My Ashford University Experience : versus

Interdisciplinary Degrees versus Vocationally Specific Degrees: What should your graduate major be?

Cajun — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:39:00 GMT

I sometimes get asked “what should I major in” to which my reply is universally “well, what do you want to do?” Usually a conversation follows where they are looking for a degree that has utility in their current profession but that will cross over to other careers, public and private if necessary. It’s very rare that I get someone who is firm in what they intend on doing for the next 20 to 40 years. So I decided that I would post on the differences between vocation specific degrees versus interdisciplinary degrees.

Firs a couple of definitions. By vocationally specific degree I mean those degrees that are specific to a career. A good example of this would be a Master of Science in Finance, which while excellent in working in finance would not necessarily be a good choice for someone who then wants to work in IT 5 years later.

By interdisciplinary degree I mean those degrees that can be transposed a little more seamlessly over a wide variety of career choices. A good example of this would be the MBA which as most people know is a business generalist degree. This would be handy to anyone working in finance, banking, IT or even criminal justice as the skills and competencies taught are those that are sought pretty much universally more or less.

To further break things down I consider the pros and cons to a vocational specific degree:

Pros to a vocationally specific degree are:

1.) It shows that you have committed to a career and are growing within that industry.

2.) You may become a subject matter expert in your career choice.

3.) It may allow for licensure, such as a Certified Public Accountant which generally requires a set amount of accounting credit hours before sitting for the exam. Often a specific credential is required as well. Another example is in practicing law, you will need a Juris Doctorate degree and pretty much little else will do.

4.) Often a vocationally specific degree will provide for the hard skills necessary to an industry. For example all the MBAs in the world mean nothing in IT if someone cannot fix and configure a computer. In which case an MSIT would be the better hire.

5.) When it comes to vocationally specific degree holders versus interdisciplinary degree holders for a job the vocationally specific degree will more often than not be the better or more logical choice. Unless the vocationally specific degree is in an unrelated discipline.

Cons to a vocationally specific degree:

1.) Little interchangeability. For example a MS in Accounting is not likely to transition smoothly into a career change into Information Systems for example.

2.) Some people may find that they get pigeon holed if found to be in possession of a certain credential. For example a friend of mine has a Master of Science in Accounting and she is a CPA, however every time she applies for a job they always try and sell her into coming on board as part of their accounting and finance team rather than her chosen profession of human resources. Her belief is that she has done accounting for years and she’s tired of it, she wants to do something else for a while and though she has spent the last 7 years working in human resources yet she gets about 2 calls a month from other personnel within her company and other companies asking her to come to the accounting and finance department or to their company as a CPA. Of course she doesn’t have to list her MS in Accounting or CPA on her resume, but then the years she spent in accounting and finance wouldn’t make too much sense. She feels she is pigeon holed and is constantly fighting pressure to take a job she does not want to do.

Pros of an interdisciplinary degree:

1.) Lots of flexibility. Or at least some, depending upon what degree you actually get.

2.) Some of these degrees command a great deal of respect in certain circles. Such as the MBA at the board room table or the MPA in the city manager’s office. Though these degrees are management and administrative degrees, make no mistake, they are not vocationally specific.

3.) You are less likely to be pigeon holed into a career you don’t want.

4.) Easily augmented or enhanced with hard skill or vocationally specific certificates, industry certifications or even a degree emphasis.

Cons of an interdisciplinary degree:

1.) Don’t count on being the “expert” in a hard skilled or vocationally specific area unless you extend your professional knowledge beyond your MBA/MPA/MSM, etc. education. As such you may not be the logical choice for many professions.

2.) Most of these degrees are management oriented. If you don’t want to work in management you may be out of luck unless majoring in Liberal Arts, Humanities, etc.

3.) These degrees often do not qualify one for licensure.

So as you can see there is some tradeoff no matter which way you go. Some examples of a vocationally specific degree would be a Master of Science or Master of Arts in, Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Information Systems, Programming, Criminal Justice, Marketing, Engineering, etc.

Some examples of an interdisciplinary degree would be: MBA, MPA, Master of Science or Master of Arts in Management, Leadership, etc.

There are some hybrids that do not fit nicely into either category, such as the Master of Science or Master of Arts in Communications (communications may also be considered interdisciplinary) or Human Services. Even a Masters in Education can be something of a hybrid. The reason for this is that some of these degrees are industry specific but provide skills that are universally or at least commonly sought after across multiple types of jobs. For example a Masters in Education may be a great choice for a human resources department looking for an instructor.

By the way it is worth noting that many people who go on to get an interdisciplinary degree already have a vocationally specific undergraduate degree, but then many do not. The same rule applies for undergrad degrees. For example a BS in Accounting is a vocationally specific degree whereas a BS in Business Administration is more interdisciplinary.

Of course this blog post, as are all my blog posts, is strictly my opinion and may not be agreeable to one and all but I hope I could at least shed some light on the topic.

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Considering online college? Here’s a formula to choose the best one for you

Cajun — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 00:19:00 GMT

In the forums one of the most frequent questions I see is "which school is right for me" or "can you help me choose a school" or "do you know of a school" etc. The problem with answering those questions is that choosing the right school is impossible for someone to do for you. They can suggest, point you in the right direction, even offer options but ultimately it is a personal decision that you, the student has to make. After all it is you that will do the work and ultimately pay the tab.

So here's a little exercise to help you decide on choosing a school.

Write down the top 10 criteria you have for a school. For example when searching out my MBA program some of my criteria was as follow:

I.) The school needs to be regionally accredited.
II.) The MBA needed a Leadership emphasis.
III.) The curriculum needed 12 classes or less.
IV.) The program must be under $15K.
V.) The school needs to be campus based with an online program.
VI.) The school needs to have accelerated courses.
VII.) The school needs to have 1 quantitative course combined finance and accounting.
VIII.) The school needs to have a good reputation.
IX.) The school needs to have a good support program.
X.) The school needs to be AACSB or ACBSP accredited.

I then take these 10 criteria and apply a number in order of priority with "10" being the highest and "1" being the lowest. Think of it in terms of dollars, $10.00 is worth 10 times more than $1.00. Make sense?

So now let's assume my criterion was as follows:

The school needs to be regionally accredited. = 10

The MBA needed a Leadership emphasis. = 7

The curriculum needed 12 classes or less. = 6

The program must be under $15K. = 9

The school needs to be campus based with an online program. = 5

The school needs to have accelerated courses. = 8

The school needs to have 1 quantitative course combined finance and accounting. =2

The school needs to have a good reputation. = 4

The school needs to have a good support program. = 3

The school needs to be AACSB or ACBSP accredited. = 1

As you can see, in my criteria of comparing two different schools I have assigned "The school needs to be AACSB or ACBSP accredited" as the least important of the 10 and "The school needs to be regionally accredited" as the most important at "10". Of course you make your own list and assign your priorities according to your opinions and desires.

Now in comparing two different colleges, for example let's compare Ashford University and Texas A&M Commerce.

Ashford scores in:

The school had to be regionally accredited.

The MBA needed a Leadership emphasis.

The curriculum needed 12 classes or less.

The program must be under $15K.

The school needs to be campus based with an online program.

The school needs to have a good reputation.

The school needs to have a good support program.

The school needs to have accelerated courses.

The total score was: 52 at 3+4+8+5+9+6+7+10

Texas A&M Commerce scores in:

The school needs to be regionally accredited.

The MBA needed a Leadership emphasis.

The program must be under $15K.

The school needs to be campus based with an online program.

The school needs to have a good reputation.

The school needs to be AACSB or ACBSP accredited.

The total score was: 36 at 10+7+9+5+4+1

As you can see Texas A&M Commerce has some things going for it that Ashford does not as Ashford has some things going for it that Texas A&M Commerce lacks in my opinion. But in the end Ashford scores higher overall than Texas A&M Commerce does. Thus Texas A&M Commerce is eliminated from my list.

Just keep going like that until you emerge with a winner. If you end up in a tie extend your criteria to 15 or 20 things instead of just 10.

I hope that helps.

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Get your MBA the quick and easy way

Cajun — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 04:58:00 GMT

My title got you didn’t it? You’re reading this blog post thinking “can I really get my MBA quick and easy?” Sure you can. It wasn’t too many weeks ago I interviewed a guy who had a degree from a wholly unaccredited and un-wonderful university (which shall go unnamed) and he told me how quick and easy it was to get his degree after he discovered through “casual conversation” as I escorted him out that I was a student. First a note to those of you who are interviewing or will be in the future, the interview isn’t over when they say it is, it’s over when you shut your mouth and leave, but that’s another post for another day.

In this case I didn’t recognize the name of the school listed on the resume. So of course I immediately asked questions all of which he answered with nothing raising a red flag during the official interview. I always check schools out after an interview if I do not recognize them through a handy little search engine provided by the U.S. Dept. of Education but in this case I almost didn’t even need to. Why? Because the interviewee in question openly and boastfully told me about how he didn’t even need to do coursework. No, instead he simply filled out an application, sent in a resume, did a brief phone interview and before you know it, he was a bona-fide graduate. The school itself may have been legal, after all they did ask him to write a paper or two and his degree probably made his mother proud, he was the first college graduate in his family. The problem is that the degree was worth less than the paper it was written on in the professional world (or should be) and he will willingly tell you it was “easy”. He wasn’t challenged into learning new things, he wasn’t tested on his applied knowledge, he pretty much left the same way he went in and that is a sad testament to the quality of this school.

Fact #1: There is no quick and easy degree that is worth its salt. There are quick degrees to be sure, such as a 10 month MBA program, but they are FAMOUSLY grueling.

Fact #2: A real college with real teachers and real coursework will change you. There’s no getting around it. Being forced to learn new concepts, new ways of thinking, new knowledge and then be tested and held to a diverse set of expectations by (at times) seemingly masochistic professors who thrive on your agony…will change you. You will become something other than what you were when you went in if nothing other than slightly fatter and balder from stress. Testing situations cause people to learn things about themselves…

Fact #3: Colleges and Universities are easy, easy, easy to check out. Hiding behind obscurity will not work if anyone in hiring cares to take more than 2 minutes looking into a school. Don’t take shortcuts. You may get the job only later to lose it in a sea of disgrace…but most of all, you’ll know you took those shortcuts even if everyone else doesn’t. Maybe that doesn’t bother you, but don’t let someone who spent 7 years getting to the Masters alum level find out you did it in 9 months. It won’t win friends and they will not be impressed.

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10 Traps, Pitfalls and Shortcomings of Earning a Degree Online Part II (6-10)

Cajun — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:56:00 GMT

This is part II of a two part series. (Click to view part I.)

6.) Technology. Technology is an inevitable part of being an online student. Using new, unfamiliar software and mastering the art of using it skillfully will become essential. If you are still carrying a pager, use a rotary phone, are afraid of a fax machine and believe scientific calculators are still over $100.00 you may need to reassess your ability to adapt quickly enough to learning via an online format.

7.) Will power. Also called grit, guts, stamina or courage. You must have the ability to get knocked down and get back up. You have to be able to motivate yourself, likely nobody else will do it for you. If you get an “F” on an assignment you really worked hard on, it’ll knock the wind out of you. But you have to get tough, work harder, be objective and keep slugging away. Nobody is likely going to be cheering you on, nobody will beg you to do the work, nobody will care if you drop out or fail other than you and possibly close relatives. It’s up to you to get it done. You have to be able to accept failure and move on. You have to be able to overcome your shortcomings and keep growing. You have to accept the fact that you are nowhere near perfect and get over yourself enough to get better. You have to have will power. Campus based students will have to have some of this but they will also have the support of a peer group and the knowledge that their friends are sharing their experience. You on the other hand are going to go it very much alone by comparison.

8.) Self -discipline. Self-discipline is not will power, but it is a close cousin. The difference between will power and self discipline is that will power is what motivates you. Will power is the voice in your head that tells you go get up and keep going when you’ve been knocked down, the thing that keeps your feet moving underneath you when you don’t think you can run anymore. Self-discipline is the fore knowledge of what you need to do, making a plan and sticking to that plan no matter what. Self-discipline is the ability to delay pleasure in the knowledge that the sacrifice will pay in the long run. Will power is the drive where self-discipline is the map. One without the other is useless. You have to be self-disciplined. You will not have the peer support or pressure to show up to class every day like your campus-based peers will have. You will not be meeting friends in study groups at night motivating you to do so. Your success and reaching goals will depend 100% on your ability to envision what needs to happen and stick to the plan.

9.) Reading comprehension. You will have to read everything you learn likely. Where your peers can sit through lectures and hear the information, you will have to read it. Where your peers can reinforce the knowledge imparted to the class through discussions, you will have to read and write about what you are learning. It is likely that you will be required to have a higher level of reading comprehension than your campus based peers because it is the primary if not the only means of communication in online learning. You likely will not have auditory reinforcement of the information like sitting through a lecture. You will not likely have the visual of seeing the information being demonstrated on a chalkboard. With rare exception all the information relayed to you will be via text and graphics, nothing more. You will have to learn to comprehend what you read. This will include skillful note taking, learning your reading comprehension limits (we all have them) and develop a means of overcoming your shortcomings. For example, I find it hard to concentrate on a text for over 30 straight minutes without a break. Otherwise I am reading, but not comprehending the text. The more precise and dry the material, the shorter my attention span is. As such I take careful, easily referenced notes and take a break of 5 to 10 minutes at least once every half-hour without fail. That is what works for me, you will have to develop a plan that works for you.

10.) Communication through writing. This is a shortcoming for many, many people. I revise reports daily as part of my official duties in the workplace and I continually see people who struggle in the area of communicating effectively in written word. You would not be alone in this struggle. I too have spent and continue to spend minutes upon hours upon years developing my writing skills. It is an art form that few people if any, ever perfect, yet one that must be mastered to a high level of competence in online learning as this will be your primary if not only means of expressing your thoughts and engaging in the communication process. You may have a way with words and wit in person, but translating this onto the page is a struggle I believe most people, myself included engage in.

Well there you have it. I hope this post does not scare you off of attempting a degree online, but there are things you need to be aware of before committing your time and money to such a momentous undertaking as earning a degree online.

I welcome any comments, questions or suggestions you may have here or email if you prefer.

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10 Traps, Pitfalls and Shortcomings of Earning a Degree Online Part I (1-5)

Cajun — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:40:00 GMT

Okay I know it seems strange for a guy who is all about distance education to write about the negative aspects of learning online, but for the sake of fairness sometimes it is necessary to look at the bad side of learning as well as the good. After all it is important to make a well-informed decision when considering going back to college. If you choose to become an online student sooner or later you will note some of the pitfalls, traps and shortcomings of learning online. Personally it is my belief that you should go into the decision informed and with fore knowledge of struggles you may face.

So without further ado:

1.) A feeling of detachment and/or loneliness. Often times a distance education student will not feel part of the school by which they are earning their degree. I have experienced this myself at Southwestern College. The school is a private, campus-based college with colorful newsletters highlighting student life, showcasing beautiful pictures of the campus and there was even a forum by which students could post questions to the College’s administration. However online students really didn’t really have any representation in the literature or forums of the school other than what was provided on Blackboard. To make matters worse going online to the bookstore to order a tee-shirt or something would inevitably lead to a phone call the next day stating that they cannot process your order because the bookstore didn’t update their page with current stock. Instead you had to kind of blindly guess at what they did have and didn’t have at the moment making you feel just that much more out of touch. Often times as an online student you just feel alone and detached. Kind of like you are in an individual struggle and that you will make it or lose it by your will and determination alone. Though this isn’t true at all, it may be a feeling that you experience as I did when working for years on a degree online, where there is little to no tangible gain as you progress. Especially when the school is primarily geared towards campus based students and the online college is just an extension of a greater overall mission. Ironically however upon graduation, being able to walk around a campus and meeting dozens if not over a hundred of my fellow online graduates led me to feel an unbreakable attachment and source of pride in my school that I had not previously experienced. The very fact that there was this living, breathing organization that I was now a permanent part of, that I could see and touch just led me to a sense of belonging. Meeting people that had experienced what I had experienced only bolstered the feeling of belonging. Of course the faculty and staff made sure that we graduates experienced this even to the point of lining the halls and applauding us as we walked to our seats. The very thing that can cause you to feel isolated during the process can also lead you to feeling a part of an overall larger picture upon graduation, in my case it was the campus itself that I had never seen. I arrived a stranger and left as a part of a family.

2.) Distractions. It is so easy to be distracted when you are not expected to show up to class. All of a sudden hundreds of “more important” things will pop up that you have to take care of and before you know it, you are hopelessly behind. You absolutely must be self-disciplined and be pragmatic enough to say “no” when you have to. I know that at home we often have more distractions than anywhere else. We have kids, spouses, chores, internet, television, video games, our hobbies, books we enjoy, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc. You have to cut things out of your life to go to school online, period. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Look at your life, is it full? Can you cut back on anything or cut anything out altogether? If you cannot, you will not be successful online.

3.) Fatigue. I have found that the only way to stave off fatigue as an online student is to stick to a rigid schedule. If you do not, you will get behind. If you get behind by the time you catch up you will be behind on the following week’s work and it will become a exhausting cycle of stress inducing, sleep depriving and relationship busting work. Once you become fatigued as a student online it can literally take months to recover if you do not get a break between classes. Avoiding fatigue is no joke when you make this type of commitment so beware this potentially fatal pitfall. Many students who hit the wall and take a “break” never come back.

4.) A feeling of being overwhelmed. Learning new things can be exhilarating yet stressful. Wonderful and altogether overwhelming. Most of the feeling of being overwhelmed is how you react emotionally to the stress of being forced to learn something new within a predetermined time frame. I have felt it, you likely will to. After a while though you just have to learn to control your emotions and not let them control you. A feeling of being overwhelmed can spoil the experience for you, sabotage your work, destroy your schedule and quickly lead to our #1 enemy, fatigue. Find ways to relax and calm down. Learn to embrace change. That sounds kind of corny but it is against our nature (for most of us anyway) to embrace change but it is absolutely vital for you to do just that.

5.) Venting. Being an online student does not mean that you are free of the stresses that classroom students experience. But it does mean that you are likely not going to have the same sort of outlet that your campus based peers will have like standing in the hallways after class complaining about the enormity of an assignment, or how your last grade was unfair, etc. Instead you will likely complain to your spouse, who will quickly tire of it. Then you may try your friends and coworkers who will likely tire of it just as quickly. It’s not that they don’t care, it’s just that most of them cannot relate or just do not share your feelings. Sooner or later you will have to find an alternate manner of venting and “letting go” of some of the pressure that can build up. I find that forums like eLearners provide or blogging helps a lot more than I could ever explain. Once you’ve experienced what I’m talking about, this will make more sense. By the way, do not fall for the temptation of complaining on the discussion boards on Blackboard in your classes. Trust me, it will not come off like you intended.

I welcome any comments, questions or suggestions you may have here or email if you prefer. Part II (numbers 6-10) will be posted tomorrow night.

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