7 Reasons Why I’m Happy to Earn My Master’s Degree Online

Turn back the clock five years and I would have been some sort of professional pariah. Online degrees were for only for stay-at-home moms or military vets. At least that’s what I wrongfully thought.

But what was an eager prospective grad student to do? Stop my career for a period of time in order to advance my career? That doesn’t make sense. Or maybe I needed to find a program where I could attend evening classes -- because there’s nothing more that I want to do after work than commute somewhere else and work for a few more hours.

I exhausted my options. I visited campuses all over the Bay Area and sat in on introductory seminars for various programs. But I still didn’t feel great about it. It’s not that I didn’t want to invest time into getting my education; I just didn’t want to waste time. And that’s where getting a degree online started to really make sense.

Here are the reasons I started leaning toward, and eventually deciding on, distance learning programs:

1) Legitimate schools’ online enrollments are on the rise; illegitimate schools’ enrollments are falling.

And by legitimate, of course, I mean the for-profit versus non-for-profit schools. I would never hold it against anyone for attending the University of Phoenix and getting their degree. But I hold it against the school for preying on low-income and unqualified students to take out inordinate amounts of money to pay their tuition. Luckily, enrollments at these universities are falling fast while online program enrollments at traditional brick-and-mortar schools are steadily rising. “Online degree” doesn’t catch the same snarls anymore because it’s rapidly gaining popularity, momentum, and favorable reception.

2) Network with actual professionals in their fields, not just jobless students.

I’ve been blown away by the professionals in my classes. They’ve brought a ton of experience and perspectives that I’ve never experienced in any undergraduate class I’ve had. Many of them are industry vets who have even more experience than the professors teaching the courses. And it’s great because I can share my experiences working at JotForm with professionals doing similar things at various organizations. And that’s a huge benefit to taking online courses: your classmates aren’t taking breaks from their busy careers.

3) I had my pick of universities without geographical confines.

I started out my search by creating a list of schools in a spreadsheet. In total, I had about 25 programs I was seriously considering, all of which didn’t require me to move from my cozy Oakland apartment. Each and every one of them were recognizable universities from different states. I ended up choosing Purdue because they have a vast and involved alumni network, name recognition, and a terrific program.

4) I earn while I learn.

The math is there. The ability to earn the same salary that I’d make not going to school while I’m taking classes is a huge added bonus. Yes, it’s hard and my social life is taking a hit. But it’s only temporary. I’ll save tens of thousands of dollars going the online route than had I chosen to move to a small college town with no jobs in my field.

5) I can apply what I learn in real time.

There have been more than a few times that I’ve read something for class on the bus to work, then applied what I learned that same day. It’s great to apply my schoolwork to real life situations as it comes up instead of waiting a couple years to finish the degree. Everything is fresh in my memory.

6) Travel isn’t a problem.

From weekend trips to full-blown vacations, I can travel without having to worry about missing out on classwork -- as long as there’s an internet connection. This past year I left town about six different times while class was in session and didn’t miss a beat. That would have created a big problem in a traditional classroom setting.

7) Online class discussions are more compelling online.

It might seem counterintuitive, but it’s absolutely true. Words typed into an online discussion board for your class are far more thought out, researched, and often even cited, than rattling off your opinions in a physical classroom. Plus it serves as a resource as something to revisit later on.

Everyone’s learning styles are different. Maybe online degrees don’t make sense for your path. But there’s no question that the benefits of getting your graduate degree online are completely changing the higher education landscape.

Have you thought about getting a master’s degree? What are your thoughts about online education?

Chad Reid is the director of communications for JotForm, a leading online form building software for small businesses.