Slashdot Mirror
Online vs. Traditional Degrees?
Justin Rainbow asks: "As a computer science student, avid internet user and full-time programmer I find it very appealing to finish my CS degree online. Finishing at least a year early and studying whenever I want are just a couple of the draws to the online campus. However, are these internet degrees even worth the paper their printed on? Is an online degree just a waste of money? Can an online degree give you just as many opportunities as a traditional university? Has anyone in the Slashdot community graduated from one of these online schools? Did it help or hurt your career? What about graduate school admissions? Does an online degree hurt your chances to get into a great graduate school?"
However, are these internet degrees even worth the paper their printed on?
If you can't find the error in that sentence, you shouldn't be allowed to get an online degree!
It depends. Right now I'm enrolled in University of Illinois - Springfield's (UIS) online computer science degree and they don't make any mention that it was online when you graduate. So, it is the same degree that the students on campus get, but UIS isn't exactly in the top of the computer science programs. I feel satisfied with the degree though. Also, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign offers a professional masters degree in computer science (also no mention when you get your degree that it was online) and I believe that would help you quite a bit because UIUC is a very highly ranked computer science program. So, I would say as long as you take it from a school that has a traditional campus and degree in computer science. It'll be pretty much equivilent to their on campus degree. But I wouldn't touch University of Pheonix or similar "Universities" with a ten foot pole. That's as close to buying your degree as you can get and your school still being accredited.
"Curiouser and Curiouser" - Alice
However, are these internet degrees even worth the paper their printed on?
Looks like the brick-and-mortar ones aren't worth much either.
This is really, really bad advice. Even though I've learned most of what I know through practical experience, my 4 years of college has really helped me. Too many programmers don't understand foundational concepts, and subsequently they lack the tools to adequately understand how to solve a problem. Picking some arbitrary age limit and saying that you shouldn't do any formal learning after that time is just plain stupid. Shame on you for even making that suggestion.
If you don't want crime to pay, let the government run it.
I agree with your position, but not your reasoning. I find that good programmers are good programmers, regardless of whether they have a degree or not. I've never, in my career, seen a developer who understands fundamentals because of college, and I've never seen one who lacks skills because he or she didn't go to college.
However, a degree will generally add at least 10 g's to your salary, when you are compared to someone with comparable skill without a degree. College is the way to go. Doesn't matter if it is online or not - a degree is just an extra foot in the door. Talent and people skills will take you the rest of the way from there.
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But if you don't interact with professors not only will you not have to worry about grad school, how are you going to network for a job once you go to business school or law school?
Imagine getting a business or law degree online and trying to become a judge or work for a fortune 500 company.
Additionally, social networking is one of the best ways to find employment.
I fully agree with the parent and would like to point out that another thing to keep in mind is that on campus recruiting provides huge oppurtunities for a career. Companies come to career fairs at a campus because they respect the school's program. It's much easier to get an interview with these companies because you get the chance to talk to their recruiters one on one no matter what your resume looks like. If you do decide to get an online degree at least make sure that you are able to attend these events on the college's campus.
You also don't want to miss on out on your chance to meet with professors as other posts have pointed out. Every professor that I've ever had has had specific hours during the week for students to stop by their office just to talk. Getting to know people who are already well established in the field in a personal way can give you a huge advantage as a professional. While I'm sure there are chances to communicate with professors in online curriculums I have a hard time believing that you could achieve quite as personal of a relationship. Knowing a professor or two is crucial to having a good grad school application as well.
If you do decide to go with an online degree it is very important to put a lot of effort into gaining the same social experiences you would with an on campus degree.