Online college degrees

[Night Elf]

With technology increasing year by year, can we now see reputable universities offering real degrees that will actually help one find a job in their chosen field? I worry about getting a degree that isn't taken seriously. What do you think?

 

Mostly I'm asking for my ds who wants to work from home. He has Aspergers and has a different perception from me and his dad. We had him in counseling for a month to talk about career goals but when he stopped going, even the counselor said ds's expectations were probably unrealistic. Ds doesn't want to go back to school, but I might be able to argue the case if I can find a reputable school with degrees that result in work from home jobs. 

 

I'd rather not go the disability route. He's shown he can hold down a job when he worked at a grocery store for over a year. He hated that job and doesn't want to go back to it regardless of what store would hire him. It was the nature of the work he didn't like. 

 

I need to help him, and help him fast. So what about online universities? 

[LucyStoner]

What kind of work does he want to do?

[G5052]

I work for a state community college with a large online component that offers entire degrees. Our graduates have no problem at all because they receive a "name brand" diploma. It says nothing about their online status.

 

If it's a recognized school, no problem. If you can find a bricks-and-mortar school with an online degree, that's ideal.

 

Locally, I've heard that some employers discriminated against graduates of Strayer, University of Phoenix, and such for technical degrees because the quality isn't there. But if an employer just wants any degree, that might be OK.

[Night Elf]

What kind of work does he want to do?

 

With school, he could do something with computers. 

 

Right now, he believes he can become a writer and make money with no experience other than standard English class assignments in high school. This is what I've got to get him away from. 

[solascriptura]

In order to get him a feel for what an online school would be like, see if you can get him into a community college online class. That way he could get some credits for minimal college expenses. My local community college has entire associate degree programs online. I would stay away from the for profit schools right now. They’re expensive and for where your dd is at it’s unnecessary to pay that expense.

[Andromeda]

Absolutely.

 

I completed my own Master's Degree from a highly regarded university entirely online - only met my faculty mentor once in person, and that was before online degrees were "a thing." My diploma looks like any other diploma from my school, and you would not know that the coursework was done online. The faculty was the same, the courses were the same, the textbooks, assignments, exams. etc.

 

It takes far more dedication to do well in online courses than in face-to-face ones. The main issue is that the accountability falls entirely on the student. The student needs to have excellent discipline and have a good support system at home in order to succeed. 

Edited January 27, 2018 by RosemaryAndThyme

[Night Elf]

He used an accredited online high school to earn his diploma, so he's familiar with online classes. He enrolled in a couple when he was in college and taking some on-campus classes and the requirements looked similar to his high school experience, just more work involved. He actually dropped them because he worried he wouldn't be able to keep up and took them on campus instead. I'm hoping he's willing to try again. There is NO way I can get him back into a B&M school. I know that for a fact.

 

I'm looking at a possibility for an associate's degree from a branch of GA State University that I used to know as a 2-year school. I don't know how they got affiliated with GSU. 

Edited January 27, 2018 by Night Elf

[Liz CA]

It is possible. Do your homework. I attended a university that had a B & M site but had developed a well designed online program in my field. Nobody has ever questioned it.

 

I would steer clear of places like Phoenix University. I feel sort of bad saying this because I have zero first hand experience with them but I read that many employers have blacklisted them. Perhaps they have improved from their earlier efforts but reputation is always slow to change.

 

If your ds chooses a university that is a state university but offers his degree in online format, he will likely never be asked.

[QueenCat]

There are reputable online universities. American Public University is regionally accredited and a great school, despite being "for profit." My program was definitely rigorous. If a university is not regionally accredited, I would not spend a dime there. I got one of my degrees at American Public University. It certainly helped me in my career. However, I didn't need to use their career services. Others I know said that they did a decent job in that department. No matter what a school says, NONE of them can guarantee a job. 

[Crimson Wife]

There are lots of respected non-profit schools that now offer online degrees. I did one for my 2nd bachelor's and am applying to grad schools that offer online coursework paired with supervised clinical practica in my area. There is nothing on my diploma indicating I did my degree fully online and the same will go if I am successful at earning my master's.

 

My last employer had a blanket ban on hiring graduates of the for-profits like University of Phoenix for any position requiring a degree. However, they did hire/promote people who had earned degrees online from reputable non-profit schools.

[Caroline]

Kennesaw State offers a lot of online classes. I don’t know if they offer a full degree that way, yet, but you might check with them. They now encompass what used to be Southern Poly, so they offer many more classes in engineering, etc than they used to.

[newhsmom]

Absolutely.

 

I completed my own Master's Degree from a highly regarded university entirely online - only met my faculty mentor once in person, and that was before online degrees were "a thing." My diploma looks like any other diploma from my school, and you would not know that the coursework was done online. The faculty was the same, the courses were the same, the textbooks, assignments, exams. etc.

 

It takes far more dedication to do well in online courses than in face-to-face ones. The main issue is that the accountability falls entirely on the student. The student needs to have excellent discipline and have a good support system at home in order to succeed. 

 

I completed some of my graduate degree online and my experience is exactly this.  It was so much more work than going in person because I had to participate so much more and the amount of reading was a killer.  I can't see why an employer would discriminate against a degree completed online from a reputable school.  Just be prepared for how difficult it can be.  

[Corraleno]

Arizona State offers lots of 100% online degrees, including several in tech areas: Information Technology BS, Software Engineering BS, Graphic Information Technology BS, Technical Communication / User Experience BS, and Internet and Web Development BAS (Applied Science).

 

They also offer the Global Freshman Academy program through EdX where you can take a year's worth of ASU credits online in the form of MOOCs, with video proctoring for the midterm & final. There are 10 or 12 classes available, I think, and they are generally 8 weeks long. The only thing you pay upfront is the $50 verified/proctoring fee; then if you're happy with your grade you can pay $600 to convert it to full ASU credit, and it appears on an ASU transcript like any other ASU course. If you drop the course or aren't happy with your grade, you're out the $50, but at least there's no record of the bad grade. Might be a good way to "test the waters" for a kid who isn't sure he's ready for college, or who you're not sure can fully handle an all-online college course.

[Peaceseeker]

If you are in Georgia check out Georgia on my line

 

https://www.georgiaonmyline.org

 

It lists all the online programs offered by the University System of Georgia and you can filter by type of degree, major or area of interest, and how much campus interaction there is, if any.

 

For core classes in Georgia there is also e core, which is a program allowing you to apply to a USG school and take your core curriculum online.

 

https://ecore.usg.edu

Edited January 27, 2018 by CaliforniaDreaming

[gardenmom5]

there are legit schools - and diploma mills.

look at their online graduation rates too.

if you stick with looking at schools you know with a legit B&M presence/accrediation, you should be fairly safe the degree is legit.

 

my dsil got at least one bachelor's at the B&M, and did his MBA online at the same school (I found the online master's tend to be more meaningful as they are aimed at people who already have a degree.).  it did require flying there for a week or two at least once or twice.

 

my biggest issue with online - is a very limited selection of degrees.   even for legit schools.   and if you are in a field you need to work with people, strictly online can be a hindrance.

[LucyStoner]

I don’t think there is any point in forcing him to go to college. Online or otherwise. He will just waste money and/or financial aid eligibility.

 

There’s a lot he could do but if he doesn’t want to do it, it’s unlikely to work out very well.

 

What is your plan for supporting him as an adult? Do you intend to always let him live with you? Does he have any responsibilities he is supposed to take care of? I guess I would ramp up the expectations and see if that changes his tune about work plans and college.

[Night Elf]

If you are in Georgia check out Georgia on my line

 

https://www.georgiaonmyline.org

 

It lists all the online programs offered by the University System of Georgia and you can filter by type of degree, major or area of interest, and how much campus interaction there is, if any.

 

For core classes in Georgia there is also e core, which is a program allowing you to apply to a USG school and take your core curriculum online.

 

https://ecore.usg.edu

 

Thank you for this. We'll take a look.

[Night Elf]

Work from home is not likely unless he is working for himself.  Who is going to bring in contract work for him, if he's not willing to interact with others?  Do you plan to be that person?  

 

 

What line of work are you/he thinking of that requires a college degree doable on-line?

 

Does he have a resource person at the school district helping him with school to work plans?

 

He might be interested in an English degree and work as a low level editor. 

 

I don't know what he'd do with a computer science degree.

 

I know there are jobs out there that just want to see a college degree and they don't care what discipline it is in.

 

What school district?

[ktgrok]

With school, he could do something with computers. 

 

Right now, he believes he can become a writer and make money with no experience other than standard English class assignments in high school. This is what I've got to get him away from. 

 

Well, technically, he could. If he's a decent writer and willing to self study. If he's willing to read books about writing, willing to put in the time to learn to market himself, etc, yeah, he could. But....most writers do NOT make enough to support themselves. But he could...maybe. Is he writing now? Is he learning about writing? Could you give him a time period where he can apply himself, learn the industry, and make an attempt at it?It's super easy to publish on Amazon now, and to make covers, etc. Is he any good?

[mytwomonkeys]

Kennesaw State offers a lot of online classes. I don’t know if they offer a full degree that way, yet, but you might check with them. They now encompass what used to be Southern Poly, so they offer many more classes in engineering, etc than they used to.

I have my B.S from Kennesaw State University 😊

 

I attended the campus for all classes (it was back in the 90’s), but it’s great that they have online options now!!!

[Night Elf]

Well, technically, he could. If he's a decent writer and willing to self study. If he's willing to read books about writing, willing to put in the time to learn to market himself, etc, yeah, he could. But....most writers do NOT make enough to support themselves. But he could...maybe. Is he writing now? Is he learning about writing? Could you give him a time period where he can apply himself, learn the industry, and make an attempt at it?It's super easy to publish on Amazon now, and to make covers, etc. Is he any good?

 

He's been researching on how to start writing. He's tried a couple of ideas but didn't like how they turned out so he scrapped them. Tonight he asked us where do writers get their ideas from. DH had some tips for him and I just googled that phrase and told him to do the same thing. I told him he should try writing about something he knows well or that he knows how to research. He was a good writer in high school. Both DH and I liked everything he wrote. He was more creative than I thought he would be so I suppose him becoming a writer isn't totally out of the question. Basically, DH wants to see him making some kind of money within 6 months or be far enough along in something he can publish so he can get some feedback. He's got money saved so he's able to pull his own weight around here. We don't ask for much because he takes so little. He just ordered a Kindle because there are books he wants to read which I'm happy about because he's not really a big reader. I suggested he read more if he wants to write.

 

We want to see him making some kind of income. He was making about $800/mo working at the grocery store and we were okay with that. DH is going to retire in 9 years. By then, ds will need to be self-supporting. We'll be living on social security and our 401K and won't be able to support 3 full adults. Ds also wants to eventually get his own place which means being self-sufficient. He just doesn't know how he's going to get there.

 

But yes, he's willing to self-study. If you have any suggestions, I'll pass them along. 

 

Thanks.

[Crimson Wife]

A high school friend of mine is a technical editor and makes a good living at it. She used to work for Microsoft but now is at a smaller company (not a household name). She telecommuted for a while, though after a promotion she went back to working in an office. She was an English major.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[fairfarmhand]

With school, he could do something with computers.

 

Right now, he believes he can become a writer and make money with no experience other than standard English class assignments in high school. This is what I've got to get him away from.

I’m a freelance writer. The dependable work from home full time jobs require a college degree. I get by because I don’t depend on my income and I do part time stuff. But anything with benefits want a communication or english degree

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ktgrok]

 

 

But yes, he's willing to self-study. If you have any suggestions, I'll pass them along. 

 

Thanks.

 

Is there a particular genre he wants to write?

 

Either way, I'd start with the book On Writing, by Stephen King. 

Also some craft books....if he's writing fiction he'll want to research things like writing dialogue, plotting techniques, etc. One of my favorite craft books (books that teach technique) is this one: Dive Deep: Exploring the Depths of POV

 

Oh, and he MUST read GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict. MUST read if he is going to write fiction. I also hear great things about "don't kill the cat" but haven't read it myself. 

 

There are also helpful communities like kboards, which has a section for writers. And then other groups for specific genres. 

 

Hope that helps. 

 

Would he take a single online class on something to do with writing? Would he participate in an online critique group or anything?

[Katy]

Most writers get their ideas while living their lives.  They get out of their parents home, they go to college, they get exposed to new things, they learn and experience and grow and then they have something to write about. 

[MedicMom]

I double majored in writing and philosophy.

I was never able to find a job with those majors. I have a job now that requires a bachelor’s, but it was my experience that got me the job. I couldn’t have gotten it right out of college with those degrees.

 

I would suggest an english major. Those are plentiful online from decent, accredited colleges. I honestly would also be expecting to support him financially. He would at least have a bachelor’s degree, but those types of work at home jobs that have benefits and can support an individual are tough to find.

[bettyandbob]

I know you want to avoid disability. However you are looking at a very short time, 5 years until he ages out of health insurance. So, I think you need to be working that angle too. You really have to.have a lot of documentation to apply. So while your DS exploring writing you probably should see if you can track down every bit if documentation you can to prove disability. It's a tough process and pretty much every application is rejected on the first try. It takes a few years to get it all together.

 

I think you get all the stuff together. If ds hasn't figured out how to produce an income, you need to work with a therapist as a family on how to apply for disability. And exactly what that means his life will look like.

 

I am a little familiar with the frustrations be of the process because I have a friend with an adult child on disability. Also I have a 2E ds who is stumbling his way towards fully launching. It's been one push after another to get him as far as he's gotten. Time is ticking away at him too.

 

Are you hooked into any local support groups for Asperger's/autism. It would be good to connect with parents of adult DC locally who have accessed whatever is available near you. Every state has different resources so I can't direct you. I know you've said you are introverted, but these groups are great because you do not need to reinvent the wheel finding stuff for your DS. Someone may have already done everything you need.

[6packofun]

Arizona State offers lots of 100% online degrees, including several in tech areas: Information Technology BS, Software Engineering BS, Graphic Information Technology BS, Technical Communication / User Experience BS, and Internet and Web Development BAS (Applied Science).

 Be sure to read all the requirements for homeschoolers (if that applies to you since you did an online high school?) because there are more than those for traditional students at Arizona State, particularly in tech/science majors.  (Like specific proof that you did lab-based science, for example.)

[Reefgazer]

Same here - online degrees from reputable colleges are not rare. But I will say that I know a few people who hire other people in their company and when they have a choice between someone who has an online degree or a non-online degree,hey will preferentially hire the non-online degree person. The reason both give is that the online degrees have not produced as high quality employees in general.

 

I work for a state community college with a large online component that offers entire degrees. Our graduates have no problem at all because they receive a "name brand" diploma. It says nothing about their online status.

 

If it's a recognized school, no problem. If you can find a bricks-and-mortar school with an online degree, that's ideal.

 

Locally, I've heard that some employers discriminated against graduates of Strayer, University of Phoenix, and such for technical degrees because the quality isn't there. But if an employer just wants any degree, that might be OK.

[Bootsie]

Is he interested in writing fiction or non-fiction?  

 

Working from home requires a great deal of self-motivation and self-discipline.  It can work great for some people, but that can be highly problematic for others.   Do you see him having the personal drive to make working for home a viable option?

[Lanny]

There is a web site I believe is reputable that I would pay to join, if I had any recent experience. That's the key thing. Recent experience. I believe he will have a tough time finding something, until he has a track record on his resume.  This is the web site:  https://www.flexjobs.com/

 

I was also going to suggest Arizona Stae University, but someone else mentioned that school, upthread.

 

With regard to Publishing on Amazon.  One of my cousins is married to a writer. He has written a number of books that are on Amazon.  He knows the subject matter. Those are non-fiction books.

 

I wish him good luck.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Same here - online degrees from reputable colleges are not rare. But I will say that I know a few people who hire other people in their company and when they have a choice between someone who has an online degree or a non-online degree,hey will preferentially hire the non-online degree person. The reason both give is that the online degrees have not produced as high quality employees in general.

 

 

Although it's my understanding that this is not indicated on transcripts (that courses were on-line).  So how would they know?

[Reefgazer]

They ask these questions in interviews, and people are forthcoming about how they get their degree .

 

Although it's my understanding that this is not indicated on transcripts (that courses were on-line). So how would they know?

[SparklyUnicorn]

They ask these questions in interviews, and people are forthcoming about how they get their degree .

 

 

Maybe they shouldn't be.

 

I think it's rather ridiculous to discriminate.  Getting a degree entirely on-line is no small feat IMO.  You'd have to be quite disciplined.  And in some cases I would consider it a plus.  For example, if you hire someone who will work remotely.  This would indicate they can work well on their own.  KWIM?

 

DH said his company has hired people who earned degrees from schools that are only on-line and they've been excellent employees.

[shawthorne44]

It is possible. Do your homework. I attended a university that had a B & M site but had developed a well designed online program in my field. Nobody has ever questioned it.

 

I would steer clear of places like Phoenix University. I feel sort of bad saying this because I have zero first hand experience with them but I read that many employers have blacklisted them. Perhaps they have improved from their earlier efforts but reputation is always slow to change.

 

If your ds chooses a university that is a state university but offers his degree in online format, he will likely never be asked.

 

My niece is enrolled in Phoenix University.  I saw her homework one day and was shocked at how juvenile it was.   It was fictitious medical application forms, like you fill out at your first visit at the doctor's office, and the activity was clicking on every area that had missing data.  

[SparklyUnicorn]

My niece is enrolled in Phoenix University.  I saw her homework one day and was shocked at how juvenile it was.   It was fictitious medical application forms, like you fill out at your first visit at the doctor's office, and the activity was clicking on every area that had missing data.  

 

What is she majoring in?

[Night Elf]

Is there a particular genre he wants to write?

 

Either way, I'd start with the book On Writing, by Stephen King. 

Also some craft books....if he's writing fiction he'll want to research things like writing dialogue, plotting techniques, etc. One of my favorite craft books (books that teach technique) is this one: Dive Deep: Exploring the Depths of POV

 

Oh, and he MUST read GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict. MUST read if he is going to write fiction. I also hear great things about "don't kill the cat" but haven't read it myself. 

 

There are also helpful communities like kboards, which has a section for writers. And then other groups for specific genres. 

 

Hope that helps. 

 

Would he take a single online class on something to do with writing? Would he participate in an online critique group or anything?

 

oooh, lots of ideas. He just ordered a Kindle so I'll suggest he put all of those on it first. Thanks.

 

I don't know if he'd take a class but if it's a single class to help him learn to do what he wants to do, he might. Do you just mean any kind of writing class at any university?

[Night Elf]

Retirement in 9 yrs, but will he age out of your dh's medical insurance in 5 yrs?

Will he be receiving SSDI on your dh's record?

 

Yes, he'll age out of our medical insurance. He's on no disability at all. I don't know what's going to happen in 5 years when he needs to get his own insurance. If the laws are the same, he might not be able to afford it on his own. I've got a dd who is aging out this year. She's so scared to find something on her own that will be even half as good as what she has with my DH's plan.

[Night Elf]

I know you want to avoid disability. However you are looking at a very short time, 5 years until he ages out of health insurance. So, I think you need to be working that angle too. You really have to.have a lot of documentation to apply. So while your DS exploring writing you probably should see if you can track down every bit if documentation you can to prove disability. It's a tough process and pretty much every application is rejected on the first try. It takes a few years to get it all together.

 

I think you get all the stuff together. If ds hasn't figured out how to produce an income, you need to work with a therapist as a family on how to apply for disability. And exactly what that means his life will look like.

 

I am a little familiar with the frustrations be of the process because I have a friend with an adult child on disability. Also I have a 2E ds who is stumbling his way towards fully launching. It's been one push after another to get him as far as he's gotten. Time is ticking away at him too.

 

Are you hooked into any local support groups for Asperger's/autism. It would be good to connect with parents of adult DC locally who have accessed whatever is available near you. Every state has different resources so I can't direct you. I know you've said you are introverted, but these groups are great because you do not need to reinvent the wheel finding stuff for your DS. Someone may have already done everything you need.

 

I have thought about disability but when I started researching it I got so confused. I even tried to find a disability lawyer anywhere around me and there are none. I'd have to travel an hour away or more to get to one. 

 

Also, I thought one thing of proving disability is that the person can't hold down a job. My ds did hold down a job, for over a year. He only quit because he didn't like doing the work anymore. He could go to any grocery store, or retailer, and get hired on as a stock clerk again. I'm sure he would get a good reference. And his job didn't even know he had Aspergers. He didn't tell them.

[BlsdMama]

With technology increasing year by year, can we now see reputable universities offering real degrees that will actually help one find a job in their chosen field? I worry about getting a degree that isn't taken seriously. What do you think?

 

Mostly I'm asking for my ds who wants to work from home. He has Aspergers and has a different perception from me and his dad. We had him in counseling for a month to talk about career goals but when he stopped going, even the counselor said ds's expectations were probably unrealistic. Ds doesn't want to go back to school, but I might be able to argue the case if I can find a reputable school with degrees that result in work from home jobs. 

 

I'd rather not go the disability route. He's shown he can hold down a job when he worked at a grocery store for over a year. He hated that job and doesn't want to go back to it regardless of what store would hire him. It was the nature of the work he didn't like. 

 

I need to help him, and help him fast. So what about online universities? 

 

 

Well, I definitely think we're seeing more.  Our state universities offer legitimate online degrees.  Obviously they are limited in scope.  When you talk about "and fast," I assume you mean he's graduating soon?  The next logical step would be a local community college.  If he tested extremely well, he'd be best off to apply to a university for merit aid (they are most generous with freshmen and then the scholarships are renewable) so you'd want to closely evaluate which college offers a strong online program.  BUT, if he doesn't test well, my personal next step would be an online AA through my local community college.  I know ours offers one - I got it last year. ;)

[elegantlion]

Even since I started college in late 2013, I've seen an increase in reputable online degree programs. My university has a few degrees available. One thing they were striving for was to make it possible to complete all of your general studies mostly online. They are there, I think, but options and sections are limited and fill quickly. 

 

As to the writing gig, I defer ktgrok who knows more about the success of the process, however, there are no guarantees. I'm in a few online writing groups and in one there is a young writer on the spectrum. This person has many challenges accepting criticism (either informed or, unfortunately sometimes, less than kind-spirited). They will quit story after story because they cannot see the product as a draft that needs editing. Even when people try to encourage, everything is taken as negative and responded to in that manner. Every writer starts with a draft, nothing is publishable at first writing. 

 

It takes some thick skin to be a writer and try to self-pubish. You also have to market yourself well. As much as I love writing fiction, I would not recommend it for a young person as their sole source of income. 

 

 

[Night Elf]

Well, I definitely think we're seeing more.  Our state universities offer legitimate online degrees.  Obviously they are limited in scope.  When you talk about "and fast," I assume you mean he's graduating soon?  The next logical step would be a local community college.  If he tested extremely well, he'd be best off to apply to a university for merit aid (they are most generous with freshmen and then the scholarships are renewable) so you'd want to closely evaluate which college offers a strong online program.  BUT, if he doesn't test well, my personal next step would be an online AA through my local community college.  I know ours offers one - I got it last year. ;)

 

Oh no, he graduated high school in 2015 and did a year of part-time college at a 4-year university. He quit because he didn't like the classes although he had a 4.0 GPA. Then he got a job at a grocery store doing overnight stocking and worked there for a year. Then he quit that last November to pursue career ideas. That's why I said 'and fast', because he's not doing as much as I think he should be. When he quit his job, he said he'd take that time he was working, to work from home trying to do a few things to see if he could turn them into a career. He's narrowed it down to writing. He believes he can write and make money without needing another paying job to see him through. He has Aspergers and his perceptions are off. He's thinking unrealistically. Even though he's 21, it's like he's 16 and can't see a real future for himself because he lives in the moment. It's hard to watch him going through this.

[ktgrok]

Even since I started college in late 2013, I've seen an increase in reputable online degree programs. My university has a few degrees available. One thing they were striving for was to make it possible to complete all of your general studies mostly online. They are there, I think, but options and sections are limited and fill quickly. 

 

As to the writing gig, I defer ktgrok who knows more about the success of the process, however, there are no guarantees. I'm in a few online writing groups and in one there is a young writer on the spectrum. This person has many challenges accepting criticism (either informed or, unfortunately sometimes, less than kind-spirited). They will quit story after story because they cannot see the product as a draft that needs editing. Even when people try to encourage, everything is taken as negative and responded to in that manner. Every writer starts with a draft, nothing is publishable at first writing. 

 

It takes some thick skin to be a writer and try to self-pubish. You also have to market yourself well. As much as I love writing fiction, I would not recommend it for a young person as their sole source of income. 

 

Oh, I agree with all of this. I'd just say it's a better shot than doing nothing, which is where they are right now. And if he tries and fails, maybe he'd look at something else, lol. 

I think if he enjoys writing, and is good at it, it is great that he wants to investigate pursuing that as a career.  However, I would encourage him to think about careers that involve writing, and to consider that "writing" isn't a career.  "Novelist" could be a career, as could "editor" or "technical writer", or "grant writer", or "reviewer" or any one of many careers that use writing.

 

Some things to consider.  A lot of these writing careers require a lot of interaction with people to figure out what to write or edit.  Is that a good fit for him?

 

Also, in all honesty, the fact that he doesn't like to read is a bit of a red flag.  If his goal is to be a published author, I think there are very few who aren't avid readers.

[EKS]

If you decide to go down the online degree path, only look at not-for-profit schools that have a significant b&m presence.  And if you want to be really stealthy about it, be sure that the major your son does is also offered in the b&m form.

 

I have a master's degree in gifted education from a large state university that I got online.  It doesn't say anywhere that it was online, but if someone was really savvy, they could find out that the program is only offered online.  I learned a lot in the program, but it was because I went well above and beyond in every single course.  I thought that the caliber of the students was poor and the teaching was nonexistent (which was funny because it was an *education* program that catered to practicing teachers!).

 

I am currently getting another master's degree in another field from another large state university (which I would place in the same selectivity basket as the first one, at least for undergraduates).  The difference between this program and the last one in terms of caliber of student and learning experience is like night and day.  So good programs exist, but you have to find them.

 

Based on my experience, some indicators of a quality program are: somewhat selective entrance requirements including test scores, a face to face component (online), and real professors teaching the courses (not farmed out to "graders").  Also, if the program uses a cohort model (so the same group of students goes through the classes together) it is a real plus.

[trulycrabby]

http://learnonline.kennesaw.edu

 

They offer online degree programs; it is a well-respected school.

[Night Elf]

http://learnonline.kennesaw.edu

 

They offer online degree programs; it is a well-respected school.

 

Yes. I spent a year there myself. :)

[NorthwestMom]

Have you contacted the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation in your state? They assist people with disabilities in finding the job that's right for them, and sometimes pay for schooling as well. I don't remember what state you are in, but here's a link to my state's DVR that explains the services people can receive through them. It might be helpful to have a third party advise and assist your son. 

 

https://www.dshs.wa.gov/strategic-planning/what-services-are-available-me

[Arcadia]

Although it's my understanding that this is not indicated on transcripts (that courses were on-line). So how would they know?

The resume. If someone works in California the same time period as he/she completes an ASU degree, the likelihood of the courses being online/distance learning is high.

 

I did my MBA by a hybrid online/distance learning model where the lecturers would come two weeks before exams to give revision sessions and proctor the exams. These lecturers have to fly in and stay at hotels. It’s obvious from my resume that my MBA was by distance learning since I was working at the same time period and could not have flown to the college for on site classes even if I wanted to since my annual leave wasn’t sufficient for me to do a term onsite.

[ktgrok]

 

Also, in all honesty, the fact that he doesn't like to read is a bit of a red flag. If his goal is to be a published author, I think there are very few who aren't avid readers.

Very true