I was just wondering because it’s such a taboo to go to an “online college” but what if you’re in a college and are taking online courses? Is it considered just as bad? What if you want to transfer to a better college, are they going to dislike the fact that some of your classes were taken online?
#1 by sweetsaid24788 on May 17th, 2010
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They are two different things. Many colleges offer some online courses as well as face to face classes. It’s not considered bad unless you personally need the face to face. The teacher is just as available.
However, online college is a separate entity from an online class given through your college/ university. There is nothing wrong with them. However, be sure to check the accreditation of the online colleges. They may not be accredited properly to transfer them.
#2 by Higher Ed Professional on May 17th, 2010
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At most public institutions now, it’s almost the norm for students to take at least one course on-line while in college. There is definitely not the same taboo against this as there can be with fully on-line degrees. There’s also a huge, huge difference between an on-line course offered by a well-known, campus-based college (like your state university) and one offered by a for-profit, distance-only college (like University of Phoenix). This is because on-line courses offered by “regular” colleges are usually taught by full-time faculty members and are required to meet the same standards as in-person, on-campus courses. So, the bottom line is, the two really aren’t comparable, and you shouldn’t fear the stigma.
When it comes to transferring, this can be a little trickier. Many colleges, particularly highly-ranked private ones, will not grant transfer credit for on-line courses because they don’t offer them themselves. (This is also why many won’t offer transfer credit for summer courses.) So it will really depend on the college in question. Will a Wellesley or a Stanford not like a lot of on-line courses? Probably. Will a UMass or a Fordham care? Not really. So you really need to check in advance with the colleges you’re interested in transferring to, and then make your decision.
Personally, I took a two on-line courses while attending community college, and even though they didn’t transfer (I went to a college that didn’t accept those credits; other colleges to which I was accepted did give me credit), I’m still glad I did it because they helped me earn my Associate’s, which I *did* need to transfer. In that sense, they really helped me get from one place to the other. So even if you end up being down a course or two in terms of credits, that might not be such a big deal. Just pick your courses wisely, keep in close contact with your transfer admissions counselors, and do well!
Good luck.
#3 by crimedoc on May 17th, 2010
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They are very different.
An online college is usually a for profit institution. In many cases, the faculty are not academics, but people who work in the field and who earn extra money teaching. The upside is that they have real-world experience but the downside is that they are not “teachers” and may not really know HOW to teach properly. And since many of them get paid by the course, and teach part-time in addition to their regular full-time job, they may not put as much time into the course or be as available as you might wish.
Most universities today offer online classes (I teach online myself). But the courses are taught by the same professors you would have if you attended a course on campus. And since being a professor is your teacher’s full-time job, they put as much effort into the course as they do for a lecture-style course.
If you are enrolled in a university and take an online course, the course definitely will count towards your degree. However, if you take classes from an online college, and then want to transfer to a traditional four-year university, it is possible that not all your online credits will transfer. Particularly if the online college is not accredited or if the courses are not ones that the university will accept (for example, in our criminal justice dept., we will not accept paralegal courses as transfer credits towards the BA in criminal justice).