As online courses become more relevant each year, a handful of post-secondary institutions have taken the prestigious Master's degree and uploaded it to the online medium. But with the university environment known to be a space for culture and building connections, can you still obtain the social and networking experience employers are looking for?
In 1994, Athabasca University began their Executive MBA program completely online. Flash forward a decade to late 2004, when the University of British Columbia (UBC) began offering an online Master's degree of its own, providing courses in rehabilitation sciences. UBC is bridging the gap between institutions and offers the online MRSc program jointly with McMaster University in Ontario.
Karen Hurtubise graduated from UBC's online rehabilitation science program. I choose the online masters because I didn't have access to the area [of study] I wanted to explore, she explains. It allowed me to access courses which I didn't have the opportunity to do locally. The program also allowed Hurtubise to work full time during her studies and move from Newfoundland to Calgary, without having to transfer any of her credits.
Nevertheless, concerns about whether such a degree would even be taken seriously aren't unusual. When Sue Stanton started talking about developing the program, they looked at her like she was from Mars, says Mary Clark, an instructor in UBC's MRSc program, describing the origins of the online Master's idea at the university. However, Clark explains that inviting employers to get involved in the program and participate in the process was key to establishing the program and its credibility. Employers are seeing that they don't even have to wait until the [thesis] is done, says Clark. They're seeing the benefit with each course.
As it turns out, many employers don't fuss over how you got your degree (provided it's from an accredited institution) but are more interested in what you have to offer. We focus our hiring decisions on the individual and the attributes that they bring, says Eric Appleyard, who oversees corporate recruitment and university relations for TD Bank Group. We're not as concerned as to where they got their degree from, whether it be online or in a traditional manner. It's more in terms of their experiences, their knowledge, skills, and their abilities.
In addition, any disparities in the quality or value of education appear to be negligible. We haven't noticed any difference in terms of the quality of work or any of the interpersonal skills, says Appleyard. Again, we screen for people who can make an impact, work effectively in teams, live transparently, and show excellent judgment.
The university experience is celebrated for its opportunities to connect with others. Some might wonder if this is still possible when limited to virtual relationships. Hurtubise, however, boasts that she managed to network more through the online format, building a stronger connection with her online Master's group than that of her undergrad. Because the class size varied significantly, as well as where the individuals were from and what their backgrounds were, it allowed a huge opportunity to network with people from across Canada and around the world, she explains. She also notes that there are a number of events, including graduation, where you would get a chance to meet your peers face-to-face.
Although Master's degrees tend to be theory based, employers may also look at the practical applications of the knowledge that students gain. In fact, UBC's MRSc program emphasizes these workplace applications. Students not only work closely with instructors from all over the world, but also professionals and employers in the industry who eventually assess the students' final project or thesis. Our target is people who are really passionate about practice, says Clark.
Could this be a direction higher education is heading? Appleyard maintains that a student's success comes down to what she's trying to get out of the program, rather than the form her education takes. Choice is great for learners, adds Appleyard. The more choices candidates have, the better they're able to choose the program that reflects what they need.
For now it appears we don't need to look forward to a day when we're old and rambling on about lecture halls and chalkboards. The classroom will always be an integral part of learning, but cyberspace will be as familiar in the learning environment as the projector used to be.
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