Are these degrees well respected?

[Hikikimori]

I'm a bit curious about something. Are these online degrees well respected? I'm in my first third semester of college this January and I don't have any work experience. So the idea of completing a degree in less than one year really piqued my interest. Will getting a degree from Excelsior or Thomas Edison put me at a disadvantage? Are they built for people who already have work experience?

Thanks guys!

[cookderosa]

I'm a bit curious about something. Are these online degrees well respected? I'm in my first third semester of college this January and I don't have any work experience. So the idea of completing a degree in less than one year really piqued my interest. Will getting a degree from Excelsior or Thomas Edison put me at a disadvantage? Are they built for people who already have work experience?

Thanks guys!

>>

Schools like TESC and Excelsior are geared toward adults, however, they are not restrictive and are totally 100% accredited colleges. Respect is a relative term, however. The short answers is that it depends on what you are using the degree for.
Before changing plans, why not first look at your own college's options? Your college probably has online courses and may accept tests for credit - AP, CLEP, DSST, etc. Online isn't really exclusive, according to the department of education 98% of public US colleges/universities offer at least some online courses. If speed is what you're looking for, you can do a few traditional things to speed up- without changing colleges.

1. Use the max test credit your college allows. Even if it's only 18 credits, that shortens your degree plan by at least 1 semester. Some colleges allow much more, as much as 30 on a bachelor's degree. Also, some cap CLEP but not AP...find out and then beat them at their own game. Clearly this saves not only time but HUGE $$

2. I found that I could take a LOT more credit if I did so online. 30 credits per year when face to face on campus is hard, but when you take out commute time and lecture attendance you can make serious gains. I'm taking 8 undergrad lab credits, 3 self-paced undergrad credits, testing out of 3 credits using CLEP, and 3 graduate level business credits. That's 17 credits- and I'm a mother to 4 young children that I homeschool and care for. Imagine what a young person could do if he is willing to make school his obsession?
Here is what you could do: 18 credits per full semester + 9 in summer session and an extra 3 cr. during winter break mini-mesters. That's 48 per year plus testing credit- at least one exam per semester. Of course, might not have a lot of free time lol, but you'd be done in 2 years.

You asked about work experience, I'm happy with my degree, but it wasn't a jump off point for my career. I already had 20 years experience - and my TESC degree wasn't even in my field. HOWEVER, I am now going into a new field, and am completing my pre-reqs through online and CLEP. I'm also getting my MBA online to go with my new bachelor's degree. Most of my new degree will need to be face to face, but where I can CLEP I will- and where I can use online classes I will. I would never go back now that I know there are shorter/faster/better/cheaper ways to get to the same place.
So, within the context of your chosen field, maximize these alternatives. Pick your career first. You are not going to get into medical school with a biology degree in biology from TESC period. It's my opinion that trying to build a career after the fact is a bad plan. But, I'm firmly sure you can almost always find wiggle room to save time and or money on your existing path.

Good luck to you, and welcome!

[nj593]

I'm a bit curious about something. Are these online degrees well respected? I'm in my first third semester of college this January and I don't have any work experience. So the idea of completing a degree in less than one year really piqued my interest. Will getting a degree from Excelsior or Thomas Edison put me at a disadvantage? Are they built for people who already have work experience?

Thanks guys!

I have met some people who have gone to some expensive brand name schools and they are completely retarded,excuse the expression.
But seriously the lint in my sock could qualify to do their jobs. It really depends on the person and what they bring to the table and what you make of your online education.
Now, for business people looking to get that CEO position well thats different I would guess. But then again if you are looking to get into the ceo spot of Goldman Sachs you really wouldnt be here either and would already know that answer.
Take care,

[Katterina]

My degree from EC has been through the federal government's HR ringer twice now and passed muster. They did raise an eyebrow at my excess of pass/fail FEMA credits (both times), but I was also hired both times.

My previous employer was a Fortune 500 company who reimbursed my tuition at EC, so I imagine they would have respected the degree as well had I stayed.

[Lioness088]

Jennifer, honey ur always so informative. I just love reading ur posts. I started reading it not realizing it was urs at first....my goodness didn't know u had 4 young kiddos. I wish I had ur energy! Ur such a great asset here and I'll bet anywhere u go

[IrishJohn]

I'm completing a BA in Liberal Studies from TESC, hopefully by late May or early June 2010. For me this is just the starting point as I'm going on to do a Graduate Certificate in Project Management at Amberton U, followed by either an MSM or MBA (haven't decided which yet). In addition I'm working on completing at least 2 certifications I need for work. I guess it depends upon what your career will be. I have 15+ years experience in my field, I just lack the credentials to go with that. While a BA in LS by itself wouldn't be much of a help, it does launch me on to what I really need: MSM or MBA, LEED AP & PMP. As for how my degrees will be judged, frankly it doesn't matter much in my field as long as the school is accredited and I have the degree in hand. In my field it's all about selling yourself, experience and demonstrating superior knowledge to do the job. No doubt an Ivy Leaguer would have more doors open to them even in my field but there aren't enough of them to even make a dent in the number of PMs needed. I earn a great salary already, this is more about keeping that and making myself more marketable in this downturned economy should my employer run into hard times.

Good luck!

[The_Professor]

I have 15+ years experience in my field, I just lack the credentials to go with that.........I earn a great salary already, this is more about keeping that and making myself more marketable in this downturned economy should my employer run into hard times. Good luck!

This is a sound strategy, not entirely dissimilar to my own. In my case, I do not plan to go further than a BSBA/IT undergrad degree mostly for the sake of resume enhancement should I find myself in the unenviable position of having to compete again in this job market. I already have years of experience in my industry of choice, have earned numerous well-respected professional and IT-related certifications (PMP, Cisco, etc.), and am just lacking the degree. In the IT sector, which of all industries really needs to stay on the leading edge of technological and social advancement, the online vs. brick ‘n mortar, and RA vs NA, does not really seem to be much of an issue. What’s vitally important for anyone working through these sorts of higher education and subsequent career choices is that all of the pros and cons, benefits and constraints, are thoroughly fleshed out and carefully considered. Then, by all means, charge ahead with no second-guessing.

[ideafx]

I'm a bit curious about something. Are these online degrees well respected? I'm in my first third semester of college this January and I don't have any work experience. So the idea of completing a degree in less than one year really piqued my interest. Will getting a degree from Excelsior or Thomas Edison put me at a disadvantage? Are they built for people who already have work experience?

Thanks guys!

I'm sure I'll get some flack for this.

If you don't have much work experience, a degree from the Big 3 may not be very beneficial. If you have the opportunity to attend a ranked school (either on-campus or off-campus), you should.

From everything I've read on these boards, those who get the most out of the Big 3 tend to have 5+ years of relevant work experience in their field. In many cases, they might need a degree in order to receive a promotion or higher salary. More than likely, it's their prior work experience that will get them the job, and the degree is just icing on the cake.

If you don't have the work experience to fall back on, potential employers are going to place more emphasis on your education. In which case, you're better off attending a college where employers are known to recruit.

I experienced this first hand after rushing through my BS in Information Systems Studies from COSC at age 24. I just recently decided to go back and pursue an engineering degree, and I'll be starting over again at a community college in January toward an AS in Pre-Engineering with plans to transfer to a civil engineering program at a state university. It's going to take me a few years, but chances are high that I'll have a job waiting for me.

[MISin08]

ideafx has a point. I would add that without work experience, a degree from most colleges does not guarantee a high-paying job right after graduation, unless it's in a high-demand field (like engineering). So to address the OP's question, degrees from the Big 3 are respected in that the schools are "real", regionally accredited colleges (in the case of COSC and TESC, state colleges as well). They are not respected in the sense that Duke, MIT, and whatever boutique liberal arts college that the well-off send their kids to are "respected". Possibly not as well respected as the big state school in your area, if the recruiters in the industry you hope to get into like to recruit from there. On the other hand, if you're majoring in something generic because you don't know what you want to be when you grow up, the Big 3 are a viable alternative to racking up student loan debt.

Phillip

[Hikikimori]

Since you guys asked I'm a premed student majoring in economics. However, I've been considering going the NP/CRNA/PA route. I would major in nursing now but the odds of getting into medical school with an Allied Health degree is about 20%. Its not really worth it to be honest. Thanks for all the information you guys. I think I'll just clep my way through some business classes.

P.S.
I didn't mean any disrespect (lol) by the whole well respected comment. I was thinking in terms of getting a job after graduating. I go to a large state school but they have recruiters come over on a regular basis.