Do companies care where you obtained your degree?

So the title pretty much says it all, but specifically I have about 90 s.h. through the University Of Maryland, but I am getting burnt out on the whole college thing. I have been debating on transferring my credits to a more 'liberal' college such as Excelsior which has no residency requirements and will accept credit from anywhere, to include life experience, in my case - military experience. I would probably have all of the requirements or be 1 or 2 classes away at Excelsior for a Bachelors.

After some googling, it seems that the general concensus is that unless you are going to work for a Fortune 500 company, that it's pretty much "do you have a degree or not?".

I could probably finish my degree through Maryland in about a year but I am really itching to get back to my Cisco studies and (at least currently) don't have any desire to fulfill a management role.

I was hoping some of the forums seasoned vets could offer some life experience.

Thanks

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Comments

dynamik

In my limited experience, it seems like there are schools with excellent reputations, schools with abysmal reputations, and everything else just sort of falls in the middle like you were saying. I'd definitely research them and see if you can find out what others are saying. If someone is about to make you an offer, they might look at it a bit more closely as opposed to just checking if you have a degree and giving you an interview at the onset.

One thing you might want to consider is what options you'll have for graduate degrees. Some programs like that don't always transfer to other institutions, and if you ever decide to go that route later on, you'd probably kick yourself if skipping out on a year to do Cisco studies cost you an opportunity for your ideal program.

Turgon

Ryan82 wrote: »

So the title pretty much says it all, but specifically I have about 90 s.h. through the University Of Maryland, but I am getting burnt out on the whole college thing. I have been debating on transferring my credits to a more 'liberal' college such as Excelsior which has no residency requirements and will accept credit from anywhere, to include life experience, in my case - military experience. I would probably have all of the requirements or be 1 or 2 classes away at Excelsior for a Bachelors.

After some googling, it seems that the general concensus is that unless you are going to work for a Fortune 500 company, that it's pretty much "do you have a degree or not?".

I could probably finish my degree through Maryland in about a year but I am really itching to get back to my Cisco studies and (at least currently) don't have any desire to fulfill a management role.

I was hoping some of the forums seasoned vets could offer some life experience.

Thanks

I think a lot depends on what you see to be as your peer group in the years ahead. If you want to really get on in management in a fortune 100 or FTSE 100 company and you will be rubbing shoulders with Old Ivy Henry from Harvard or Rupert from Oriel College Oxford then people can be a little more **** about your academic background. Either way get your education from the *best* institute your ability/dollars/background and the breaks in life allow for.

Slowhand

Honestly, a degree from the University of Maryland is going to look much better on your resume than one from Excelsior. It's not always about going to a fortune 500 company, it can sometimes come down to a situation like your resume laid out on hiring manager's desk, right alongside another candidates, all while the manager sits there trying to figure out which one of you to hire. Often times, in cases where several candidates have similar backgrounds and experience, the school you went to can be a deciding factor. And, as dynamik mentioned, you may want to go back at some point and do graduate work, and coming from the University of Maryland, you could pretty much go where you please (if you've got the grades).

In my opinion, you should stick it out where you are. Maybe you can cut back to part-time for a while and get back to your studies, or even take a semester off, but I think you'll be much happier in the long run if you're looking back at having finished what you started with the more reputable of the two schools.

eMeS

Ryan82 wrote: »

After some googling, it seems that the general concensus is that unless you are going to work for a Fortune 500 company, that it's pretty much "do you have a degree or not?".

I'd pretty much disagree with this. I know of numerous companies of all sizes and government agencies here in the US that target specific schools, and specific groups of schools. Additionally, there are many Fortune 500 companies that would be more interested in whether or not you have a degree, and not a specific degree.

I'd say that the effect becomes greater in careers outside of IT.

The effect of the reputation of the school that you attend really has a much greater impact on the opportunities that are available to you and your overall lifelong earnings.

That said, I'd say the University of Maryland system is probably better than just your average mid-ranked school. Specifically in some of their programs and at some of their campuses, human-computer interaction at College Park being one of them.

I'd leave this with saying that it's more than just the reputation of the school that matters; it can also be the specific reputation of that school's program that has an effect on your career.

MS

JoJoCal19

A degree from the University of Maryland will be looked at more favorably. They are a major 4 year institution and also like was stated, if you want to go for a graduate degree you may not be able to get one from a highly reputable college if you finish your bachelors with Excelsior. In this day and age where everyone and their grandma has a bachelors degree and now even with more people getting their MBAs, where you got your degree from is taken into consideration when comparing candidates with each other.

Basically, you have 1 year left. Just finish it, a year is not that long and youll be finished before you know it.

petedude

JoJoCal19 wrote: »

. . . if you want to go for a graduate degree you may not be able to get one from a highly reputable college if you finish your bachelors with Excelsior.

That's neither a fair nor correct assertion. Excelsior is a regionally accredited institution. I dare you to show me any master's program that will turn away a degree from a regionally accredited school, including Excelsior, simply on the college name basis.

Now, if you're applying to one of the extremely competitive Ivy League sorts of programs, there might be an issue with ANYTHING that is not Ivy League. But those are so rare in comparison to the vast number of programs available it's hardly even worth mentioning.

As far as the OP goes-- one more year. Why not stick it out if you can afford to do so? UoM has a great reputation and a degree with that name may open doors that other schools won't.

Slowhand

eMeS wrote: »

I'd say that the effect becomes greater in careers outside of IT.

This is an excellent point, and I'd like to add something else to it as well. Obtaining a degree of the University of Maryland, (as it is with any "University of <State>",) is going to be very important in keeping your options open if you should ever decide to change careers. In IT, it often times doesn't matter where you obtained your degree - in some cases even if it's an Associate's or Bachelor's - as long as you have certs and experience to back it up. Outside of IT, however, many fields do care where you got your degree from, and the day may come when you decide that it's time to do something new.

Ryan82

Well, I guess I will stick it out then. Seriously though, thanks for all the replies and wisdom sharing. I guess the fact that I was even asking in the first place shows that I had pretty serious doubts about switching over.

Also, I will likely do my master's down the road, and though my gpa is decent (3.2), it certainly couldn't hurt my chances of admissions if the school were a little more reputable.

Thanks again.

eMeS

petedude wrote: »

Now, if you're applying to one of the extremely competitive Ivy League sorts of programs, there might be an issue with ANYTHING that is not Ivy League. But those are so rare in comparison to the vast number of programs available it's hardly even worth mentioning.

I disagree. In my experience it's actually much easier to get into Ivy League schools at the graduate level than it is at the undergraduate level.

MS

Ryan82

On a separate note, literally 7 seconds after I posted a reply above, my doorbell rang and I found out that my neighbor bumped into my brand new 2010 VW GTi.
Barely even a dent, but I swear, if you drive a beater nobody would ever hit it, but if you have a new car you better watch out!

veritas_libertas

eMeS wrote: »

I disagree. In my experience it's actually much easier to get into Ivy League schools at the graduate level than it is at the undergraduate level.

MS

Any insights on why this is?

Turgon

eMeS wrote: »

I disagree. In my experience it's actually much easier to get into Ivy League schools at the graduate level than it is at the undergraduate level.

MS

This is very true. I was offered a place on a Masters at Imperial College in the early nineties and my first degree was from the sticks so to speak.

networker050184

Ryan82 wrote: »

On a separate note, literally 7 seconds after I posted a reply above, my doorbell rang and I found out that my neighbor bumped into my brand new 2010 VW GTi.
Barely even a dent, but I swear, if you drive a beater nobody would ever hit it, but if you have a new car you better watch out!

That is why I only drive a beater. No one wants to steal it or break in and as long as it gets from A to B who really cares what it looks like....

Turgon

Slowhand wrote: »

Honestly, a degree from the University of Maryland is going to look much better on your resume than one from Excelsior. It's not always about going to a fortune 500 company, it can sometimes come down to a situation like your resume laid out on hiring manager's desk, right alongside another candidates, all while the manager sits there trying to figure out which one of you to hire. Often times, in cases where several candidates have similar backgrounds and experience, the school you went to can be a deciding factor. And, as dynamik mentioned, you may want to go back at some point and do graduate work, and coming from the University of Maryland, you could pretty much go where you please (if you've got the grades).

In my opinion, you should stick it out where you are. Maybe you can cut back to part-time for a while and get back to your studies, or even take a semester off, but I think you'll be much happier in the long run if you're looking back at having finished what you started with the more reputable of the two schools.

Yes. Get in at the *best* school you can afford and get into to cover as many bases as possible. I don't know University of Maryland but its sounds like an established place to me.

eMeS

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Any insights on why this is?

Many possibilities I think. In summary, universities are often the most inefficient of bureaucracies.

Traditional schools and universities are masters of everything bureaucratic. A bureaucracy always has numerous ways in which processes are circumvented. This could be because of money that you're bringing to the school, it could be because of someone you know vouching for you, or it could be your employer being a big donor and pushing it, among countless other reasons.

Stellar grades and a degree from a decent state or private school, along with stellar GRE or GMAT scores, along with having done research as part of undergrad, along with having good connections and references are generally required, regardless of any of the above....

Actually, now that I think about it, Harvard has at least 1 graduate program that doesn't even require an undergraduate degree, with the admission requirements being solely focused on how well you did in your first 3 graduate classes at Harvard.

Long story short, there's lots of ways to get what you want out of universities....usually when one door closes another opens.

Another thing that gets missed in all of these discussions about online schools is that students in those programs are often paying greater than Ivy League prices for less than Ivy League results....

MS

NetworkingStudent

Ryan82 wrote: »

So the title pretty much says it all, but specifically I have about 90 s.h. through the University Of Maryland, but I am getting burnt out on the whole college thing. I have been debating on transferring my credits to a more 'liberal' college such as Excelsior which has no residency requirements and will accept credit from anywhere, to include life experience, in my case - military experience. I would probably have all of the requirements or be 1 or 2 classes away at Excelsior for a Bachelors.

After some googling, it seems that the general concensus is that unless you are going to work for a Fortune 500 company, that it's pretty much "do you have a degree or not?".

I could probably finish my degree through Maryland in about a year but I am really itching to get back to my Cisco studies and (at least currently) don't have any desire to fulfill a management role.

I was hoping some of the forums seasoned vets could offer some life experience.

Thanks

Frist off I'm no VET, but here is my take on your situation

I think it depends on the company and the hiring manager. Some hiring managers might have a preference towards a certain college, because they graduated from that college. On the other hand, another group of managers may dislike that same college, because they may have had a bad experience when they attended the college. I think this is something to consider, but it isn’t that big of an issue. Also, you must consider that a degree is often just a requirement for most IT jobs these days. More importance is often placed on experience, interpersonal skills, IT skills, and certifications.

If I had to make a choice, I would choose University of Maryland, because you’re already
going there, and the name sounds more recognizable to me. When choosing a

college I would check transfer agreements, tuition, and classes. Also, you never

mentioned if you want to obtain your master degree? I believe it would be easier to

transfer your University of Maryland credits to a Master degree program, than it would be

to transfer credits from Excelisor to another college, but I could be wrong.

I remember seeing a great post about hiring someone from Devry… I think you should look at it.

http://www.techexams.net/forums/jobs-degrees/18955-would-you-hire-any-graduates-itt-tech-uop-devry.html

Also I want to add I go to a Private college, and I found out that they don't transfer agreements with anyone..
ugh kinda sucks
Also, watch the weeks too, because some schools are 12 weeks, while others 16. This might be an issue when transfering credits.

I hope this helps

tpatt100

Ryan82 wrote: »

On a separate note, literally 7 seconds after I posted a reply above, my doorbell rang and I found out that my neighbor bumped into my brand new 2010 VW GTi.
Barely even a dent, but I swear, if you drive a beater nobody would ever hit it, but if you have a new car you better watch out!

Lol yeah true. I bought a 2010 VW "CC" three weeks ago, I park far away from everyone when I go shopping.

bellhead

Yes it matters.

Many companies do not honor non-brick and mortar degrees. The place I am at now requires a 4-year degree for a move into a supervisory or analyst role. Without a 4 year degree you can be a tech until you complete the degree. The degree can be in business, engineering, or IT. It doesn't matter but a 4 year degree is required. When I was hired in during my interview they asked about my college because they had never heard of it because its a small liberal arts college but a top 25 U.S. News liberal arts school. They asked if it was a brick and mortar school specifically, later I asked my manager what would have happened if it wasn't she said I would have still received an offer but at less money because I couldn't be offered as a engineer or an analyst. So yes the degree matters.

For engineers where I am at they receive a bonus for completing a masters or their P.E. within 5 years of their hire on date. It's a 5 figure bonus + a 5 figure raise so most get it done pretty asap.

BTW shouldn't you be partying hard at U of M you have a reputation to uphold.

veritas_libertas

I agree and disagree with both sides on this issue

If you can get a brick and mortar degree than you should definitely do that. Then their are individuals like myself who do not really have that option. Once you reach the Graduate Degree level lots of doors open for brick and mortar degrees. That in my opinion is when you have many more options.

GAngel

Edinburgh MBA is online and is filled with top fortune 100 senior management employees just for perspective. It's also supposed to be the most rigourous mba program every invented. All the ivey schools are moving to offer at the bare minimum parts of there degrees online now. In ten years this discussion won't matter much.

The only thing that matters is your job market everything else is irrelevant.

Slowhand

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Any insights on why this is?

I can give you a pretty simple answer: once you've got a Bachelor's degree from a reputable brick-and-mortar school, like the University of Maryland for example, (with a decent-to-good GPA) and you've passed the GRE, most schools are going to take you far more seriously than they would if you were coming in as a freshman-undergraduate, and are more willing to "take a chance on you". You're less of a liability with a proven record, much the same way it is in IT when looking for work.

A friend of mine who currently studies at UC Berkeley knows several people who have gone from various public and universities to Stanford, Harvard, MIT, (and even back to Berkeley after going to the Ivy Leagues,) in pursuit of their Master's and PhD's. For them, it isn't a matter of, "oh my god, did I get in?" as it is, "do I have money for that this year?"

Ryan82

bellhead wrote: »

BTW shouldn't you be partying hard at U of M you have a reputation to uphold.

Should I be? Maybe. But I actually work overseas and am taking these U of M classes online.

JoJoCal19

petedude wrote: »

That's neither a fair nor correct assertion. Excelsior is a regionally accredited institution. I dare you to show me any master's program that will turn away a degree from a regionally accredited school, including Excelsior, simply on the college name basis.

Now, if you're applying to one of the extremely competitive Ivy League sorts of programs, there might be an issue with ANYTHING that is not Ivy League. But those are so rare in comparison to the vast number of programs available it's hardly even worth mentioning.

As far as the OP goes-- one more year. Why not stick it out if you can afford to do so? UoM has a great reputation and a degree with that name may open doors that other schools won't.

First of all, I said MAY not be able to get one from a "highly reputable" college, meaning Ivy League or other top MBA/Graduate schools not named Harvard, etc. When you apply to a schools graduate program its similar to applying for a job. They MAKE A DECISION whether to let you into their graduate program. They take everything into consideration such as GPA, GMAT, job experience, what degree you have (and trust me, from WHERE matters), and references and so forth.