Get Masters Degree via Distance Education?

Everything else
1

Anyone have any experience getting their master’s degree via distance education? Obviously, I’d want to find an accredited place, so I don’t end up getting a PhD from LIT, but there ain’t really any good schools near me to get a degree at, so I was looking at

www.ntu.edu

and

www.scis.nova.edu

Thoughts?

2

Here’s a thought. Such a degree would be almost useless compared to those who did it the traditional way. However, if you already have a job and just want the extra credentials, it might help. You would be better off taking night classes at a local university, if possible.

3

Those degrees are generally considered useless in corporate america.

4

See, you guys say that, but then I look at…

http://www.ntu.edu/ac/accredited.asp

Which points out that this is an accredited university,

http://www.ntu.edu/ac/graduation/grads02.asp

Which points out that these degrees are from rather known technical companies,

and then see

http://www.ntu.edu/ac/univ_partners.asp

Which points out that all the classes that these guys offer are from normal schools.

So I ask of all the people saying this is a bad idea – do you actually have any experience with this stuff or are you just under a knee-jerk reaction to any sort of “distance learning” education for fear of it being a degree mill and showing up at your virtual alumni reunion to find Derek Smart running the nametag table?

edit: and what about getting degrees from campuses far away?

http://www.rsvp.rpi.edu/

Would anyone claim that a degree from Rensselaer is less because I did it from a few thousand miles away?

I know its not conventional – I also want to point out that I’m not exactly planning on going to school full time, and the only school near me (Sonoma State) has a very new, underfunded (thanks, telecom crash!) Masters program mainly aimed at telecommunications.

5

If you do it through an accredited college that also has a physical campus, most people will respect the degree with no qualms. My wife got her RN (after having gotten her LPN the traditional way) via distance learning through the SUNY Regents program, and it’s just as valid as if she’d slogged to class every day.

(Can’t believe the thread has gone on this long without a “Why don’t you ask Derek?” crack…)

6

Well, I was going to do a “Well, just be sure to be prepared for when Huffman hunts you down” or something like that, but then I realized that might be interpreted that I in some way liked Huffman.

7

Well, I was going to do a “Well, just be sure to be prepared for when Huffman hunts you down” or something like that, but then I realized that might be interpreted that I in some way liked Huffman.[/quote]

Don’t be silly, Anders. Nobody likes Huffman.

8

I think you guys are a little behind the times on how these degrees are regarded in the corporate world. My company has partnered with the distance learning departments of several “real” universities and will even reimburse employees who pursue degrees via distance learning just like taking traditional classes. To be honest, I would rather pursue a distance MBA from Auburn (one of the approved universities) rather than get one from the local traditional university.

-DavidCPA

9

I’m not accredited, but I can certify you* for a very reasonable fee. ;)

  • Alan

[size=1]* Well, except that I have to have known you for more than a year and recognize you on sight.[/size]

10

I don’t know the specifics now, as I’m a long ways from learnin’ and stuff, but I know a couple of years back a sizable minority of schools offered distance learning programs that were no different from the on-campus ones. There weren’t even any differences in the degrees being offered, so no employed would ever even be able to tell if you did the courses in person or via correspondence.

11

Until they ask you… What color is the boathouse at Hereford?

12

Thanks, Sam.

So what was in the briefcase? And don’t give me that MacGuffin crap.

13

[quote=“Machfive”]

Thanks, Sam.

So what was in the briefcase? And don’t give me that MacGuffin crap.[/quote]

The Colonel’s recipe for Chicken.

14

Yep. I have a friend who came up in her company thru the trenches, and they’re having her do the distance learning thing (MBA, I think, at an Arizona school?) so they can promote her to VP.