What Employers Say
Only a few years ago, in 2009, a literature review by Cleveland State University found that human resource managers, executives and other gatekeepers had negative perceptions of online degrees. Some recruiters blame the stigma on the last decade’s "diploma mills" – online, unaccredited programs known for offering a degree to anyone with a full wallet.
But these days, employers rarely question the quality of online programs, says Susan Fontana, regional vice president of Manpower, a global recruiting firm. “Things have changed,” says Fontana, whose company works with Fortune 100 companies and small and midsize businesses. “I think 10 years ago, you probably had a little more questioning, but it really is so much more accepted today.”
In fact, sometimes an online bachelor’s degree can be an advantage in the eye of an employer, Fontana says. In some cases, entrepreneurs favor students such as Schnackenberg, who have juggled multiple commitments while earning their degree because
There are several reasons why online bachelor’s degrees are increasingly becoming accepted, but name recognition has really had a positive effect on the enrollment of distance learners. Traditionally, in it's brief history, online colleges have been used for technical fields, or for continuing education and those schools were not household names. However, college name recognition is ushering in a new wave of non-technical majors seeking to earn their degree online. Chris Cullen, a brand consultant for colleges and universities, says the perception of online degrees has also changed as top-ranked (major universities with an established history and name recognition) schools have started offering more distance education options and massive open online courses, known as MOOCs. “In the past couple of years schools like MIT, Stanford, Duke and Johns Hopkins (big names) have joined the online education landscape,” says Cullen, managing director at Infinia DC. "It elevates the concept of online higher ed. Just by their participation the category is lifted."
Mary Massad, division president of recruiting services for Insperity, a firm that provides recruiting services to more than 100,000 small and midsize businesses, says her clients have a variety of opinions on the degrees.
About 75 percent of her clients have embraced online credentials. As for the other 25 percent, she doesn’t count on changing their minds.
“There are people who are very resistant and very traditional in the way they perceive an online degree,” she says. “For some, it’s just deeply embedded in how they think.”
Although having an online bachelor’s degree isn’t a deal breaker for most of her clients, Massad says having an online degree from an unaccredited school is a sure way to get a resume discarded. Before you enroll in a program, make sure it is accredited, she says.
“You can go into this with eyes wide open – and you should,” she says.
To avoid having an online degree discounted, he recommends enrolling in a program that has brand recognition in the relevant field.
“In time, a person’s experience will outweigh their education on their resume,” he says. “But all things being equal, an employer will judge your education based on their own personal familiarity with the institution that provided the degree.”
References
Adams, J. (2008). Understanding the factors limiting the acceptability of online courses and degrees. Unpublished manuscript. Florida State University.
Adams, J., & DeFleur, M. (2005). The acceptability of a doctoral degree earned online as a credential for obtaining a faculty position. The American Journal of Distance Education, 19(2), 71-85.
Adams, J., & DeFleur, M. (2006). The acceptability of online degrees earned as a credential for obtaining employment. Communication Education, 55(1), 32-45.
Adams, J., DeFleur, M., & Heald, G. (2007). The acceptability of a doctoral degree earned online as a credential for health professionals. Communication Education, 56(3), 292-307.
Adams, J., & Eveland, V. (2007). Marketing online degree programs: How do traditional-residential programs compete? Unpublished manuscript. Florida State University, 1-29.
Allen, I., & Seaman, J. (2005, November). Growing by degrees: Online education in the United States, 2005. Sloan Consortium, 1-24.
Carnevale, D. (2005, September 23). Employers still prefer traditional degrees over online learning, study finds. The Chronicle of Higher Education: Information Technology, 52(5), A43.
Carnevale, D. (2007). Employers often distrust online degrees: Some say they prefer job applicants who earned diplomas the old-fashioned way. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 53(18), A28.
Caudron, S. (2001). Evaluating E-Degrees. Workforce, 80(2), 44.
Chaney, E. G. (2002). Pharmaceutical employers' perceptions of employees or applicants with e-degrees or online coursework. (Doctoral dissertation, Indiana State University, Indiana, USA). Retrieved January 9, 2008, from ProQuest Digital Dissertationsdatabase. (Publication No. AAT 3061561).
Conceição, S. C. O. (2007). Setting directions for the future of online and adult education. New Directions for Adult & Continuing Education (113), 87-91.
Dolezalek, H. (2003). Online degrees. Training, 40(5), 26.
elearners.com (2007). Online colleges, universities and schools. Retrieved March 8, 2008, from http://www.elearners.com/colleges/index.asp
Flowers, J. C. & Baltzer, H. (2006). Hiring Technical Education faculty: Vacancies, criteria, and attitudes toward online doctoral degrees. Journal of Industrial Teacher Education 43(3).
Glover, K. (2005, October 15). Don't Discredit My Online Degree. Library Journal, 39.
Guendoo, L. (2007). Credibility challenges to online doctoral graduates seeking faculty positions: A community college perspective. Doctoral dissertation, Capella University, Minnesota, USA. Retrieved June 20, 2008, from Dissertations & Theses: A&I database. (Publication No. AAT 3284074).
Guendoo, L. (2008). Community colleges friendlier to online PhDs. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration. 11 (3). Retrieved March 11, 2009 from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall113/guendoo113.html
Hartman, K. (2007). Major employers embrace online degrees. Distance Learning Today. 1(2), 12-13.
Mitchell, W. (2003). Bypass the gatekeeper to land an interview with the decision maker. Tech Republic. Retrieved January 4, 2008, from http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-22-5034822.html
Montell, G. (2003). Battling the stigma of nontraditional credentials. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved May 23, 2007, from http://chronicle.com/jobs/2003/08/2003080601c.htm
Mulrean, J. (2004). Who would hire an online grad? Collegeinpjs.com. Retrieved February 2, 2008 from http://www.educationconnection.com/downloads/hire_online_grad.pdf
Nance, M. (2007, April). Online degrees increasingly gaining acceptance among employers. Retrieved October 3, 2007, from http://www.diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_7181.shtml 24(4), 50.
Peat, J., & Helland, K. (2004). The competitive advantage of online versus traditional education. Unpublished manuscript. University of Tennessee. 938-945.
Russell, T. L. (2001). The no significant difference phenomenon: A comparative research annotated bibliography on technology for distance education. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State University.
Seibold, K. N. (2007). Employers' perceptions of online education. (Doctoral dissertation, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma, USA). Retrieved January 9, 2008, from ProQuest Digital Dissertations database. (Publication No. AAT 3274545).
Whellen, A. (2006, July 30). Degrees of acceptance. The New York Times, Retrieved May 24, 2007 from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/education/edlife/conted.html
Yick, A. G., Patrick, P., & Costin, A. (2005). Navigating distance and traditional higher education: Online faculty experiences. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 6(2). Retrieved January 12, 2009, fromhttp://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/235/853
Only a few years ago, in 2009, a literature review by Cleveland State University found that human resource managers, executives and other gatekeepers had negative perceptions of online degrees. Some recruiters blame the stigma on the last decade’s "diploma mills" – online, unaccredited programs known for offering a degree to anyone with a full wallet.
But these days, employers rarely question the quality of online programs, says Susan Fontana, regional vice president of Manpower, a global recruiting firm. “Things have changed,” says Fontana, whose company works with Fortune 100 companies and small and midsize businesses. “I think 10 years ago, you probably had a little more questioning, but it really is so much more accepted today.”
In fact, sometimes an online bachelor’s degree can be an advantage in the eye of an employer, Fontana says. In some cases, entrepreneurs favor students such as Schnackenberg, who have juggled multiple commitments while earning their degree because
There are several reasons why online bachelor’s degrees are increasingly becoming accepted, but name recognition has really had a positive effect on the enrollment of distance learners. Traditionally, in it's brief history, online colleges have been used for technical fields, or for continuing education and those schools were not household names. However, college name recognition is ushering in a new wave of non-technical majors seeking to earn their degree online. Chris Cullen, a brand consultant for colleges and universities, says the perception of online degrees has also changed as top-ranked (major universities with an established history and name recognition) schools have started offering more distance education options and massive open online courses, known as MOOCs. “In the past couple of years schools like MIT, Stanford, Duke and Johns Hopkins (big names) have joined the online education landscape,” says Cullen, managing director at Infinia DC. "It elevates the concept of online higher ed. Just by their participation the category is lifted."
Mary Massad, division president of recruiting services for Insperity, a firm that provides recruiting services to more than 100,000 small and midsize businesses, says her clients have a variety of opinions on the degrees.
About 75 percent of her clients have embraced online credentials. As for the other 25 percent, she doesn’t count on changing their minds.
“There are people who are very resistant and very traditional in the way they perceive an online degree,” she says. “For some, it’s just deeply embedded in how they think.”
Although having an online bachelor’s degree isn’t a deal breaker for most of her clients, Massad says having an online degree from an unaccredited school is a sure way to get a resume discarded. Before you enroll in a program, make sure it is accredited, she says.
“You can go into this with eyes wide open – and you should,” she says.
To avoid having an online degree discounted, he recommends enrolling in a program that has brand recognition in the relevant field.
“In time, a person’s experience will outweigh their education on their resume,” he says. “But all things being equal, an employer will judge your education based on their own personal familiarity with the institution that provided the degree.”
References
Adams, J. (2008). Understanding the factors limiting the acceptability of online courses and degrees. Unpublished manuscript. Florida State University.
Adams, J., & DeFleur, M. (2005). The acceptability of a doctoral degree earned online as a credential for obtaining a faculty position. The American Journal of Distance Education, 19(2), 71-85.
Adams, J., & DeFleur, M. (2006). The acceptability of online degrees earned as a credential for obtaining employment. Communication Education, 55(1), 32-45.
Adams, J., DeFleur, M., & Heald, G. (2007). The acceptability of a doctoral degree earned online as a credential for health professionals. Communication Education, 56(3), 292-307.
Adams, J., & Eveland, V. (2007). Marketing online degree programs: How do traditional-residential programs compete? Unpublished manuscript. Florida State University, 1-29.
Allen, I., & Seaman, J. (2005, November). Growing by degrees: Online education in the United States, 2005. Sloan Consortium, 1-24.
Carnevale, D. (2005, September 23). Employers still prefer traditional degrees over online learning, study finds. The Chronicle of Higher Education: Information Technology, 52(5), A43.
Carnevale, D. (2007). Employers often distrust online degrees: Some say they prefer job applicants who earned diplomas the old-fashioned way. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 53(18), A28.
Caudron, S. (2001). Evaluating E-Degrees. Workforce, 80(2), 44.
Chaney, E. G. (2002). Pharmaceutical employers' perceptions of employees or applicants with e-degrees or online coursework. (Doctoral dissertation, Indiana State University, Indiana, USA). Retrieved January 9, 2008, from ProQuest Digital Dissertationsdatabase. (Publication No. AAT 3061561).
Conceição, S. C. O. (2007). Setting directions for the future of online and adult education. New Directions for Adult & Continuing Education (113), 87-91.
Dolezalek, H. (2003). Online degrees. Training, 40(5), 26.
elearners.com (2007). Online colleges, universities and schools. Retrieved March 8, 2008, from http://www.elearners.com/colleges/index.asp
Flowers, J. C. & Baltzer, H. (2006). Hiring Technical Education faculty: Vacancies, criteria, and attitudes toward online doctoral degrees. Journal of Industrial Teacher Education 43(3).
Glover, K. (2005, October 15). Don't Discredit My Online Degree. Library Journal, 39.
Guendoo, L. (2007). Credibility challenges to online doctoral graduates seeking faculty positions: A community college perspective. Doctoral dissertation, Capella University, Minnesota, USA. Retrieved June 20, 2008, from Dissertations & Theses: A&I database. (Publication No. AAT 3284074).
Guendoo, L. (2008). Community colleges friendlier to online PhDs. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration. 11 (3). Retrieved March 11, 2009 from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall113/guendoo113.html
Hartman, K. (2007). Major employers embrace online degrees. Distance Learning Today. 1(2), 12-13.
Mitchell, W. (2003). Bypass the gatekeeper to land an interview with the decision maker. Tech Republic. Retrieved January 4, 2008, from http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-22-5034822.html
Montell, G. (2003). Battling the stigma of nontraditional credentials. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved May 23, 2007, from http://chronicle.com/jobs/2003/08/2003080601c.htm
Mulrean, J. (2004). Who would hire an online grad? Collegeinpjs.com. Retrieved February 2, 2008 from http://www.educationconnection.com/downloads/hire_online_grad.pdf
Nance, M. (2007, April). Online degrees increasingly gaining acceptance among employers. Retrieved October 3, 2007, from http://www.diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_7181.shtml 24(4), 50.
Peat, J., & Helland, K. (2004). The competitive advantage of online versus traditional education. Unpublished manuscript. University of Tennessee. 938-945.
Russell, T. L. (2001). The no significant difference phenomenon: A comparative research annotated bibliography on technology for distance education. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State University.
Seibold, K. N. (2007). Employers' perceptions of online education. (Doctoral dissertation, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma, USA). Retrieved January 9, 2008, from ProQuest Digital Dissertations database. (Publication No. AAT 3274545).
Whellen, A. (2006, July 30). Degrees of acceptance. The New York Times, Retrieved May 24, 2007 from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/education/edlife/conted.html
Yick, A. G., Patrick, P., & Costin, A. (2005). Navigating distance and traditional higher education: Online faculty experiences. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 6(2). Retrieved January 12, 2009, fromhttp://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/235/853