Do employers care if you get your degree online?

Kiesi

Just wondering if an employer would notice and ask or care if you get a degree from a different state than the one you reside in. I've heard of companies not wanting to hire someone because that person got his/her degree online. I've been considering taking 3/4 of my degree online and then moving to the university for the final year just so that I could tell employers I lived on campus. I've also heard many say that it's just a check mark on a box and most don't care to delve into it.

networker050184

Depends on the employer and the person reading the resume. Not really a blanket answer to the question.

Clm

Ill say this i would rather have a online degree and no to low student debt compared to 30k+ debt and brick and mortardegree

Iristheangel

I would say that in most cases from an IT point of view, no. They do not care. There's the random exec or IT manager who might have a wild hair about it or very loyal to a specific school, but I don't see this as a norm. The only time I ever had someone raise an eyebrow to it was when I interviewed at a certain networking vendor years ago and it was one specific manager who was very loyal to Stanford and UC Irvine but the rest of the managers who interviewed me loved me and outvoted him. I ended up not taking the job because I had a better offer.

DatabaseHead

+1 with Networker

cyberguypr

I've been in IT 16 years. The only case where I've heard of anyone being snobby about online degrees is when Iris originally brought up the experience she mentioned above. Not saying it's not an issue, but a really small one.

Legacy User

What school are you trying to go to? It sounds like you are going to a brick and mortar school. If thats the case even though its "online" it shouldn't make any difference to anyone. A good portion of the big name universities are offering there same programs "online". IMO I say don't sweat it.

Kiesi

dmarcisco wrote: »

What school are you trying to go to? It sounds like you are going to a brick and mortar school. If thats the case even though its "online" it shouldn't make any difference to anyone. A good portion of the big name universities are offering there same programs "online". IMO I say don't sweat it.

DSU (Dakota State University) And okay, thank you. I'd rather do the entire program online because I can be closer to my family, not have to attend lectures or pay extra to live there, etc. It should also be easier to find a job where I live now than if I moved to the middle of nowhere.

Danielm7

Yeah if you're local to a school that offers online classes you're not really "getting your degree online". Well, you are, but it isn't obvious, no one cares if you lived on campus or commuted. I doubt anyone would even ask the question if the B&M school is local.

Kiesi

Danielm7 wrote: »

Yeah if you're local to a school that offers online classes you're not really "getting your degree online". Well, you are, but it isn't obvious, no one cares if you lived on campus or commuted. I doubt anyone would even ask the question if the B&M school is local.

Well... I live in Florida. The school is Dakota, and I would look for jobs in Florida.

Danielm7

Kiesi wrote: »

Well... I live in Florida. The school is Dakota, and I would look for jobs in Florida.

Ha, sorry, not nearly enough sleep lately!

dmoore44

Kiesi wrote: »

Just wondering if an employer would notice and ask or care if you get a degree from a different state than the one you reside in.

I'd have to say no. I got my undergrad from UMUC (I attended both in person, and online, even though I lived relatively close to campus), and no one, at any place I've worked, has ever brought it up.

At work, there's probably an equal amount of people who have degrees from in-state schools vs out of state schools - that's partly because the younger folks are recruited from various schools, and the older/more experienced folks have moved to the area from somewhere else (lots of veterans), or completed their degree online.

RoyalRaven

In the grand scheme of things, where is not really relevant. It matters that you put forth the effort and completed the requirements for the degree. I would only judge differently if the requirements were significantly off (a 4-year degree should take 4-years worth of effort somehow, even if you did all the work in less time).

In today's world, the part about being "on-campus" is a personal decision. The closest I can compare is what I did after I received a two-year degree. I wasn't satisfied enough to say I was done. I wanted more of the on-campus experience (being in the surroundings of a great university), so I went/commuted to the larger school in person for my next part. That met my goals. It was not a required path, but fulfilled my curiosity of university life. I didn't go as far as living there, but I tried to spend more time than just going to classes.

If you feel strongly about being part of the school and seeing it first hand on a daily basis, I highly encourage you to consider doing that, even if just for a year. It really does help with making a legitimate, honest connection with the institution you spend so much effort with. If you're considering that at all, do it for yourself, not for anyone else or any other employer. (btw, this decision is 10x easier if the school is semi-local...otherwise moving for the sake of moving might not be an easy decision)