Acceptance of Distance/Online Degrees by Other Colleges and Universities

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Peri-Operative, HIV, Public He.

I have taken online classes through California State University, Dominguez Hills working on my BSN (I am a diploma RN). I agree with others who have commented the coursework is not easy and I too have written many papers which are required for these online courses. I mention this because when I recieve an "A" or "B" from an online course, I feel I have earned it and that I am taking and passing courses at a collegiate level. It has come to my attention that some colleges and universities frown upon a degree earned via distance or online learning. I guess I do not understand? If I am attending a college or university "online" or via "distance learning" and it is an accredited university or college, doesn't the accreditation and my course grades speak for themselves? I am posting this thread because after I achieve my BSN, I do plan to apply to a MSN program. While I realize MSN programs are also available online and through distance education, I would hope that my earned BSN from an accredited college or university would not be challenaged or become a hindrance because I earned it "Online" or by "Distance Learning". I would be interested in hearing from others who have obtained their degrees online or through distance learning and who have gone on to obtain MSN or higher degrees at other Universities or Colleges.

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Other schools have no idea if it was you who actually did the work, or someone else using your name. They have no idea what was expected of you and how those expectations stack up to theirs. Also, state accredidation plays a part. How can College "B" offer you a degree when courses taken via College "A" are sub-par (or presumed so, since they cannot verify otherwise). And too, there is the very real problem of the nursing profession being a combination of skills and knowledge. If you have knowledge, but no skill, how can you care for someone? That too, has to be assessed. It is murky water. I am in an online course now, for grad school, which does not require clinicals. I like it a lot, but the school is in the same state in which I reside, so I do not expect to have the problems you encountered.

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First of all, congrats on continuing your education! When you apply to grad school (esp. the more competive ones) it depends on WHERE your degree comes from, not just your grades. This is in all academic areas. If I have a BSN from a great large teaching university with great rep, it looks better to them than a small college which does not have as big of a name. And yes, I understand the work can be difficult anywhere you go to school. With that said, I still think it is valuable to cont your education, it just opens more doors for you.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Peri-Operative, HIV, Public He.
Other schools have no idea if it was you who actually did the work, or someone else using your name. They have no idea what was expected of you and how those expectations stack up to theirs. Also, state accredidation plays a part. How can College "B" offer you a degree when courses taken via College "A" are sub-par (or presumed so, since they cannot verify otherwise). And too, there is the very real problem of the nursing profession being a combination of skills and knowledge. If you have knowledge, but no skill, how can you care for someone? That too, has to be assessed. It is murky water. I am in an online course now, for grad school, which does not require clinicals. I like it a lot, but the school is in the same state in which I reside, so I do not expect to have the problems you encountered.

When it comes to schools of nursing there are two accrediting agencies right? If I take a online course from a college or university which has been accredited by the appropriate agencies (NLN is one and I think there is one more) then it just seems passing that course should be acceptable to other schools who are also accredited. Thanks for your response.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Peri-Operative, HIV, Public He.
First of all, congrats on continuing your education! When you apply to grad school (esp. the more competive ones) it depends on WHERE your degree comes from, not just your grades. This is in all academic areas. If I have a BSN from a great large teaching university with great rep, it looks better to them than a small college which does not have as big of a name. And yes, I understand the work can be difficult anywhere you go to school. With that said, I still think it is valuable to cont your education, it just opens more doors for you.

Point taken. Thanks so much for your comment. Being an old diploma nurse we have tooted the horn of being the nurses with "tons" of experience for years but also living in the shadows of hearing our own profession suggest that the goal of every RN should be at minimum a BSN.

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GOOD POINT PURPLE MANIA! I've been having the same view not with continuing on for the BSN online, but with nursing schools offering LPN-RN or ASN web-based. There is probably a lot of plagarism and cheating that goes on in these type of programs and this should be a cause of great concern to the health community. School's and employers should care about how we recieve our nursing education. I know some RN's who got their BSN thru the web and loved it, I'll probably do the same thing after I get my ADN.

Don't hate me just my opinion :)

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Specializes in Child/Adolescent Mental Health.
GOOD POINT PURPLE MANIA! I've been having the same view not with continuing on for the BSN online, but with nursing schools offering LPN-RN or ASN web-based. There is probably a lot of plagarism and cheating that goes on in these type of programs and this should be a cause of great concern to the health community. School's and employers should care about how we recieve our nursing education. I know some RN's who got their BSN thru the web and loved it, I'll probably do the same thing after I get my ADN.

Don't hate me just my opinion :)

What decade are you people from?

Online learning or learning by distance is not even an issue anymore. Most colleges have online/distance learning formats. When are you ever asked by an employer or whatever umm... was that class you took delivered over the internet or by classroom. I'll tell you when, NEVER. Online classes are usually HARDER than traditional(can I use this anymore) brick and mortar classes.

However, taking a course by distance learning or online is not for some youngsters, maybe therein lies the problem.

mona

STUDYING FOR MY BIO FINAL WHICH SHOULD BE A BREEZE BECAUSE IT AN ONLINE FORMAT/DELIVERY. GUESS WHAT? IT'S ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING COURSES I HAVE EVER TAKEN.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I'm gonna put in my $0.02 worth (and probably get it stolen) - but here goes. ANY accredited college is okay IMHO. With the nursing shortage - an advanced degree from Podunk University is the same as one from Yale! On my resume - the only thing employers and HR look at is the initials behind my name, not where I attended school. And...to forestall where to go to for your MSN - continue online!

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Specializes in Uromycetisis Poisoning.
GOOD POINT PURPLE MANIA! I've been having the same view not with continuing on for the BSN online, but with nursing schools offering LPN-RN or ASN web-based. There is probably a lot of plagarism and cheating that goes on in these type of programs and this should be a cause of great concern to the health community. School's and employers should care about how we recieve our nursing education. I know some RN's who got their BSN thru the web and loved it, I'll probably do the same thing after I get my ADN.

I've taken courses in the classroom and by distance learning. When a college looks at your transcript, they can't even tell one from the other.

Why would they be concerned about the distance courses "measuring up"? Couldn't the same thing be said about the traditional format courses that you completed? How do they know you didn't cheat your way through everything you've ever done? I certainly saw it when I was on campus. The opportunities were always there. It's not something that's specific to the distance learning format.

The benchmark for determining legitimacy is accreditation. If it's accredited by the school's regional accrediting agency, along with the NLN-AC for nursing schools, you can be assured that it is a legitimate program. No matter what some people who obviously have their own agendas might say.

Poe Me, what is the freakin' deal? Did Deaconess hurt your feelings that badly? Whether they have your approval doesn't matter. I don't ever remember hearing of any school boast of being accredited by their regional accrediting agency, the NLN-AC, and Poe Me the nursing assistant. You bash distance education for ASn all the time. So it's not for you. I get it. That doesn't mean that it isn't the absolute best thing for another person with years of clinical experience.

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this is a very interesting discussion (?) as i am enrolled in an online nursing program presently.

cheating - i have sat for state boards in two different modalities so far and it behooves me how one can cheat on the state boards which if i remember correctly are the final test for most healthcare professions. so if a student cheats their way through school, how in the world can they pass the state boards? :rolleyes:

online education - well let's see. first we had college for men only, then they started "allowing" us women :uhoh21: to get an education, and then they allowed "older adults" to get an education, and then saturday and evening classes were started, and somewhere in there distance education was offered (correspondence i believe it is called) and then there was the incorporation of tv assisted learning, and videotape courses, and now we have evolved to online learning. hmmmmmmm, seems like everyone got used to the changes in education along the way and i suppose everyone will become accustomed to online learning too!!! :rolleyes:

schools & employers - ahhh, they do care. ever hear of http://www.plagierism.com? check it out. schools are now using this and putting students on notice left and right. i am curious though how plagiarism fits into nursing? do you copy someone's technique for administering meds or what?? as for employers they all researched my credentials but then any reputable employer will. well now that brings up a whole new issue, fake nursing licenses. :rolleyes:

so to sum it up those students who cheat their way through nursing school, must be cheating to pass the nclex, and then buying a fake nursing licenses ta boot. i see; jeeze if it's that darn easy why in the world are so many of us going through school. bunch of dummies we are!!!!

poe me, your name says it all. please go cry foul somewhere else we are too busy moving forward with our education. :bluecry1:

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When it comes to schools of nursing there are two accrediting agencies right? If I take a online course from a college or university which has been accredited by the appropriate agencies (NLN is one and I think there is one more) then it just seems passing that course should be acceptable to other schools who are also accredited. Thanks for your response.

NLN is one and the older of the two. The other is Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Both are recognized by the Department of Education in Washington so a school that is accredited by either is considered nursing accredited.

Colleges are generally regionally accredited so courses other than nursing would be accredited under the general college regional accreditation.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Peri-Operative, HIV, Public He.

Thanks to everyone who responded to this thread I posted. I have gained a lot of information in a very short period of time regarding this topic. I am excited as I move forward working on my BSN. I guess one of the things I miss most about a more formal classroom is the chat which would take place between peers and/or fellow classmates. I see this website as an excellent venue to fill that gap for me. Thanks again for the responses.

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