Online Master's vs. Brick and Mortar

[History Fanatic]

I would like some advice please. I work full-time but desire to obtain an MA in history by taking one class at a time. The local university requires completion of a foreign language for an MA which will add significant time to getting the degree. I have also checked into online master's at several universities including Memphis, Western Kentucky, and Sam Houston. My question is if I decide later I would like to pursue the Ph.D, will the fact that I obtained the master's online lower my chances to pursue the Ph.D? Thanks!

[remenis]

In my opinion - yes, doing an online masters will lower your chances of getting into a PhD program. Additionally, if you did want to enter a PhD program later on, you will almost certainly need to learn a foreign language (possibly several depending on the field) so if you have no foreign languages at present and you don't pick one up during the MA you may have some difficulty there as well.

I certainly understand the appeal of the online MA, so I don't want to say outright you absolutely shouldn't do it. It might be the right choice depending on your career asperations - but ultimately, in my opinion, it would not be the best choice if your ultimate goal was to get a PhD and go into academia.

[TakeruK]

Whether it's correct or not, the general feeling in academia, I believe, is that online schools/programs are not as rigorous as "brick and mortar" programs. In addition, if your goal is to be in academia, it will be significantly harder for you to be anything other a student enrolled in a full-time graduate program at a physical school. I get the sense that online programs are good for getting certification to do something in the professional world perhaps, but I do not believe online programs are a good choice for research/academia goals.