Online Degrees - Do Employers Like Them?

Earning an online degree is much more convenient, especially for adult students, than attending an on-campus program.  However, just earning a degree is not much help in furthering a career or establishing a new career if that degree does not have meaning and value, especially to prospective employers.  At one time online degrees were subject to suspicion.  There were degrees that could be purchased online from degree mills, without ever studying for that degree. Things have changed drastically in the past few years.  Not only do most employers value an online degree as much as one earned at a traditional on-campus program, but they often encourage current employees to pursue the online option so that they can continue working while they earn their degree. In many cases, employers will even reimburse employees the cost of tuition for these degree programs. One of the major reasons for this change in attitude is the fact that many top tier, accredited universities are now offering the exact same curriculum for their online degree programs as those offered at their campus locations.  In addition, studies have indicated that many of the online courses are actually taught by top university professors rather than teaching assistants.  State of the art teaching methods, utilizing the latest technology such as podcasts and webcasts, facilitate the method of course delivery to the students.  Employers have found that these self-paced online degree programs are a wonderful way for their current employees to increase their skills and credentials without having to leave the workforce, and for this reason many employers offer employees tuition reimbursement for the online courses. If you are concerned about your employer's attitude regarding online degrees, or a future employer for that matter, contact the Human Resource Department and ask, or ask your immediate supervisor.  In addition, if you decide to earn an online degree, make sure that the university or college offering the online degree program is fully accredited, and meets the quality standards of your employer.