The Acceptability of Online Degrees Earned as a Credential for Obtaining Employment

Abstract

A national survey of hiring executives was conducted to assess the acceptability of a job applicant's qualifications for employment that included a degree earned solely online or one that included a significant amount of online coursework. The questionnaire was sent in response to job advertisements posted in newspapers in eight major metropolitan areas throughout the United States. It described three hypothetical applicants: One earned a degree through a “traditional” institution; a second obtained a degree solely online from a “virtual” institution; and a third obtained a degree by “mixed” online and traditional coursework. The question addressed by this study is whether a job applicant who has earned a bachelor's degree entirely or partially online has the same chance of being hired as one whose degree was completed through traditional coursework. The findings appear to indicate rather clearly that they are not.

Keywords:

• Distance Education
• Acceptability
• Online Degrees
• Employment
• Hiring Managers

Notes

1. The binomial test showed that the selection differences in Figure 1 were attributable to random chance much less frequently. For example, the likelihood of a virtual degree being selected over a traditional degree by chance is less than .01^–14.

2. This category also included face-to-face, classroom and experience. The keywords were grouped (in each of the categories) and used to formulate a ‘combined context’ based on the prelateship of these words to the themes.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jonathan Adams

Jonathan Adams (Ed. D, Boston University) is Associate Professor in the College of Communication at Florida State University

Margaret H. Defleur

Margaret H. DeFleur (Ph.D., Syracuse University) is Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research at the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University