those who were returning to college, and serious about their degrees (and paying their own way, more often), were the ones that put all they could into their classes.

I personally was turned of by Phoenix because of both their cost and their structure. With "the big 3" you can get most of your coursework done, and then commit to the school, particularly if you've gotten to the point where you don't need someone else telling you what courses you should take.
 
Distance education is here to stay...some of the best university programs in information studies are working hard to make it really good and highly interactive...I'm all for it if more people can get to study something that they like and that will improve their life...not so appealing to the older generation, maybe, but great for our younger more technically savvy folks...
Connie
 
I'll post this view of distance learning from a different perspective. That of the person doing the hiring...

When I was part of information technology management in corporate America, I would hire about one position per month on avarage for my business units. For positions that were essentially the second job of someone's career (reguiring 1-3 years experience - most of our jobs), I would specifically seek applicants from working class backgrounds who had finished their studies at night while working during the day. They were great hires, I share why below.

This is largely before U of P "created" the distance learning industry. But I view most of these schools as legit and the work just as hard from my experiences with people doing these programs during this decade. So we'll lump them together with going to school at night.

These candidates consistently had more drive and maturity than those who had the fortunate experience of four years of un-interrupted school after college.

So, while I have now largely retired from IT, I would hire someone who worked during the day and went to U of Phoenix online at night much sooner than any equivalent candidate who finished a good school right out of HS. Let's be frank, these applicants did not have the benefit of mommy and daddy paying for college. They had to pull it off themselves though "sweat equity" investment.

Looking at the spoiled crop growing up here in Northern NJ today, I'm even more inclined to follow this belief system. To elaborate, we have affluent neighborhoods largely devoid of the old school work ethic in the young people, of course, both parents work to pay the tab. Never see the local 16 year olds working in the local stores, only inner city kids who commute to work or the children of local 1st generation American residents. Almost scary...

I also sought kids who were mechanically curious, those who had stories of taking their brand new bike apart at age 12. Shows spatial thinking which is something not really teachable, but inate. Spatial thinking is a very important technologist trait. Was shocked to find a social link, ironically those who grew up with less often spent more time "studying it".

Also liked kids who were the first generation to attend college, the kids of butchers and bakers had more drive it seemed, they were raised with a work ethic that was unstoppable.

The results? The over one hundred hires I had over more than twenty years were far more successful than the averages. Dozens own their own companies today and many others have senior positions with companies like Cisco, IBM, Ernst & Young, and Chase. And they all did it by themselves through their drive.

I love distance learning as a great way for an individual to express that trait. Frankly it's the one trait that built America into the business leader it is - the drive to succeed.

Hopefully, more of our business society will learn that the best candidates are often the ones with the largest amount of sweat equity and a collection of personality traits that truly matches those the job demands.

John
 
Last edited:
Interesting post, John...exactly the population who can benefit, and then benefit the rest of us.
Connie
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top