Chapter 2

Pros and Cons (Chapter 2)

There are advantages and disadvantages to pursuing a master’s degree online, and most of these will likely depend on what stage of life you are in and how you operate as a student. The list below does not cover all of the pros and cons associated with getting a master’s degree online, but it includes important issues you should consider before making your decision. Read the following with a grain of salt and with your own lifestyle and personal habits in mind.

Pros:

• Accessibility/ Flexibility

  One of the biggest advantages of pursuing a master’s degree online is the ability to access course materials and to submit assignments from anywhere and at any time. The flexibility this allows students, especially those who work or whose schedules are not the normal 9 to 5, can be a real selling point. Some online master’s programs are less strict when it comes to how long you have to finish your degree. This can be nice if you don’t have a particular timeframe in which to finish or if you worry that life events (such as births, deaths, marriages, etc.) may throw you off the degree track. If you do not have regular access to a computer and a reliable Internet connection, the benefits of accessibility and flexibility quickly diminish.

• Independence

  Choosing to get an online master’s degree can give you a lot of independence – if you have certain skills and tools. If you are organized, a self-starter, and capable of setting and meeting deadlines, the format of an online master’s degree will probably be an advantage for you. If you tend to procrastinate and rely on outside reminders and benchmarks to complete assignments, an online master’s degree may not be the best choice for you. Again, you must have access to a computer and a reliable Internet connection in order to take advantage of the independence an online master’s degree can provide.

• Cost Efficiency

  The price tag of a master’s degree, online or otherwise, can cause a bit of sticker shock. Graduate school can be expensive and it’s essential that you have a solid understanding of your financial situation, the financial aid that you are eligible for, and the likelihood that the degree you are pursuing will eventually bring in a bigger paycheck before jumping into any program. With all of that in mind, if you can manage to work while earning your degree, which is more likely in an online program, the cost of a master’s degree might be less of a burden.

• Diversity

  Although you may not be physically seated next to your “classmates,” an online master’s degree program will likely allow you to interact and hold discussions with a wide-ranging group of students. The diversity of life, work, and education experiences brought by your online class can provide you with a better understanding of a subject of study, or shed light on new perspectives. You must, however, take the time to engage with your classmates and professors in order to get the benefits of their diverse experiences.

Cons:

• Degree Validity

  Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of getting a master’s degree online is that employers might wonder how valid the degree is. Even though online education is becoming a more common option for both non-traditional and traditional students, the reputation of online education lags behind. When done well, online degree programs can provide students with quality courses and evaluations that are on par with on-site programs. The problem is that when online programs are not done well, or are set up by degree mills, they lessen the validity of online degrees in general. This holds true for master’s degrees as well as bachelor’s degrees. In a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center and The Chronicle of Higher Education, about 51 % of the college presidents questioned believe that their online education programs are as beneficial as their on-site programs. The same survey, however, found that a much smaller percentage of American adults believed the same to be true. Despite the differences in opinion between college insiders and the American public, there are several ways you can approach questions about your online master’s degree:

1. Make sure your master’s degree is granted by an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
2. Before you enroll in a program, check with local, brick-and-mortar universities to see if they offer online programs in your discipline. Many universities are starting to offer online-only and hybrid (half online, half on-site) programs to meet the needs of increasingly diverse student bodies. If you go this route, you may be able to find an online master’s degree program that does not scream “online degree.”
3. Have a solid explanation and defense of your online master’s degree. Be prepared to show current and potential employers examples of course syllabi and work you completed while in the program. If they can see the fruits of your labor, they may be more inclined to accept your online master’s degree as legitimate.
• Structure

  The flipside of advantages like flexibility and independence is that you might not get the programmatic structure you’re used to. Due to the nature of online education, the structure of the learning experience is somewhat limited. Instead of having the reminders that come with being in class every day, you will need to remind yourself of what you need to do and when you need to hand things in. You will be responsible for making the most out of the structure that is available and for creating the structure that you need.

• Support

  While the professors who teach online courses are available via email and are expected to respond quickly, sometimes it’s beneficial to have face-to-face contact with those who are teaching you and guiding you through your master’s degree. This can be especially true if your degree program ends with a large research project or written assignment. Your graduate school professors are an important resource to have and to use, and if you think you’d get more from having conversations with them than from sending emails back and forth, an online degree might be less satisfying than a traditional master’s degree program.

  Also take into account the kind of work you will be doing for your master’s degree and the level at which you can accomplish these assignments. If your program primarily evaluates you based on written work, you should be able to write at a high level and without much help. This is not to say that online master’s degree programs do not offer academic support, but the effectiveness of that support is limited by its remoteness.