Is an online degree from an established, accredited four year university a good idea?
I m considering enrolling to Washington State University’s online bachelors degree in business administration program. I currently run my own small business plus hold down a part time job so I do not have the time to attend the university in person. Would an online degree from this state university be the same as a if i had attended in person?
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February 15th, 2010 at 11:39 am
Definitely. I live north of Spokane, and am working on my MBA from Indiana University, and a dual Master’s in Global Management from Thunderbird.
I hate WSU (I went to UW undergrad), but as long as they are AACSB accedited, it is worthwhile. However, you should check the rankings and try and get into the best school you can. IU is top tier (top 20 across the board, top 5 / top 10 in many disciplines), and Thunderbird is #1 in global business 10 years’ running.
The key is AACSB certification. It ensures the school has the highest standards for academics, and that the online degree is just as good as the in-residence degree is.
WSU has that certification, so it is at least top 10% of business schools in the world. There are better, so find a fit for what you want to study, your budget, and your application.
I looked at every school on that list, compared it to all the rankings, and then went down the list until one had an online program. Duke was the best Executive Ed, but it was $120,000+ and required me to be on campus several weeks a year. Neither fit me. IU requires one week a year; The IU/TBird dual is about three and a half weeks. One at IU, one in Beijing, China, and one and a half in Arizona.
Online degrees are no different than the in-residence degrees at AACSB schools. In fact, they have some advantages because you keep your job, you learn to manage your time alot more, and you work with teammates and classmates in a setting more like the business world – email, conference calls, and online collaborative meetings.
So, other than the WSU thing I was kidding about (mostly), I say go for it!
February 15th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
I love everything that Trog was saying, with one small addition.
The other key is that the school is regionally accredited as well as AACSB accredited. Regional accreditation is most important, especially when looking at distance education programs, because it ensures that the program in which you’re participating meets the “gold standard” of higher education. As more and more employers become aware of the low academic rigor with some distance ed programs, having a degree from a regionally accredited program is going to become more and more important.
Of course, WSU is regionally accredited (http://www.wsu.edu/NIS/Accreditation.html) by the Commission on Colleges of the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, so it’d be a fine choice!