Is doing a Masters online ok?

I currently live overseas in South America, am 30 year old single male. I need to get a Masters degree, but even though my job will be ending soon, I dont want to go back to the U.S. to do it and go and live at home again. (I could do it of course, but this seems better suited to my lifestyle and I love being abroad) I know it is BETTER in terms of making connections and getting a job later to do it face to face, but this seems better for me. I wouldn't be doing it at a questionalbe place like U. of Phoenix, it would be a legit accredited brick and mortar school that offer online study, like University of Maryland, Drexel, Seton Hall, or Tufts. What do you think about getting a Masters this way?

Public Comments

  1. bad idea... getting master online will really b hard. cuz u don't have classmates to discuss problems with. and professors don't explain stuff
  2. I'd still say go over and get it in real time.
  3. I got my Master's on campus because I needed to be in a lab. Looking at BP (for example in my country) they accepted quite a few workers with online (or distance- learning) business degrees from Heriot_Watt university in England. So I guess some would be ok...it also depends on your degree: If you are doing Physics - you must be in a lab most of the time...if you are doing Education then online is good. Check out the HW website.
  4. In the interest in being helpful... Earning an online degree may be challenging for you, or it may not be. It honestly depends on how you are as a student. Yes, like others have mentioned, you do not sit in a physical classroom and chit-chat while the instructor is passing out materials. However, you do have the ability to IM and email classmates and instructors whenever you wish, or when you need help. Contrary to popular belief, online education does not simply expect you to learn the materials without additional resources; many online courses provide additional materials such as textbooks that are related, websites with helpful information, etc. Since you love being abroad, it seems that enrolling in an online program would be a good option for you. As I'm sure you are aware, a Masters degree is obviously challenging (thats why its an advanced degree, and thats why many shy away from it). If you have given a Masters degree program considerable thought, then I encourage you to pursue it! As more and more people turn to online education, especially due to rising gas prices, more and more employers are regarding these degrees as comparable to on-campus programs (check my first link out). You're correct that many brick and mortal schools DO offer distance education. If you find that these schools are more credible, then enroll! However, they do have accreditation boards for online schools such as University of Phoenix, etc. (check my 2nd link please- the Council for Higher Education Accreditation). Good luck!
  5. Depends on what you degree is in, but no matter what you will be putting in a lot of time and effort to complete your degree. I wouldn't necessarily complete a MBA on-line because most people believe where you attended school is part of your competitive edge, but degrees such as Criminal Justice would probably be fine. Expect a lot of researching and writing (I'm talking 15 pages single-spaced on one subject) no matter where you choose to complete your Masters.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers