Houston Business University

How do employers view degrees/certificates from online schools?

Do online degrees, particularly those from schools that are primarily or exclusively online, carry the same weight as a traditional degree?

Public Comments

1. For a mature worker, with extensive experience under his/her belt, online degrees are on par with traditional degrees. For an entry level worker, it would not carry the same weight. An employer might not expect a 30-40 yr old professional to take the time to go to classes and earn a professional degree, but may take a different view for younger employees. Especially with the competition among new employees with traditional degrees.
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3. Honestly, it depends on the employer, the position, and what you hope to do with the degree. If you want to move up within your own company, in all likelihood an online degree will help you. It won't hurt you. However, if you plan to change employers, some employers do not consider certain online degrees on par with degrees from brick-and-mortar universities. To be completely blunt, if I were looking at your resume, and you had an online degree from some online school, there is no way I'd hire you. However, if you had an online degree from a reputable university, like RPI - they have a great rep as a brick-and-mortar university, and so that carries over to their online degrees - I'd hire you. Likewise, an online degree from UMass, I'd hire you. But from U Phoenix? To be quite honest, I'd pass.
4. They usually don't like them. If you do go to one...for say....a MBA....make sure it's accredited.