Will a distance learning degree limit me?
Q. I'd like the opinions and advice of the readers out there. I'm currently in Human Resources working as a recruiter, though I may not always be in this field. I'm considering getting a Bachelor's degree in psychology through distance learning, but I'm concerned about whether that will limit me as far as any stigma attached to distance learning. I may also wish to pursue a graduate degree later. Someone who hires recently said to me, "if I get someone with a distance learning degree, their resume goes right in the trash." Maybe not very open-minded, but nevertheless, I'm hoping that's not the majority reaction of hiring managers out there. What do you think? The schools I'm considering are all regionally accredited and are not diploma mills. They are: Thomas Edison State College (www.tesc.edu) Charter Oak State College (www.cesc.edu) Excelsior College (www.excelsior.edu) Louisiana State University I'm very interested in anyone who can give me an opinion supported by fact or experience. If there are any educators or employers out there, your experience is especially valuable.
A. Before enrolling in a distance ed program some time back, I did an informal survey of some HR recruiters. I was disappointed to learn that they tend to view distance degrees rather negatively. I found it rather ironic, despite repeated claims to the contrary in this NG, they made no distinction between national and regional accreditation, but perceived distance degrees as being of lesser value than traditional. That's of concern. Hopefully a lot of employers don't know a DL degree from a traditional one by name alone. I know I wouldn't. I'd be looking for "bachelor's" or "master's" and what it was in, and maybe the GPA. Industry has been slow to accept (accredited) distance education, but it is. Many, many "name brand" colleges are instituting online programs. Recently, the U.S. Army awarded a contract worth billions to allow soldiers to obtain their degree online through a variety of accredited schools. Are you concerned only with the marketability of the degree, or do you also want to get an education? Some people might question whether "distance learning" provides as good an education as traditional classes, but that question has not yet been addressed in this thread. I do not know anything about the educational system in the states so I can only comment on my own situation. In the UK & Northern Ireland we have an Open University all courses are taken by distance learning. In some if not all course there are several residential weeks where students take exams etc. I am currently study by distance learning with a College in Scotland and feel that it is worth while and at the end off the day I will still have the qualification no matter by what means I achieved it. You still have to do the work and research for assignments so I feel that it should not be undervalued. So Keep at it.
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