Going back to school!

[Roel 7,192]

So I'm preparing myself to go back to school... again. Because we move so often, I decided that online college is the best way to go. My husband got his degree the same way.

 

Does anyone have experiences with online college? Which college did you pick?

 

Currently I'm looking into University of Maryland, though the only reason is their military programs and the fact that they have office on our post. But maybe there are better online schools out there?

 

Another question.. sort of. I'm extremely undecided what to do. I'm trying to decide between bachelors in Health Services Management or Criminal Justice. I see myself working in both those fields. Yes, I researched possible jobs.

 

Anyone have any experiences with either of those degrees/jobs?

[GP1977 288]

23 minutes ago, Roel said:

So I'm preparing myself to go back to school... again. Because we move so often, I decided that online college is the best way to go. My husband got his degree the same way.

 

Does anyone have experiences with online college? Which college did you pick?

 

Currently I'm looking into University of Maryland, though the only reason is their military programs and the fact that they have office on our post. But maybe there are better online schools out there?

 

Another question.. sort of. I'm extremely undecided what to do. I'm trying to decide between bachelors in Health Services Management or Criminal Justice. I see myself working in both those fields. Yes, I researched possible jobs.

 

Anyone have any experiences with either of those degrees/jobs?

From a resume and career standpoint most employers will give more credence to someone who obtained their 4 year degree the traditional way. GOing to class - having interactive class participation, etc, etc.  These online schools are convenient to many but dont offer the same education that one gets from the classroom in the traditional sense.  Many employers look down on online schools.   I have been in recruitment for 14 years so I can attest to this.

There is a huge difference between University of Maryland College Park and University of Maryland University College.  The individual who has a degree from College Park will be looked at in a much more favorable light then the individual from their online program.

Best of luck in your decision and do your research for whatever you decide.

 

[Roel 7,192]

6 minutes ago, GP1977 said:

From a resume and career standpoint most employers will give more credence to someone who obtained their 4 year degree the traditional way. GOing to class - having interactive class participation, etc, etc.  These online schools are convenient to many but dont offer the same education that one gets from the classroom in the traditional sense.  Many employers look down on online schools.   I have been in recruitment for 14 years so I can attest to this.

There is a huge difference between University of Maryland College Park and University of Maryland University College.  The individual who has a degree from College Park will be looked at in a much more favorable light then the individual from their online program.

Best of luck in your decision and do your research for whatever you decide.

 

Thank you! I'd prefer to do is traditional way, but online classes are so convenient, indeed. 😛 We will probably be in Germany for 2 - 3 more years also, so I don't have much choice.

 

BUT if I'd decide to wait and do traditional way when we're back in US - is it possible to complete the 4 year degree in different colleges/states and transferring credits? Sorry, the US education system is nuts.

 

This is the place I'm looking into http://www.umuc.edu/

 

 

[GP1977 288]

1 minute ago, Roel said:

Thank you! I'd prefer to do is traditional way, but online classes are so convenient, indeed. 😛 We will probably be in Germany for 2 - 3 more years also, so I don't have much choice.

 

BUT if I'd decide to wait and do traditional way when we're back in US - is it possible to complete the 4 year degree in different colleges/states and transferring credits? Sorry, the US education system is nuts.

 

This is the place I'm looking into http://www.umuc.edu/

 

 

Yes, if you could do 2 years with the online school and then transfer to a 4 year university program then that would be much better.  You will need to check with the 4 year program and find out if the classes (which they will refer to as credits will transfer).  Of course all of this is dependent upon where you will be living when you return to the US. If you are going to be in the Maryland area and can complete your degree at College Park that would be fantastic.  I would call both the online school and the university you think you would attend and ask them if their credits would transfer.

 

Just be careful with the online schools. They have been a very controversial topic here in the USA because many are nothing but profit centers..

[Roel 7,192]

54 minutes ago, GP1977 said:

Yes, if you could do 2 years with the online school and then transfer to a 4 year university program then that would be much better.  You will need to check with the 4 year program and find out if the classes (which they will refer to as credits will transfer). 

I haven't thought about this before, but it actually sounds like a pretty good plan. Thank you.

[GP1977 288]

1 minute ago, Roel said:

I haven't thought about this before, but it actually sounds like a pretty good plan. Thank you.

Yes, because if you can get a diploma from the traditional university (not the online) no one would ever know that you went to an online school.  You would be able to list your degree as being obtained from the traditional university.  Only you and whomever else you decided to share it with that you went to an online school would know.   Again, you just need to find out if they will let the credits transfer from an online school to their traditional program.   Good luck.

[Unlockable 7,315]

Actually, if you have enough work experience in a related field, it would not matter if the degree was obtained the traditional way or online.

 

I personally know several people on both sides of this topic; people going back to or have complete online degrees and human resources managers/ hiring managers who recruit candidates. We have discussed this a few times. One of the human resources people I know works for a Fortune 50 company and has the same sentiments as follows.

 

Here are some real life scenarios...

• Candidate 1 has been working 15 years in an industry. Have held many roles in production and design. Can't get any high level positions because of lack of degree. Went back to school online and obtained a BA. Is considered a top candidate due to the 15 years in the industry plus having a completed degree.
• Candidate 2 has nearly no industry experience. Yet completed degree online. Because of lack of work experience, is not considered a high candidate.
• Candidate 3 has little work experience. Finished degree traditional way. Did internship at companies within the industry. Is considered a good candidate because of  internship where s/he was able to get onsite experience and networking.

Out of the three candidates, number 1 would be the most qualified. Fifteen years experience in a specific industry is extremely valuable. Especially if the industry is highly competitive.

 

Also, there are many traditional schools that have online programs. The biggest misconception is that people believe that an online degree will show that a person did not go to a brick and mortar school. That is not true. An online degree from these schools look exactly the same as a degree from someone who went to class on campus. This myth was rebuffed a few years ago by someone on Reddit who compared the 2 degrees from the same school. There will be no indication that the degree was obtained online.

 

There are some big name schools that have online degree programs. Virginia Tech, Penn State, Ohio State, and University of North Carolina are a few. And for Veterans, Temple has a good program.

https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/university-of-north-carolina-wilmington-2984/bachelors

https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/ohio-state-university-columbus-6883/bachelors

https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/temple-university-3371/bachelors

 

Not taking away from the advice @GP1977 gave you. But the truth is that if you get a degree that has a campus (meaning, not completely online), there is no indication that the degree was obtained online unless the hiring person specifically asks, which 99 times out of 100, they will not.

 

With that being said, if you go to a low rated for-profit school that is completely online there may be some scrutiny. But if you go to a accredited, high rated college, it will not matter if it is online. Arizona State is probably one of the more famous a schools that offer online degrees yet it has a full fledged campus with 660 acres and over 15 schools onsite. And even dorms.

 

Obviously, not every school will have a degree program that you may want. So it really depends on the field you want to get in. But many do offer health services management and criminal justice. With health services, you can get a degree in nursing. Purdue offers a BS program in nursing... https://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/online-schools/purdue-university-global?pid=21000.

 

Again, there are many variables that will come into play. If you have never worked in healthcare before and are just starting out in the field, then you may not be a top candidate when you get your degree. But if, for example, you have been a nurses aid for 10+ years, and you obtain a BS in nursing, trust me, you will be highly considered, even if your degree is obtained online.

 

I am speaking from experience with friends, family , and colleagues. I have a close friend of mine, who was a technician for over 15 years, who was directly told by her director to get a degree. Her director told her it did not matter what degree it was, but it just needed to be a legitimate bachelors degree. My friend was a tech that time with professional certifications. I can't think of the name of the school she went to but she it was an online degree program. She completed it in 3 years. And is now working for the same company promoted to an engineer with 3 direct reports reporting to her. 

 

I really understand why gp1977 is advising to go for a traditional college. I really do. Many people feel that a college degree obtain by being on campus is more valuable than one obtained online. And in some cases, it may. I can see a person going for a high profile position at Goldman Sachs having their college experience heavily considered. But if you fall into the scenarios that I previously stated, with a wealth of industry knowledge and experience, an online degree will not hold you back in your career.

 

@Roel, congratulations on your decision to go back to school. Which ever degree decision you make, it will be beneficial to you. For more references on online degrees take a look at the US News link below. US News post online schools and degree  program ratings every year. And every year the online degree programs grow substantially.

https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education

 

Best of luck to you!

 

[Roel 7,192]

Thank you @NuestraUnion! This is extremely helpful! Especially the links you provided.

[Crazy Cat 41,981]

Congratulations on your decision to go back to school.  In my opinion, accreditation is more important than whether it is online or traditional.  It takes a lot of self discipline to complete an online degree, and I think most employers recognize that.

I like your choices of fields.  Both could be rewarding in multiple ways. 

[TBoneTX 45,543]

Whatever route you take or program of study you pursue, I predict that you'll be very successful, both during and after the process.

[Roel 7,192]

12 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

Whatever route you take or program of study you pursue, I predict that you'll be very successful, both during and after the process.

Thank you! That's so nice.

[NikLR 13,227]

University of Colorado has online degrees in business etc... I have seriously thought about going back with them, but the cost vs the potential reward at my age didn't jive.  

 

Congrats on continuing your education!

[Unlockable 7,315]

23 minutes ago, NikLR said:

University of Colorado has online degrees in business etc... I have seriously thought about going back with them, but the cost vs the potential reward at my age didn't jive.  

 

Yes!!

 

Cost is another factor that people have to take into account. A person who is going for an online degree program at good accredited school is going to pay roughly the same price as an onsite student. I think paying lower for online degrees is another misconception. Yes, you will pay less overall because you don't have to pay for things like housing (dorms) and meals. But you definitely will be paying about the same per credit price as everyone else. For example, based on the US New website I referenced earlier, a 120 credit undergraduate degree at UNC (University of North Carolina) will be about $80,000 ($668 per credit).

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

First is to make sure the school is accredited-unfortunately many online schools may not be. Also make sure courses are transferable if you do choose to go to a physical university in the future- you don’t want to have wasted time and money. 

 

I got my undergrad degree in criminal justice- some of my classmates went on to law school after that, law enforcement or something completely different. I myself never used the degree and got my masters in a separate field-but wouldn’t have changed anything as the courses and curriculum were very interesting and did help me get to where I am today.

 

im not familiar with health services management per say..but if that would be management in the health care field I would assume that would be a growing field. (I actually am in the health care industry) However you may need experience other than education (or an advanced degree) to get there. I know you stated you checked out jobs in those fields- also check out the course curriculums for both- that may help you choose as well. Good luck!

[ronniebreda 120]

Fort Hays State University is accredited and affordable -  https://fhsu.edu/virtualcollege/degrees/bachelors/index