Online Degree

I've been thinking of going back to school for network administration/security but having a hard time to fit that in with my current schedule. Online school for me would be my best bet. Can anyone recommend a good online school and around how much would it cost?

How do employers feel about online degrees?

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Comments

dynamik

Capella and WGU are the two most common "online schools" I see here, but a lot of brick-and-mortar schools are starting to offer degrees via distance learning as well.

the_Grinch

Try brick and mortar first. Online schools are kind of hit or miss. I've known people who have gotten government jobs with Phoenix and then I've heard stories where it didn't turn out as well.

Forsaken_GA

Cost is something of an issue too. I looked at Phoenix's pricing and then compared it to what it would cost me to go to class at a local brick and mortar. It would have cost me double to go to Phoenix.

flurrball

I don't actually have an online degree, so I don't know the pros and cons of different schools, but from what I can tell, it isn't viewed equally with brick-and-mortar degrees, for whatever reason.

I'm starting to lean toward choosing a school that has brick-and-mortar & online classes, but offers an entirely online degree, that way when people look at it on my resume, it won't stand out as an obvious online school.

I just got an email that Penn State offers online degrees, maybe check them out.

If anyone knows how Penn State's online program is, let us know.

thomas130

Not sure where you live however if you live in the UK the Open University is very credible and I currently studying with them and having a great time

RacingSnail

Not sure what your level is, but I know my community college system offers an AS in CIS entirely online. If you are starting from there, it might be worth it to check out what your local community college system offers first. Way, way cheaper than the other alternatives.

cablegod

WGU is cheaper for me by quite a bit. My local 4-year school will take 4-5 years to finish an undergrad. WGU is about half the cost, and a bit less than half the time if you stick with it.

There's several WGU'ers here amongst us.

petedude

Take a look at Online degree.net Central | Online bachelor degree | Online college degree| accredited online bachelor degree| Life experience degree | Online Degree and its forums. You'll probably find some useful ideas there.

Some less expensive alternatives to WGU/Capella, depending on how you complete the requireements: Excelsior College, Thomas Edison State College, Charter Oak State College. All three of these are very flexible regarding their course requirements.

billscott92787

I currently attend DeVry University Online. The courses are well set up, instructors are very professional, work is complete and they even have hands on lab simulations. Your reading is either done by text book or e-book. I have been with them for two years now working toward a Bachelors in Networking and Communications Management. Their tuition is average, all colleges are expensive. I would highly recommend them, I have been completely satisfied.

eansdad

Some less expensive alternatives to WGU/Capella, depending on how you complete the requireements: Excelsior College, Thomas Edison State College, Charter Oak State College. All three of these are very flexible regarding their course requirements.[/QUOTE]

All three are viewed worse then some online degree programs. All three you can test your way to a BA/BS in whatever via Dantes, CLEP ... etc.

University of Advancing Technology has a BS in Network Security online and has a brick and mortar school in Arizona. The classes are certified by the NSA for INFOSEC.

As for Excelsoir, TESC and Charter Oaks being cheaper then WGU ... $5,800/yr for unlimited classes and vouchers for IT testing with a 2nd chance is pretty cheap. If they had a better network security program I would look more into that but it looks like almost the same classes as the networking degree.

binarysoul

Personally, I wouldn't complete an entire degree online, never.

Remember there are only a handful of 'online' universities worldwide vs. thousands of 'offline' universities. This should tell you a lot about the 'normal and acceptable' trend with respect to degrees.

Bottom line, I got my degree offline and I can never imagine getting it via email.

LarryDaMan

binarysoul wrote: »

Personally, I wouldn't complete an entire degree online, never.
Bottom line, I got my degree offline and I can never imagine getting it via email.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. To me, this sounds very short sighted. Think about it, the main reasons to attend an in-person class are for the lecture and discussion. If these two things can be effectively delivered online (they can be), then what is the difference?

Music, shopping, media, gaming, news coverage, and almost EVERYTHING else has been enhanced and made more convenient by the internet. Why are some people so slow to accept that education will naturally undergo the same evolution??

Like any brick and mortar school, you have to do some research and find a quality school which is accredited, but the "online" part is just a delivery method. Many top schools, including Ivy League schools are now offering some type of online learning.

Step into the 21st century!!!

mrmcmint

LarryDaMan wrote: »

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. To me, this sounds very short sighted. Think about it, the main reasons to attend an in-person class are for the lecture and discussion. If these two things can be effectively delivered online (they can be), then what is the difference?

Music, shopping, media, gaming, news coverage, and almost EVERYTHING else has been enhanced and made more convenient by the internet. Why are some people so slow to accept that education will naturally undergo the same evolution??

Like any brick and mortar school, you have to do some research and find a quality school which is accredited, but the "online" part is just a delivery method. Many top schools, including Ivy League schools are now offering some type of online learning.

Step into the 21st century!!!

I couldn't agree more. I am very interested in doing this online, lets face it, many people looking into this are still in full time work so could never get to go back to uni/college.

I would like to know how much of a credible cert this would be to have mixed with other MS certs.

binarysoul

LarryDaMan wrote: »

Why are some people so slow to accept that education will naturally undergo the same evolution??

Exactly! Since 'some' people (which may include recruiters) are slow to accept online education, I will sit with the majority. Having said that, I'm not entirely against online education. I believe online education should supplement conventional learning and not replace it

There was another thread about Western Governors university and I believe some folks have commented on somewhat negative perception about online degrees.

FYI. Being in IT, I would be the first to do another degree online, but since most people don't accept it, I have no choice, but to dislike online education until the evolution process is done. If I were to earn a degree for fun to learn something I'm passionate about, I would do it online, but not for bread and butter.

Our grand-grand children may get their degrees online.

logisticalstyles

I got my degree from a brick an mortar school, but took a lot of my classes online. After my experience of taking courses on line and in class I would trust a brick and mortar degree much more. There's too much room for slackness in the online classes.

LarryDaMan

logisticalstyles wrote: »

There's too much room for slackness in the online classes.

True. From my experience, it does take some self-discipline to be successful online. However, I've been in many classes in which people are sleeping or sending text messages the entire class. Slacking is prevalent in both environments.

dynamik

Some of my courses had ~300 person lectures. I didn't attend those lectures, self-studied, and only showed up for exams. What's the significant difference there?

I do think some programs are better geared towards each type of learning. I wouldn't want to go to a surgeon who only has experience online

eansdad

I've gone to a brick and mortar school.....community college. Their networking program is absolute crap. 1st day of linux class (a 200 level course) ... professor " The linux kernal is written in C." Moron who never heard of a computer who is a network major "What's C?". Rest of class ... "Yes, what is C?". Needless to say out of 25 people only 2 of us had a clue (we both work in IT) and we only got through 5 chapters during the semester. A 200 level course with no pre-reqs able to be taken by students who haven't even taken intro to micro computers. Between this and dealing with adjuncts who don't care or don't know I had to leave to peruse an education elsewhere. We had 30 people start out in the computer forensics class.....4 were there by the end of the semester. The guy only taught how to use FTK and EnCase with nothing in the law or procedure of computer forensics. Turns out he wasn't even a professor....he was a guidance counselor for the college. They needed a body to fill the class and teach from the book.

Point is brick and mortar schools aren't better then online. You get what you put in but with out teaches being held to higher standards your piece of paper is just a trinket.

suzanemiller

Every second person is taking admission in an online degree program without realizing that earning degree through this route is very tough.

shednik

It really all depends on your preference of learning, some may like the in class discuses and live lectures. I think it also depends on the subject matter you are working on. I'm working on my masters at a traditional university and taking an online course this summer. I'm actually having a lot of trouble with it since it's a math course...it's difficult to ask questions when you don't understand a specific theory or why a proof works when proving by exhaustion or induction. I have had to spend countless extra hours doing my own research to figure everything out. So there are benefits to each side of traditional and online. My personal opinion is find a well respected university that is brick and mortar but look into the online programs they may offer. I did alot of research when I was considering an online degree. Depending on what you are looking for I personally like Nova Southeastern the best. They are a large university in the south and well respected...they offer a ton of degrees online. I will go there after I finish my first masters for a masters in cs just because I was one. So in the end do what you feel is best for yourself and your career just make sure the school you are choosing has a good reputation. Like others have said the name of the school means alot more then you think.

Joe

stangman

Guess I can jump in on this. I'm currently attending WGU and could not be more thrilled with my experience. Online degrees are not any less that your typical brick n mortar offers. Thing you must remember is that attending an online university is that it takes more of a self-disciplined person to complete the degree program. Online degrees are becoming more prevalent with your typical schools offering programs now. Biggest thing that I found with WGU is that certifications are built into the curriculum. You are provided several resources to help you achieve your final goals not only certifications but also a degree.

You are assigned a mentor who will call once a week or bi-weekly to stay in touch with you, see how your studies are going and if you need any help. There are also communities that you can take part in plus you are provided several resources for your studies. In my case my employer allows for tuition reimbursement which I'm taking advantage of. Biggest and foremost thing is to make sure they are accredited and do research before you make your decision to attend. I made the mistake and did not do enough research on Phoenix before I attended there and seriously regret that mistake.

IT Man

I was attending the University of MD, Univerity College (UMUC) online program but didn't like the format. If I had a question, I had to email the professor and hope I got a response in a reasonable amount of time. I am not saying my professors were slackers but like me, they are working professionals as well. I only did 2 semesters then quit. I recently enrolled at Capitol College and I like their method alot better. The courses are taught live so if I am confused, I can "raise my hand" and ask a question right there via chat or through my headset. The professors even set up vitual office hrs where you can log in and ask questions. I think that method works much better for me. Its a small school but they do have an actual campus. The undergrad program is offered via B&M and online but the grad program is only offered online.

ssiphone@sbcglobal.net

I want to give my perspective of online education especially WGU. Online degrees are more accepted when they are backed by accreditation. I have a BS from WGU and currently enrolled in the Masters program. I am CISO for utility and they have been very accepting of my education.

Unlike Phoenix that is based on group performance and paperwork, WGU is based on performance and proctored exams. There is no seat time and group work where others pull you along. At WGU you have to be motivated and prove your own knowledge, skills and abilities.

I just did an interview for NBC Nightly news that will air in a few weeks. They are spotlighting WGU and how this is a way to obtain education during economic times as well as for those of us that are in the workforce and have lots of experience already. This is not the first national recognition. CBS has done stories on WGU.

Phoenix may have a large marketing budget but in terms of credibility WGU is the silent beast about to take a bite out of their market share.