ABSTRACT
The purpose of this article is to decipher whether employers have concerns about online degrees versus a traditional degree when hiring candidates. According to Adams & Defleur (2007), “there is a steady expansion of online education that has created considerable controversy regarding the quality of the instruction, educational outcomes, the reputation of the providing institution, and regulatory policies used to evaluate and manage these important resources” (p.33).The researchers e-mailed 1846 asking recipients to take an online survey about their perceptions about online degrees.
The researchers finding matched the concerns expressed in the literature review. There are three aspects to focus on such as institution accreditation, reputation, online experiences and interaction. Recipients felt that technical, engineering, accounting, finance and clinical occupations need to be in class or at the very least hybrid. The three aspects have not diminished are still on the employers mind.
Keywords
online degrees, online education, educational reputation, institutional accreditation, employer perceptions.