| A current main concern about online degrees is | | | | loss of real-time teacher/student exchange (39%.) |
| whether an online degree from an accredited college | | | | The industries most likely to embrace online degrees |
| or university is seen by potential employers as a | | | | were the following - |
| lesser degree than one that is earned in the | | | | Internet/New Media (70%) Technology (46%) High |
| traditional classroom. | | | | Tech (44%) Media & Marketing (29%) |
| Certain professions, such as entry-level MBAs, still | | | | Telecommunications (29%) Consulting (22%) |
| consider online graduates as second-tier to traditional | | | | The industries least likely to embrace online degrees |
| classroom graduates because the ones doing the | | | | were the following - |
| hiring all obtained their degrees from traditional | | | | Medicine (68%) Law (56%) Health Care/Bio Tech |
| schools and have questions and concerns about the | | | | (52%) Academia (44%) Government (22%) Finance |
| quality of online degrees. | | | | (18%) |
| Graduates from the first Internet law school, | | | | The following was recommended by respondents to |
| Concord Law School, will likely have fewer options to | | | | help online degree holders land a position even when |
| practice law because the American Bar Association | | | | the interviewer has doubts about the value of the |
| will not accredit the university. As a result, those | | | | degree: |
| graduates will only be able to practice law in those | | | | - Tell employers and potential employers that your |
| states that don't require lawyers to earn degrees | | | | degree was earned online. - Bring along transcripts, |
| from an ABA-approved law school. | | | | course study examples, and letters of |
| There are some professions, like information | | | | recommendation or authenticity about the program |
| technology fields, that tend to value online degrees | | | | and its accreditation. - Have industry experience to |
| more highly because of the nature of the work itself. | | | | back the degree. - For those with limited work |
| However, a career network website, did a survey of | | | | history, having taken courses like public speaking, |
| 239 human resources professionals and found that | | | | debate, public forum, and group dynamics could help |
| they tend to put more value on degrees from | | | | show that you have people skills, which could help |
| established universities like Duke or Stanford than | | | | ease the hesitation over the lack of social interaction |
| from virtual universities like the University of Phoenix. | | | | with your peers when taking online courses. |
| Their study also revealed that 26% believed that | | | | As more and more online degree holders get |
| online bachelor's degrees were as credible as | | | | interviewed and hired, the number of companies that |
| traditionally earned bachelor's degrees, while 37% | | | | will be more open to hiring people with online degrees |
| believed that online graduate degrees were as | | | | will increase. |
| credible as traditionally earned graduate degrees. The | | | | Slowly, but surely, the employment world is realizing |
| reason behind this is believed to be that people | | | | that talented individuals don't have to come from the |
| seeking graduate degrees are doing it online because | | | | traditional classroom to provide value to a company. |
| it's their best or only option due to current job | | | | Companies are also realizing that individuals who |
| demands. These people may be seen as more driven | | | | would have never been available before due to work |
| and self-motivated. | | | | commitments, family obligations, and time constraints |
| The biggest drawbacks regarding online education | | | | preventing them from attending traditional classroom |
| cited by those surveyed were the lack of social | | | | degree programs, are now becoming options for |
| interaction with peers (61%,) lack of data about the | | | | these businesses to consider adding to their |
| effectiveness or quality of the education (53%,) and | | | | employee talent pool. |