It is expensive to take online courses but for me, it’s my only option because I’m not that close to any good schools that would cost less than what I’m paying and this fits into my schedule. It depends on your goals too. I want to get into accounting so I’m only doing this to get my graduate accounting courses. Nothing is guaranteed in life, as far as I know. Network. Network.

Florida State University – http://learningforlife.fsu.edu/online/…

Both of these are well recognized, regionally accredited, public universities and just two examples of very good schools that offer highly respected degrees online.

Almost every college in the US now offers courses online and many offer complete degrees.

Stanford University offers engineering degrees online http://scpd.stanford.edu/scpd/programs/…

Harvard University offers courses online http://www.extension.harvard.edu/distanc…

You can’t get any more well respected and “regular” than those two. What sort of supporting data would you like?

For the interactional debate: I’ve done both. I got a lot more out of the online experience. There was far less distraction and politics in the online program and the social aspects on campus I just don’t need – I have a life already. I learned how to tap a keg and stay out all night a long time ago.

Look at the programs of the schools I have listed here – tell me that an in class experience at East Podunk State College can remotely compare to interaction with Harvard and Stanford professors – even if “only online”.

It’s not about traditional/online — it’s about the quality of the school. Catching a streamed video from a Berklee music professor beats sitting in a lecture hall with Joe the grad assistant every day of the week.

Consider two candidates for a job who are equal in all other aspects. One has an MA from Harvard and the other an MA from Peru State College. The MA from Harvard was done online – the PSC was in the classroom. Which candidate do you really think gets the job? It’s really about the quality and reputation of the school. Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s about delivery method – it’s not. The diploma doesn’t say “University of Florida Online” on it.

Of course, I remember not long ago, some people said online businesses wouldn’t last either. Nobody will want to shop online… whoops… Distance delivery of education is the way things are going to go. Why would I elect to attend a tier 4 in the classroom where I live when I can learn at a top school online?

Our thoughts-while an online degree is better than no degree, it is not as good as a degree from a physical school. With online classes you do not get the personal interactions between both your professors and the other students. We believe that these interactions are what helps thoughts and ideas grow and mature-and without this, you won’t be as strong a student or a graduate. The class also believes that while online degrees are quite possible right now, that they will not last-for this reason-what do you get out of a degree? A well paying job. However, if someone with an online degree is up against someone with a degree from a physcial insitution that they actually attended in person, the second is the more likely to get a job. And if you can’t get a job with your online degree, then what is the point of paying the thousands of dollars?

My personal thoughts (the thoughts above were from the whole class!)-I think that an online degree is perfectly fine in some areas-for example English-because you are mostly graded on reading and reflections and your writing, there is no reason that an online degree in English would be less valuable than one from a physical college. However-some online programs are offering nursing degrees and other medical feild degrees-and I don’t know about you-but I don’t want someone who has just an online degree poking me with a needle-I want someone with some practice!!!

Anyways, hope this helped at least a little-to reiterate-an online degree is better than no degree-but if you have the opportunity to go to a physical university do that instead!!!

Penn State’s World Campus offers a number of degrees in which the classes you take are the exact same as you’d take if you were in a Penn State classroom, only that it’s all done online. While you’ll miss out on the face to face interactions I think a degree from Penn State far out weighs the lack of chatting between classes.