Does an online BA prevent me from getting into a PhD program?

[Amber//46]

Hello! I have been finishing my bachelors degree online because it is the best fit for my family. It is not an exclusively online university, I just don't live on or near campus. I started my college career in-person at a different school, and had to transfer to a different school, and online, when we had a baby. 
Will this prevent me from getting into PhD programs? Will I be taken seriously? Does anyone else have experience with this?

[ibull]

I wouldn't believe anyone who believes they have a certain answer for your question.

That said, one advantage that physical institutions have over online ones is that it faculty social networks tend to be more accessible and easier to penetrate. If you are trying for a very competitive program, a person's social network (how well they know faculty in the program or how well faculty in the program know their mentor) may over-determine the success of an application.

Most of the time, reviewing faculty and admission committees are looking for people who have done something exceptional beyond formal grades in undergraduate and master's programs. What may be 'exceptional' really varies, and it depends upon the values these people prioritize in the admissions process. Some programs value industry experience, some value community service, some value publications, and some value something you cannot know. In general, I think all programs value what they perceive as 'results;' that might be inherent in a person's writing, entrepreneurship, or record. But, sometimes being the perfect candidate on paper is not enough inertia for your application at the time it is received. Even when someone has attended physical institutions and become chummy with their mentors, they don't get into programs for reasons having nothing to do with their application. 

If you choose to apply to programs, you should speak with faculty, grads, and staff at those programs before putting your papers together. Investigate what they are looking for and try to build rapport with anyone at the institution involved in the program you're interested in. You can ask them to be upfront about what they are looking for, and what concerns they might have about your application if you're convinced the online status of your degree matters. But every program is going to have a different attitude towards the nature of your experience and background. What some might consider a limitation, others will understand as a strength. It might all depend on how you want to leverage your experience as a strength for the program, so you shouldn't assume it's a problem from the very beginning. Diversity makes institutions strong.