What do you think? "U.S. News Releases the 2015 Best Online Programs for Veterans"

COL Charles Williams — Thu, 21 May 2015 22:56:45 -0400

I am currently in attending a traditional education program to obtain my EdS, and then PhD, but much of my classes are online. Until recently (this degree program), all of my post secondary education was in a traditional classroom setting. When I started my current degree program, I was initially intimidated in the online arena, as it was not familiar to me. But, once I got used to it, I really enjoyed them as I could work them around my schedule. Online classes are a great choice for Service Members and all of us.

Education matters, so what programs would recommend? Not recommend?

Response by SFC Mark Merino made May 21 at 2015 11:01 PM

SFC Mark Merino — Thu, 21 May 2015 23:01:16 -0400

Don't make my mistake. When I was on active duty, I was obsessed with finishing a masters and the only 100% accredited online degree was in health psychology thru NCU. I can't land a job to save my butt. It didn't lead to licensure so it might as well be an associates in underwater basket weaving. Now, the VA doesn't pay for retraining or continued education past the masters level. Anyone need a basket weaved underwater? That is just my issue, please don't think I am bashing NCU or online schooling, just do a good job researching your POST military plans. Getting a degree looks great on your records, USING your degree after you retire is another story.

Response by PO1 John Miller made May 22 at 2015 12:19 AM

PO1 John Miller — Fri, 22 May 2015 00:19:32 -0400

I was attending University of Phoenix (both online and traditional classroom) but had to drop out because life happened.

When I am ready to go back to school, I'm going with WGU, because they offer IT certifications as part of their degree path. And it's completely online.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made May 22 at 2015 6:30 AM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Fri, 22 May 2015 06:30:10 -0400

Great information! Thanks sir. Good to see that some traditional brick and mortar schools are also offering online programs. My wife is working on getting her teaching certificate and with 3 kids at home, online with a flexible schedule was the best way to go.

Response by MAJ Michael Scharff made May 22 at 2015 7:32 AM

MAJ Michael Scharff — Fri, 22 May 2015 07:32:56 -0400

I think it takes about three classes to get used to the online format...

Response by MAJ Michael Scharff made May 22 at 2015 7:38 AM

MAJ Michael Scharff — Fri, 22 May 2015 07:38:30 -0400

Just make sure that any school you are considering has REGIONAL accreditation. While "national accreditation" or "international accreditation" may sound good, they are not... All the schools you have heard of by watching sports (Notre Dame, Stanford, Syracuse, USC, Clemson, LSU, Texas, etc) all have regional accreditation. If you go to a school that does not have regional accreditation and then want to go on and further your education, a regionally accredited school will not accept your degree.

Response by MSgt Jamie Lyons made May 22 at 2015 7:50 AM

MSgt Jamie Lyons — Fri, 22 May 2015 07:50:02 -0400

I know 2 great military friendly schools that are completely online are American Military University (AMU) and Trident University International (TUI).

Response by SrA Edward Vong made May 22 at 2015 10:14 AM

SrA Edward Vong — Fri, 22 May 2015 10:14:18 -0400

In my opinion, online education is great for those who are currently working in the field they are studying. That way, they can combine work experience with the classes to further their successes.

In a classroom, we get a bit more "hands on" experience with what we are learning with labs and such. No offense to anyone, but I wouldn't trust anyone who received a medical or engineering degree online with no previous work experience.

Response by MCPO Brian Legg made May 22 at 2015 10:31 AM

MCPO Brian Legg — Fri, 22 May 2015 10:31:51 -0400

Good discussions. Personally, I have never attended any type of "traditional learning environment" past High School. My bachelors was a combination of distance, CLEP, and the random classes I could take at either the near by Air Force base or in a couple instances, a building right off the golf course near NPTU Charleston. I took all those credits and transferred them to Thomas Edison.

For my Masters I chose Liberty since I could do everything from online and also while on deployment on ships (even though the bandwidth stunk). I liked it so much I did a second Masters.

For my post masters I was originally accepted at Texas A&M, but the program was divided between online and some classes at College Station. The travel was just too much for me so I went with the Ed.S. program back at Liberty. I am on my third class and love the learning environment and the freedom to "do school" on my time and at my pace.

As others above stated, online education really is best if you have a background in the topic or are currently working in the area you are studying. I too would be skeptical of an online MD, but I would be fine with Engineering types, especially with those who are in the industry already in other roles. The amount of mentorship you receive from peers and others is crucial to success.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 1 at 2015 5:00 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 17:00:07 -0400

It would be nice to see a list of top rated schools for active-duty members. As an active duty member I don't have the time/money (using ta only) to go to one of these schools for an MBA.