Can you really get a job with an online degree?

Question

Has anyone received a degree from University of Phoenix and actually found a job? Or, do u know of anyone who has gotten a university of phoenix degree and got a job as an assistant prinicpal at a public school or at the board of education?

Answer 1

Yes, you can really get a job with an online degree.  A lot depends on where you get the degree though.

The public perception of the academic quality of University of Phoenix is pretty low.  They are regionally accredited though and therefor legit.  They're also VERY expensive compared to almost every other college in the US.  Most people don't put a lot of value on a UoP degree and that's probably why you're asking this question.

There are many more options available to you that have a far better reputation.  UMass, for example, offers their MEd in EdAdmin online http://www.umassonline.net/degrees/MEDEd...

Liberty offers their EdS online and the EdD with considerable online component.  http://www.luonline.com/index.cfm?PID=14...

Just two of many possible examples with a better reputation and lower cost than UoP.

Your options are many.  Take a look at the search tool at Peterson's online.  http://www.petersons.com/distancelearnin...

Answer 2

Just the fact that you are asking this question, means that you question the value of a degree from that school.  Perhaps prospective interviewers will question its value too.

Answer 3

I used to work in a graduate school office for a state university. They refused to accept credit from Univ of Phoenix for transfer--students had to retake any grad-level classes and if they tried to come in with an undergraduate degree from Univ of Phx they were denied admission. So think about what you want to do with that degree--especially if there is any possibility you might want to pursue a more advanced degree later--and investigate all your options. (For administrative jobs, you usually need a master's, so if you are currently in an undergrad mode, really, really think about whether this program works for you!)

I know a TON of people who took and taught grad classes from Univ of Phx because we lived and taught in a remote area. None of them ever made a single positive comment about the quality of education coming from Univ. of Phx.

Some of the Univ of Phx INSTRUCTORS were my friends and they complained that they were working for a diploma mill--they weren't allowed to give less than a B and were told to have open-book tests and give copies of the test for study guides, etc.

Other friends of mine who TOOK classes from Univ of Phx in that remote setting knew they were getting what they called a "substandard" education but they didn't care. They just wanted to post hours to meet district requirements and get raises, with the least effort. People taking the classes said it was a joke--all you had to do was show up for an A; if you had a lot of absences you got a B. They said they didn't learn a thing and they just did it because it was fast and easy.

This was as late as 2005, so if Univ of Phx has changed, there simply hasn't been enough time for its reputation to recover yet.

When a school has that sort of a reputation, your degree is tainted, no matter how much effort you put in on your own to master the material, no matter the extra effort you expended on self-education to take yourself to a higher level.

I am a school administrator (with degrees from well-respected schools) and if I received an application from someone with a degree from Univ of Phx, I would be quite dubious; that person would have to interview harder than the average bear to prove to me that his or her education is equivalent to other applicants with degrees from state universities, etc. (IF that person even made it as far as the interview stage!) I would question WHY he or she chose to get a degree from a place with that sort of reputation ... it is easy to jump to a conclusion that this program appealed because it was easy and he or she simply didn't have the skills and/or the motivation to succeed in another educational setting--leading to a conclusion that he or she therefore probably doesn't have the skills to perform well in my school, either.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do. I'm glad you're investigating, because this is one of the most important decisions you face in your career. When educators get together and do the initial getting-to-know-you dance, one of the first questions is "So, where did you go to school?" Be certain you can hold your head high when you make your response.