Will an online degree get the same respect?

I'm 28 years old and I received a couple CompSci related AAS from Nothern Virginia Community College several years back. Since then, I've been working as a programmer for various government contractors. I've been coming to the realization that I'll need a four-year degree to open a couple more doors so I've been searching for a Virginia-based brick-and-mortar school that has a distance learning program so I could obtain my BS in Computer Science. (I have a wife and baby at, a horrible daily commute and a full-time career, so attending class in person is going to be near impossible.) Unfortunately, my search for a school with Computer Science distance learning programs is turning up little in terms of traditional brick-and-mortar schools. It looks like I might need to get my degree from an online school like Devry or University of Phoenix. As an alternative to the fully online schools, there are local Strayer Universities and ITT Techs, but I've been told that they're not reputable despite what the commercials say.

As a hiring manager, are these schools respected? The last thing I would want is to get an online degree and then be laughed out of interviews or, worse yet, to not even have doors and extra possibilities open up for me. To my benefit, I have clearances and favorable job experience.

I look forward to your opinions, suggestions and advice.

Dave in Stafford, Virginia said: I'm 28 years old and I received a couple CompSci related AAS from Nothern Virginia Community College several years back. Since then, I've been working as a programmer for various government contractors. I've been coming to the realization that I'll need a four-year degree to open a couple more doors so I've been searching for a Virginia-based brick-and-mortar school that has a distance learning program so I could obtain my BS in Computer Science. (I have a wife and baby at, a horrible daily commute and a full-time career, so attending class in person is going to be near impossible.) Unfortunately, my search for a school with Computer Science distance learning programs is turning up little in terms of traditional brick-and-mortar schools. It looks like I might need to get my degree from an online school like Devry or University of Phoenix. As an alternative to the fully online schools, there are local Strayer Universities and ITT Techs, but I've been told that they're not reputable despite what the commercials say.

As a hiring manager, are these schools respected? The last thing I would want is to get an online degree and then be laughed out of interviews or, worse yet, to not even have doors and extra possibilities open up for me. To my benefit, I have clearances and favorable job experience.

I look forward to your opinions, suggestions and advice.

try to go to an online brick and mortar school

devry is the same as itt tech and strayer, very looked down upon and expensive and outdated programs

do NOT go

Dave in Stafford, Virginia said: I'm 28 years old and I received a couple CompSci related AAS from Nothern Virginia Community College several years back. Since then, I've been working as a programmer for various government contractors. I've been coming to the realization that I'll need a four-year degree to open a couple more doors so I've been searching for a Virginia-based brick-and-mortar school that has a distance learning program so I could obtain my BS in Computer Science. (I have a wife and baby at, a horrible daily commute and a full-time career, so attending class in person is going to be near impossible.) Unfortunately, my search for a school with Computer Science distance learning programs is turning up little in terms of traditional brick-and-mortar schools. It looks like I might need to get my degree from an online school like Devry or University of Phoenix. As an alternative to the fully online schools, there are local Strayer Universities and ITT Techs, but I've been told that they're not reputable despite what the commercials say.

As a hiring manager, are these schools respected? The last thing I would want is to get an online degree and then be laughed out of interviews or, worse yet, to not even have doors and extra possibilities open up for me. To my benefit, I have clearances and favorable job experience.

I look forward to your opinions, suggestions and advice.

Dave,

Choose a reputable school. If you want to get a masters degree, you are going to have to go with a well known school. ITT and Strayer are like trade schools, beauty schools and plumbers schools. They are only to get you in the door. On-line schools can be good if they are accredited. Check with UMUC (University of Maryland-University College) or schools like that. I went there and it's a good start.

Good luck..

Dave in Stafford, Virginia said: I'm 28 years old and I received a couple CompSci related AAS from Nothern Virginia Community College several years back. Since then, I've been working as a programmer for various government contractors. I've been coming to the realization that I'll need a four-year degree to open a couple more doors so I've been searching for a Virginia-based brick-and-mortar school that has a distance learning program so I could obtain my BS in Computer Science. (I have a wife and baby at, a horrible daily commute and a full-time career, so attending class in person is going to be near impossible.) Unfortunately, my search for a school with Computer Science distance learning programs is turning up little in terms of traditional brick-and-mortar schools. It looks like I might need to get my degree from an online school like Devry or University of Phoenix. As an alternative to the fully online schools, there are local Strayer Universities and ITT Techs, but I've been told that they're not reputable despite what the commercials say.

As a hiring manager, are these schools respected? The last thing I would want is to get an online degree and then be laughed out of interviews or, worse yet, to not even have doors and extra possibilities open up for me. To my benefit, I have clearances and favorable job experience.

I look forward to your opinions, suggestions and advice.

I have exactly the same situation like you. Did you find any respected online degree yet which is accepted by most people?

James in Chalfont, Pennsylvania said: try to go to an online brick and mortar school

devry is the same as itt tech and strayer, very looked down upon and expensive and outdated programs

do NOT go

Can you recommend some pls. I am lost.

Why don't you see if public colleges in your state offer online degrees?

IMO a degree earned in the classroom will carry more weight.

This is my suggestion to you... It seems as that you already have experience and/or are currently working in a Computer Science related field. That being said I would just go ahead and get a B.S. CS degree from Devry. I don't know about the others but I know for a fact that Devry is regionally accredited so you will be able to transfer "UP."
Because you already have experience, going to a non brick and mortar school won't hurt you too much. But I would take all your math/science courses (Algebra/Calc/Phys) at Community college and transfer them to Devry. Reason being is that Devry's math/science courses are "applied" and will not transfer UP (and it's cheaper). When you graduate you will be able to go to graduate school at any brick and mortar school because your degree is accredited and all rules apply. It worked for me...I got my BS EET degree from Devry and now I'm enrolled at UH for MS degree.