s the number of middle aged adults choosing to pursue an online degree increases, the number of online degree programs that are available for this niche of middle aged adults has grown a lot in the past few years.
With the growth of online Master’s, doctorate and other assorted programs, many people have started to become skeptical of the quality of these online degrees, believing that the education and social aspects of a traditional college degree are much more beneficial to those looking to gain the most from their college experience. They also believe that employers will be more likely to hire graduates of a traditional school that has a strong reputation, than those who earned online degrees with less reputable or known colleges.
Senior Whitney Rufo is one such skeptic. She believes that the experiences one has at a traditional college, both inside and outside of the classroom, outweigh any educational experience one has when pursing an online degree.
“The friends, memories and interactions with professors and students are something that no computer at home can replace,” Rufo said. “I’m also confident that I’ll easily be able to find a job once I graduate because I’ve had the opportunity to experience internships at Elizabethtown College, a traditional college, that have allowed me to gain experience and promote my talents to companies that are looking for college graduates to hire.”
Rufo definitely has a strong argument to promote the attendance of traditional colleges. However, after hearing this argument, I wondered if many middle aged adults have the time to attend a four-year liberal arts college. To get a different perspective on this issue, I interviewed Elizabethtown College communications professor Adrienne Garvey, who will be attending Regent University this summer to earn a doctorate degree in communication. Garvey is a mother of two and a busy professor, working both at Etown and Lancaster Bible College as a communications professor.
“I believe the quality of the school attended is what really matters. Students need to ask themselves whether they will be gaining the knowledge, experience and education necessary to pursue their particular field of interest. How long has the school had an online degree? Is it well-developed? Is it accredited? I think if the school is of quality, then the degree should be treated like a degree earned at any other school, physical or online,” Garvey said.
“That said,” she added, “I spent years researching programs both online and traditional. In my research, I found that Regent offered what I was most interested in as far as growing my knowledge of the communication field as well as helping me become a better teacher.”
This reinforces the idea that not all online degrees are equal, and that one should do some serious research before selecting an online degree program. Garvey also placed a strong emphasis on how long the online degree program has been functioning. “One of the things I liked most about Regent is that the School of Communication and the Arts has had its doctoral program online since 1997. I feel that in the 16 years that have passed, the school will have had plenty of opportunity to clarify and focus its program. I also talked to a number of other people who had completed this program online to see if it would be practical for me,” Garvey said.
After hearing the background arguments of Rufo and Garvey, I did some research to discover if there are “hybrid” online degree programs. Sure enough, I found that many schools offer a blended program that require students to stay on campus for at least one year, while pursuing an online degree. This allows them to connect with professors and other students, but doesn’t bind them to stay at the college all four years.
With the job market becoming more competitive and more careers requiring a college degree, it’s hard to blame adults for pursing an online degree over a traditional education because of their busy schedules. However, a high school graduate who is looking to gain the most out of a college experience should most likely pursue a traditional degree that allows them to maximize their educational, social and life experiences. Both ways of gaining an education require research, and in today’s society it is the quality of the school and the experiences gained at that school that truly matter most.
