Hello,

I am considering working toward my Masters in Adult Education - Curriculum & Instructional Design. I own my business and must travel frequently and last minute. Therefore, I think I must work through an online University such as Pheonix or Capella.

Does anyone have feedback on earning his/her masters via an online University and how it is perceived in the market place?

Do any of you recommend one over the other?
Many thanks,
Linda

quote:

Originally posted by LindaTrain:
Hello,

I am considering working toward my Masters in Adult Education - Curriculum & Instructional Design. I own my business and must travel frequently and last minute. Therefore, I think I must work through an online University such as Pheonix or Capella.

Does anyone have feedback on earning his/her masters via an online University and how it is perceived in the market place?

Do any of you recommend one over the other?
Many thanks,
Linda

Linda: I work as a faculty member at UOP and am also completing my PhD in Learning Management at Waldenu University. So I have experience as both online teacher and online student. This said, I find the online experience to be fantastic. The felxability in hours and locaiton (virtual) cannot be matched.

Two things to keep in mind are:
1. Interaction is via e-mail or posting to an online class very much like this fourm. If you do not have people to talk with during the day, it can be lonely.
2. Some online degrees have synchronous components that require you to be online for a conference or webinar. My preference is to stay asychronous in all parts on an online program.

I think that degrees achieved through distance learning are accepted in today's market because they are so popular and functional. Stick with one of the schools with name recognition and you should be fine.

Another option for you is Boise State University. They offer a Master's of Science in Instructional & Performance Technology that is excellent. The classes mirror their on campus degree and they have a great reputation in the industry. I earned my master's there; it was grueling, but very valuable. Some of their online faculty are recognized names in the field.

I chose the distance route, like you, because of the flexibility. I am very satisfied with how it turned out. As a side benefit, I now also know peers located around the world. It made for great discussions.

Good luck,

Jay

I echo the sentiments expressed in previous postings. I completed my Masters degree in an online program for similar reasons as yours. I had to do a lot of global travel so an online environment was the only way I was going to achieve my goal. The e-mail and threaded discussions really allow for some great dialog as well as challenging me to re-think my position on various issues. I agree with Jay, that these discussions allowed me to develop a global network peers.
You will not regret taking a degree from an online university unless you are looking for an easy way out. I found the online environment to be challenging because of the pace. Each week we had to conduct quite a bit of research to adequately complete the weekly assignments as well as post meaningful comments other participants’ postings.
From my perception, most employers accept online degrees as long as they have been accredited by a recognized organization.

Jay -

I've been browsing for an online masters for quite awhile now and checked out Boise after reading your post. Must say I'm pretty impressed - with both the program structure and the cost of tuition. Could you share more about what you found especially valuable about their program? Thanks in advance!