What employers think of online degrees

In short, the answer is it depends on the university and field that you attend.

• Try to attend an actual brick and mortar school that offers online programs. These schools already tend to have a solid reputation. In many cases, the transcript will not even show that the degree was earned online.
• Make sure your school is accredited. To check if an online school is accredited check the directory.
• Look into how long the school has existed. While the age of the school does not necessarily mean that employers will give your degree credibility, an online university that has been around for a long period of time will be better perceived.
• According to Silvia Guzman, the human resources for ProTech Building Services, having a bachelor’s degree from a traditional university and a graduate degree from an online university is more favorable than just earning a bachelor’s from an online college.
• For many fields, online degrees are widely accepted. For example, nursing, criminal justice, and secondary education are very accepting of online degrees. Academia, engineering, medicine, and law are all fields which tend to look down upon degrees from universities that only offer online degrees.
• Consult your current or potential employers to see if they accept degrees from online universities.
• Some employers like Johnson and Johnson offer partnerships with online schools; considering utilizing such relationships.
• If an interview, an employer is skeptical of online degrees raise the following points:
• Earning a degree online requires a tremendous amount of discipline and self motivation.
• Distance learning imparts time management as many students balance family, full time jobs, and their education.
• Emphasize that online degrees give experience communicating and networking on the internet.