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Does it matter where you get a degree from?

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by obiwaynekenobi

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

This is a legit question and I need some help.. I have an A.S. degree from a local college (not a community college or a university). They're offering a bachelor's degree in Business Administration w/a minor in Technology Management and I'm considering going back since a) I know the school and the instructors, b) it's fairly close to where I live and c) I know my credits will all transfer.

The question I have though, is if I apply for, say, a management position (not necessarily in IT) will it (in general) hurt me since I don't have a degree from a University (I could go to one if I really wanted to but I don't like the huge classes and they wouldn't take most of the credits I already have)? Or is a bachelor's degree a bachelor's degree no matter where you get it from? Same applies if I go to get my MBA; is having the degree what counts or will I be screwed for not attending a "well known" university?

I know this is probably a stupid question.. but I'm trying to make a final decision soon and don't want to hurt myself down the road.

48 replies

by gralfus

Business and Engineering degrees, especially the higher degrees, tend to be of more value if they come from well-known Universities. Some employers don't care that much, but many recognize that the well-known schools have programs that are difficult and that graduates from there have some real ability.

by jdclyde

My wife just recently went on a job interview. They had a room of applicants and instructed them that if they had a degree from X, Y, or Z then write down what the degree was. Otherwise fill in as no education (sorry, don't remember what the colleges were. Guess I would have had to been listening)

Bottom line, you could have a degree but they would not recognize it.

Also the college has to be Acredited or it means NOTHING and credits and classes will not transfer to a major university. Check if they have a transfer program.

Maybe even call a few businesses that you are interested in and ask them what they look for in a college degree.

Good Luck.

by jdmercha

But, a BS from somewhere is better than an AS from anywhere.

If you have an option of a major university check with them. Can you get into their MBA program if you get a BS from the samller School? If so, then the smaller school may be ok. (Especially if you plan to work locally for the rest of your life.)

by obiwaynekenobi

I figured as much. Now I feel like I wasted the past 2 years for a worthless degree :( Hell, the piece of paper I got doesn't even look like a degree and the discipline it's in sounds like it's fake (Computer Network Administrator. Not administRATION, but administRATOR like the job title).

by john.a.wills

If your credits will not transfer to another school, presumably your local college has no articulation agreement, which may mean that even your AS is not all that valuable. Is your college accredited? If so, credit transfer should be possible, but perhaps not on a subject basis, just on an overall counting basis.

by obiwaynekenobi

They're regionally accredited, but not nationally (or maybe the other way around, but I would think national supercedes regional). I forget which exactly but one school I was thinking of going to said they were one but not the other, so normally credits would not transfer, but they had a special agreement or something like that so it would.

I don't think my degree is valuable at all (see my other, "Thanks for the replies" post)

by dr dij

In the end you have to consider if you learned alot. Many people without degrees get jobs based on what they know and experience. If you learned a great deal this will show up on the job. It might be slightly harder to get the initial job but you have the advantage over people with no degree. If you can work smarter and make better decisions it was worth it and will be reflected overall in other people's view of you on the job, and ultimately your net worth. Perhaps not as much as a snob school but it's possible you could have started at one of those and failed due to conditions - farther drive, less time to study, very hard courses, etc, so you may be better off doing what you did.

by kpescatello

I have the same thing Wayne. Actually I got my Bus Admin degree wit ha minor in MIS. I have taken the time to start my own IT consulting company while the hiring was down. I am getting maried to a tall blonde Polish girl now so I closed my business and now I have 3 employers looking at me for work.

Get the BS in Admin minor MIS or even major in it. Knowing how to apply IT to business is the key that turns the dollar.

Good luck!

by olddognonewtrix

Kevin, I have the same degree BS in BusAdmin with a major in MIS, from URI. I am in a nice "entry-level" position now, but that is due to personal factors, not the lack of degree etc. I won't bore everyone with the reasons why, nearly 20 yrs after entering the field, I'm on a help desk. Suffice it to say I am happy with my job, don't consider it to be a "fries with that" job, and leave it at that.
My observation and question is, so I have a BS.. It is now nearly 20yrs old. I took classes like basic business courses and COBOL programming, systems analysis, statistics, etc. The degree and those courses did prepare me to get a junior programming job or 2, but what good does it do me now? Aren't the more technically-intensive technical school degrees (usually AS's) and certs "better" for actually teaching you something specific? I am certainly proud to have a BS, and that can never be taken away from me, but it does little to brighten my resume now I don't think. (Note the position I'm in now didn't even require it, nor do the technician positions - they "prefer" certs!)
In a related question, what do folks think of online degrees these days? What do hiring mgrs think of someone with an MBA or MS in InfoSystems from say U of Phoenix? Is a rose a rose by any other name?

LMS 2cents for the price of 1.

by jthompson

Matriculation is the longstanding term for the process of "offically" entering a college or university as a student.

Matriculation Agreements are prior arrangements made between individual schools to accept credits. Often these agreements are initially based on some sort of quid pro quo scenario. Many colleges are now for-profit, and are owned by a parent company which may own numerous other schools as well. It's almost a given that it's in the best interest of these schools to accept each others credits and the overall "map" of this landscape is changing, if not monthly, at least yearly in a big way.

Just because you may have contacted a handful of local institutions and they flatly turn down any thought of transfering your previous college credit, that does not mean that all is lost.
Many schools are open to previous credits given the opportunity to do a little research on them.
(there are professionals whos only function is to do this research.

If you contact me directly, I'd be glad to assist you in locating a handful of accredited schools willing to accept some or all of your previous credits.

by obiwaynekenobi

Once again, thanks for the replies. I'm going to give it some thought. The problem is that if I go to a university, probably none of my credits will transfer since I have an A.S. degree, so I'd have to practically start from scratch. One of my co-workers, who has a B.S. in Comp Sci from the university I'm looking at going to, said that I may have to start from scratch, but it's worth it to get a respected degree instead of a degree nobody will take seriously, especially since I'm still young (only 22).

On the other hand, I could go for a similar Bachelor's of APPLIED Science degree (so my A.S. will transfer) at a semi-well known junior college down here, and have most of my credits transfer in (not to mention smaller classes and the chance to learn MODERN programming languages instead of outdated things like C). Again, though, the dilema is if this will hurt me because I won't have a degree from a university but from a college, albeit a respected college?

EDIT: I forgot to mention since someone asked me above, the B.A.S. degree (but prob. not the one I would get from the same school I got my A.S. from) does transfer to an MBA at the aforementioned university, but I could also transfer if I directly got the B.S. from the university in the first place. I know that doesn't help anything :) just thought I would mention it.

by jdclyde

Very few people graduate from college with the ability to be a good programmer in ANY lanugage.

They teach basic princibles, but not problem solving. They give a canned assignment all laid out and everyone will have a program that looks identical.

There isn't the problem solving and fluid thought that is needed to make a GOOD programmer.

Not to mention, programming is a bit of a deviation from your networking and many of the networking will not transfer into this different degree.

College vs University. Mainly depends on where you want to end up at. The bigger the company the higher the expectations.

by rayjeff

I'm can agree with you on that. I'm working on my first programming project for my job and I have to constantly problem solve. And the thing about it is that the problems I've been having were the ones that didn't come up in the programming assignments I had in college.

To me, College & University are just words. Meaning one place is bigger than the other only by size of area and students. But it doesn't mean a college can't be bigger than a university...just semantics. Maybe I'm wrong.

by jdmercha

If it were me, I would look to get the BS from the small college and get right into an MS program in the University. Done in this manner you could get an MS from the University in the same time it would take you to get a BS from the University.

Furthermore I would try hard to get well above a 3.0 and apply for a graduate assitantship at the University. That way you get free tuition for grad school as well as a monthly stipend.

If you wanted to supplly the names of the schools I might be able to provide more details. on a side note, I work for a major University.

by obiwaynekenobi

The school that I went to and got my A.S. degree (the one I feel is worthless) is called Webster College.

The smaller one that has the B.A.S. I'm looking into is St. Peterburg College, and the university is USF (University of South Florida)

by david_sorenson

Many valid points have been raised in this discussion. I agree with almost all of them. You're best off looking at an accredited college with degree programs. Some are regional (North Central Association), others are national (ACICS - www.acics.org). I am an instructor at a for-profit post secondary college and recently completed a M.Ed. degree at Jones Internation University - 100% online and accredited by NCA.

Weigh all your options, but ensure that the school is accredited.

The idea of pursuing a BS (with credit transfers) then opting for an MS sounds like the most logical solution.

by rayjeff

I haven't read the postings in this thred yet, but I wanted to get my thoughts out first.

"The problem is that if I go to a university, probably none of my credits will transfer since I have an A.S. degree, so I'd have to practically start from scratch. One of my co-workers, who has a B.S. in Comp Sci from the university I'm looking at going to, said that I may have to start from scratch, but it's worth it to get a respected degree instead of a degree nobody will take seriously, especially since I'm still young (only 22)."

I've been reading the threads with interest. Especially when they speak on this paragraph. I was in the same "situation". I first started off at a university and then I transferred to a small technical college. I got a Associate's in COmputer Technology degree & a certificate in Internetworking (the program is basically the CCNA cert program). Now, I'm back at the university I started at continuing my B.S. in COmputer Sci. I have to say being at the technical college has help me alot because I've seen the other side of IT, plus being able to work in the field side-by-side while in school helped alot as well. The technical college helped me to work on my hands-on skills and experience, the business side (which I hate by the way even though I can be within it). Now, being back at the university, I can better merge the hands-on approach with the theory of what I'm learning now.

I knew I would basically be "starting over" even before I went to the technical college because the college is just different in what they do then of the university. But, I wanted to experience the difference.

I've been lucky to have had various jobs in the IT field for the past 5 years (started my 5th year this past October) now. And I'm learning alot. It really depends on what you want out of your career and what you want to do and your experiences. Mine are different then your's and others. And by the way, I'll be 30 this year. I started college when I was 22. SO, you are still young; you have time.

by rayjeff

Don't think of it as that. To be honest with you, there are four year colleges that have degrees, muchless the schools themselves that students won't even have a fair shake because the college's degrees are worthless because of the college.

A degree is just a piece of paper. The knowledge you have is priceless. What you do with the knowledge is priceless. Don't let the paper speak for you :-)

by obiwaynekenobi

I forgot to add that, if it helps at all, my "ideal" job(s) would be as a Systems Analyst or an IT manager of some degree. That's why I'm basically only looking at a combined business and technology degree, so I can learn both ends and know how to supplement one with the other.

If I'm not mistaken, though, a Systems Analyst needs to know both network design and software design, right? Not that it's a problem; if I go to for the Applied Scienece bachelor's I'm also going to take a Windows Programming certificate course (an A.S. degree in programming would be redundant), I just don't know what the "essential qualities" for a Systems Analyst are. Up until recently I only wanted to be a Network Administrator.

by jdmercha

A systems analyst can be many different things. I once had a system analyst title, but what I did was network administration. Probably the majority of systems analysts are programmers. Some systems analysts write code, some do not.

Learning both business and tech ends may position you better for a business analyst postion. Again a business analyst can be many things, but most often they translate business/customer needs into technical specifications for the appllication development teams.

by obiwaynekenobi

I kind of realized that "systems analyst" is a very broad description. Heck, I just got "promoted" at my current job to "Web and Network Analyst" but I'm still basically tech/network support and web design (exactly what I was doing as IT Helpdesk Tech).

by theseacher

Of the two schools that you mentioned and being that you live in Florida I would say it makes no difference. However You can take all your classes at St. Pete College and have your degree awarded by one of 3 or 4 different name colleges/universities. They can give you the info on which ones. And since I'm guessing you live in Pinellas County the drive over to USF is NOT worth it as I'm sure you'll discover by the end of the first semster. Any AS degree credits from a state college in Florida must be accepted by any state university although some of the credits may end up as elective credits.
I say stick with St Petersburg College.

by obiwaynekenobi

Thanks for the input, moreso because you live in Florida and know what I'm referring to. I actually live in Pasco county, but I work in Pinellas (Largo). The problem is that I want to go for MIS (I'd actually prefer Business Admin with an MIS minor) but SPC doesn't offer that through their Partnership Center deal (unless I took an A.A. with business emphasis through them, then I could transfer to UF's MIS bachelors, but I already have an A.S. so why go through that again?) So I'm more than likely going to go for their Technology Management (Bachelor of Applied Science) program.

I really appreciate your reply. Thanks again.

by lpaulus

My problem is that I have an A.S. degree from 20+ years ago. I am currently the Business Systems Development Manager for my company, having worked my way up the ranks through the years. First programming, then systems and business analysis and project management. Now actual management. But I still have no bachelor's degree.

Now, if I have to change jobs I'm very concerned I won't be able to find an equally satisfying, challenging, and well paying position. I'm also a mom of young kids and I live far from everything it seems. So I've considered the options of an online degree.

My feeling is that at 43 years of age vs 22 years, the positions I'd be applying for would look less at what college I went to than it would my years of experience. But I'm still torn. The direction I'm seriously considering instead is getting my PMP certification.

I would really welcome feedback!!!

by amused...

I just left a position where I was hired on the 'technical side' not the managerial track. Like you, my AS was 20 years ago. The position I was in was decent salary but I had no growth potential, real velvet handcuffs in this economy. So, here I am, in my early forties working with new managers that I am asked to 'mentor' and help them learn how to be a boss (I have been a manager and owned my own Lab).

This means that these new BS grads, many of whom tell me they have no interest in IT and are just climbing the ladder, are jumping light years ahead of me while I was the dutiful employee. Briefing them before their meetings so they would appear knowledgeable and correcting their papers and sometimes having them simply replace my name with theirs on the papers I created. All because their degree was higher than mine and upper management allowed this to go on.

So, does a degree matter? Yes. Does it matter where it comes from? It can but asking the company if there is an institutional preference probably would not get an honest response. How could they?

In one company I worked for here in Houston, Texas A&M grads, regardless of ability or inclination, were sucked up in groups headed by alumnus. Same thing for a major Oil/Gas company herre for UT grads. Of course, having a degree from an Ivy or a Major University offsets much of this bias. Otherwise, you will have to be smarter than those who are entitled...

Boy, what a rant. Anyway, I am working towards my BS degree and CISSP and have been offered a position at a large computer manufacturer, as well as a few other jobs.

by jdmercha

Look for schools like Empire State College in NY and Thomas Edison State Colleg in NJ. You can essentially take courses anywhere, incluing some industry, and military traning coursees as well. A BS requires 120 credits. If you already have an AS 60 credits may be transferable, even if they are 20 years old. After all, history and geography hasn't changed much.

You can also get a certain amount of "life experience" credits. If you can demonstrate that your experience is equivalent to an accredited college course. I never took a course in NJ, but that's where I got my BS. (Which was acceptable 10 years later to get me in an MS program.)

by spike

Wayne,

I'm local to Tampa as well and have gone through what you're dealing with.

Your degree at St. Pete College and USF are your best avenue. I have a BS and MBA from Florida Metropolitan University. While they are nationally accredited, most employers require regional accreditation. SPC and USF are accredited by SACS (Southern Association of Colleges & Schools).

This keeps me from applying for some positions, mostly in the academic and government fields. Hillsborough CC just denied me due to this fact when I applied to run their student infrastructure. They'll hire someone with the "right" degree regardless of better qualifications.

Hope this helps...

Mike

by jdmercha

I hope to local to Tampa somtime soon.

Yes either SPC or USF are good choices. It appears that unlike NY, FL does not provide accredidation to colleges. The accrediting body to look for in FL is the Southern Association of College and Schools. It appears that Webster is not accredited.

Looking at SPC you may be able to transfer 45-60 credits from Webster. But even if they take all 60, some courses may not meet their degree requirments. I myself needed only 120 credits for my BS, but do to transfering college too many times I actually took over 160 credits.

by hamstermanii

Kind of a yes no answer here. Is the schools accredited? If it is it will make less of a difference. Where you apply for the next job will also have a bearing. If you are remaining in the local area and it is a locally respected school it would be positive. If you are looking outside your community and it is a 'no name' school, then it would have more of a bearing, especially if a degree is mandated for the position. Regardless, having the degree does show you will set, pursue and accomplish goals and are not afraid to do additional work to get ahead - both very good qualities regardless of what school you get a paper from.

by zeplin1

Wayne,
Get your degree, so long as it is from an accredited institution. I don't mean the fly-by night diploma mills, I mean, like, Strayer, or one of the big university on-line programs.

It matters more to your detriment without it than it would "hurt" you to have one. Sounds like you just want to excuse yourself from the work of earning a degree by rationalizing your way out of the task! :)

I am a manager, and if you interview for me without a degree versus a degree, your chances are slim to none of competing with someone who has one. It would be tough, in my opinion, to compete with someone who has spent the effort and time to demonstrate the abiity to negotiate through curriculum tasks, engage with others in workgroups, and a variety of other intellectual exercises that must be demonstrated in order to warrant a degree.

Go for it, bud. You'll be glad you did-- I promise. Just make sure the institution is accredited by a nationally recognized and authorized collegiate institution or governing body. Off the top of my head, I can't remember what the name of the main one is.

Good luck
Barry Walls

by obiwaynekenobi

I think the biggest problem is that I'm undecided to what I really want to do; I like networking, I like programming (the little I have done and seen so far) and I like business. So trying to find a way to integrate all of those is difficult. I mean, I would love to one day be "Vice President of Technology" or CIO for a corporation, but going about getting the necessary theory in that is proving difficult.

I have no problem with doing the work to get my degree, I just don't want to feel like the two years I already spent doesn't mean anything (I know the knowledge means something), which is how I think I would feel if I had to start from square one at a University, even if getting the words "Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems" would be worth it in the long run.

I guess I'm really wondering if my degree would be "looked down on" if it was an bachelor of applied science instead of a bachelor of science and if it has the words "Technology Management" instead of MIS. I would probably learn more at the junior college, anyways, since small classes and one-on-one learning is how I apply things, not in an auditorium with 200 other people. I just think long-term and want an education that will MEAN something, not look like I took the "cheap way out" and got a second-rate degree instead of going to a university.

by jdmercha

"I think the biggest problem is that I'm undecided to what I really want to do"
Sorry to tell you this, but that may never change. Personally I have gone from caring about what I do to caring about what will give me the quality of life I want. Be prepared to jmp at any iopportunity that presents itself.

Keep in mind that the CIO/VP level jobs are not technical jobs. You'll want an MBA for those positions. Once you get the MBA (from an accredited school) whatever you have for a BS/BA won't matter.

I can tell you that my BS in applied science was looked down upon. But not as much as a BA in anything else. A degree from a more respected and well known institution can open more doors for you. Especially at the start of your carreer. After about 10 years it won't matter as much, but will still have some effect.

by jdmercha

"...what do folks think of online degrees these days?"

They are getting better. Many mainstrem universities offer them now. Just like any other college, check the accreditadtion.

"What do hiring mgrs think of someone with an MBA or MS in InfoSystems from say U of Phoenix?"
Any degree is better than no degree. But an MBA from U of AZ is better than an MBA from U of Phoenix.

"Is a rose a rose by any other name?"

More like - Is a mum a rose if they are both flowers?

by jdmercha

It is somewhat semantics. A college may stand on it's own, or a group of colleges can be a university. A University is usally made up of a number of colleges. A college may be made up of a number of schools or departments. Shcools are usually more independant of their home college than a department is. Some accrediting bodies may require it to be a school rather than a college.

by obiwaynekenobi

That once I get my MBA (which I plan to anyways) it won't matter that I have a Bachelor's of APPLIED Science (as opposed to Bachelor's of Science) degree.

by danpat1_2000

It depends. I worked with a top notch and high level fellow once and when I asked what college he went to, he very sheepishly replied, "Upper Iowa University." Of course I never heard of it. Another time I was visiting a factory trying to get info on products shipped (ours-get well date, etc.) Whne I had difficulty getting the information I demanded to be up one echelon (in the company). This guy said, "You'll be sorry." Well, I visited the new top management guy and after seeing him requested to be returned the former company rep. I said, "Who is that guy? He knows less than you." He replied, "Well. He's our token Harvard graduate. They don't know anything. The company hires them for show." So who knows. I think it may help get in the door but your abilities carry you from then on. - Dan

by jdmercha

And from the other end.

My brother has an MBA from Harvard. He didn't want to work for a large company. He had to leave his MBA off his resume to get the job he wanted. Most small employers assumed they couldn't afford him and never granted an interview.

by angry_white_male

A degree is better than no degree. Of course, in IT - it doesn't really matter what you majored in (my boss was a Biology major, I was a Communications major)... but a technical degree is advantageous.

Your chances of getting a job without a degree is much worse than if you had a degree.

Most community colleges and state schools are fine institutions. Don't let the stigma of them being the 13th grade or a party school fool you.

Obviously, if you went to Harvard and you're applying for a $35,000/yr job as an accountant at a 200 employee company - they're gonna toss your resume because you'd be deemed overqualified.

by kpescatello

I heard that a rose is a rose. However, I would never ditch the person to person contact. That level of interacion will curve the way you learn. I wasa recruiter for a technical school and some people would come in with corespondence learning and I would say "Nothing beats hands on". So if you can swing a two nights a week gor for your MBA even if it take 4 yrs.

by ksmclean

I add my voice to the others who've mentioned that making sure an institution is accredited is a more important consideration than the name of it - especially if you're going to apply for financial aid. The U.S. Department of Education lists the various national, regional and specialized accrediting bodies on it's website. URL is http://www.ed.gov.

by jeffporsche

I've been struggling with this question reading sites etc. Does it matter to an employer if it was regionally accredited or national?

I'm Currently going to Grantham University Getting BS in Information Technology
Grantham is an accredited, degree-granting member of the DETC, Grantham University is also an institutional member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Also a member of the American Council on Education (ACE)

JD

by craig herberg

Universities themselves should generally be accredited by the regional accrediting body for their region. In your case, it would be the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools (SACS), but it looks like Grantham is a distance education school, thus the accredation by DETC. It would probably be better to also be accredited by SACS, but. . . your school is approved by the Dept of ED. I doubt that employers care that much, unless they only hire Ivy League graduates.

Craig Herberg

by ksmclean

Something worth taking into account if you're considering an online degree... I enrolled in an online Org Leadership program in 2002. Have found the experience very frustrating even though both institutions I've attended (transferred from 'A' to 'B' in 2003) are well known, fully accredited and operate traditional on-ground environments.

Many of the "faculty" for their online courses are hired on a contract basis. Content has fluctuated from great to remedial depending on who was teaching. In fact, there's been more than one occastion where I wished in hindsight that I'd purchased a couple of textbooks, spent some time cramming and sat for a DANTES exam. I would have learned just as much and saved a ton of money, since the cost per 3-unit course has averaged $1200 - tuition for online courses comes at a premium over on-ground classes. Advisors and administrators have been overworked and completely unresponsive to questions. The only time I've heard from anyone is when I withheld payment of tuition fees.

I'm now in the process of transferring to an on-ground program at Institution 'C'. Tuition is a much more reasonable $600 per course and their are live bodies with offices I can physically walk into if necessary.

by saybm

I think that you when you go to a higher priced well known university you are paying for the environment. There are too many factors to say if you will hurt yourself by going to a lesser known school, i.e. Will you live in the area that your school is located and are there many alumni in the area that think highly of the school? Do you want the knowledge only or do you want the knowledge and the "shingle" to hang out for others to be impressed by? The real question is ...What do you want to do with your MBA in the short term; Get a big high paying job at a top company (go for the well known school) or get the knowledge to broaden your abilities (go where you are comfortable) or you aren't sure (default to the well known university)? That is my non-grammatically checked opinion.

by conklinb

My wife and I are relocating this summer to Tampa from Ohio, and she wants to get her MBA. Since we don't know the area well, we aren't sure which colleges are respected and which are "looked down upon" (as someone else put it) by Tampa area employers. You mentioned USF. Is this a respected school? Can you tell me which are prestigious, and which she should definitely stay away from?

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