Lack of a "Big Name"

[LibraPorLibra]

Hi, 

 

I'm sorry if this post doesn't belong under this section.  I went through each section and I thought this was a "catch all" question.  Bear with me as I explain my situation and then humbly ask for your opinions.

 

I do not live in an area with a strong university.  It is small and does not offer graduate programs.  I went to this university because I am medically disabled.  I have a heart condition in that my ticker has to be regulated and my cardiologist felt without a strong team behind me it would be unwise to go out of town for my education.  You know, scared, alone and no one to be with me in case I need to be rushed to hospital.  Anyways, I studied here, earned my BSc in Economics and graduated cum laude.

 

The freedom I had during these years seemed to leave me after graduation.  At this time, my condition worsened but I was adamant I would complete my graduate studies.  Graduate studies had been my goal for years.    In some odd mix of stubbornness and unrealistic thoughts, I thought I would leave town to complete my studies.  My cardiologist stopped me in my tracks and told me this was the worst idea on the planet.  Up until last year, I wandered aimlessly trying to find a way to complete my education.

 

It was suggested that I find an online degree from a recognized brick and mortar university.  I've found one from a university in the top 2% in the world.  Whilst I am getting over my hang ups that it is "online" and the university stated one cannot tell the difference between the degree offered on campus compared to the online version, I worry.  

 

I do not want to put the cart ahead of the horse but I still have dreams of going on to complete my Doctorate.  I hope that my health will be stabilized by that time or someone will move with me so that I can fulfill this dream.  Anyways, the university in which I am applying is not as highly ranked as I would like and isn't extremely well known.  If I receive high grades in my programme, in the future if possible, what would be my chances of being accepted to postgraduate studies at a better recognized educational institution?

 

I'm worried that two degrees from "less than well known" schools may affect my hiring for work or any path I choose to take in academia.  I had been accepted to the best school in Canada (according to rankings, not opinion) but I had to turn this down because of my health.

 

I'd like to set my mind at ease before I go blowing money on tuition.  I wish I wasn't so stubborn.  

 

Thank you!

[qualthian]

It may not be possible to distinguish between an online and on-campus degree from that university, but when you are on campus you are likely to have a better research environment where people are pushing and motivating each other. This will have a reflection on your research and that is what matters when you are appyling to Ph.D. 

 

I know people (not personally) who completed their Ph.D. in a university with no rank and doing their postdoc at Stanford and MIT. This clearly shows that you can accomplish anything, even if you complete your education in crap universities. 

 

So, what is the key point here? Advisor.

 

You advisor can help you open all the doors, regardless of the ranking university you are graduated from. You need an advisor who cares about your progress, who has reputation in area and who is currently active in terms of research (many publications each year). He/she should be able to guide you and give you useful feedback during your graduate education. If you think you can get this from an online program, go ahead. But I read reviews about Nova's online program and some people were saying that the professors never bothered to reply their e-mails and they simply wasted their money. (This is just an example, not a generalization neither for Nova nor for other universities with online programs)

 

Make sure you have a professor who will keep his interest in you, either by asking his former students or checking online review sites. 

 

Hope you will be completely healthy soon and be able to make your dreams come true.

[LibraPorLibra]

Hi qualthian, 

 

Thank you for taking the time to answer.  I agree with your points and value the advice.  It makes complete sense, honestly.  I will have to be proactive and ensure that my advisor can do all that they can.

 

I do worry that the lack of "real" environment will hinder research and opportunities.  I truly want to perform my best but I know, in the end, the lack of an actual campus may be an issue.  I wonder about missing conferences and guest speakers that those in my field will enjoy with their campus education.  With that said, I am trying to do the best I can at the moment and not waste any more time due to my illness.  

 

Thanks again!

[Henry Hudson]

wow.

I do not have much to add except for admiration for your spirit!

 

if you are going to do an online degree, that sounds like a good one. Skype with you advisor regularly, and look for ways to engage with other grad students in your field. 

 

Good luck! 

[papergrader83]

I used to think online degrees had little worth, but one of my best friends is getting a master's degree in instructional technology, and now I know how well-done online classes can now be. With free, open-source tools like Google Community, you can still get a strong sense of community in your classes.

 

If it's a top university in the world, the profs will be using the most up-to-date, effective approaches and techniques to make the online experience rigorous and beneficial. The reason online courses are so necessary, really, is for triumphant souls like yourself as well as for those who want to keep working while also taking steps toward obtaining a degree.

 

So yes. I'd say "get over" the hangups ASAP, buckled down on the studies, and enjoy upping your digital literacy in an online environment.

[nnnnnnn]

I actually think if you explain your story like that to anyone, you sound rather admirable. Most applications will take into account personal/medical history as compelling as that. Have you considered applying for awards/fellowships? These may add stars to your CV that help you stand out even if the rank of your school does not?

[LibraPorLibra]

Hello again.  I apologize for replying late.

 

Thanks for the advice and the replies.  Nnnnnnn, yes, I'm planning on applying for awards/fellowships to "supplement" my CV.  I agree that awards (especially from outside sources; primarily those offered on merit by the fed. government) can "add stars" if they university's name is lacking.  So, besides making sure I maintain a strong relationship with my advisor and professors, I'll ensure I dedicate time to the awards/fellowships avenue.

 

Thanks again, everyone.  

[juilletmercredi]

While technically your diploma won't say "online," in reality there are many ways for an employer to tell that you have an online degree.  The most obvious is if, say, the university through which you are doing the online degree is in Pennsylvania and you are in Texas during the time on your resume that it says you are doing the degree.  (Of course, if you are not currently working, this may be less of an issue.)  However, this is less of a problem nowadays for employers because online degrees are becoming more acceptable, especially from nonprofit institutions.

 

Normally undergraduate prestige doesn't matter.  Where you do your MA does matter, though.  It's possible to go from a good, solid, but not prestigious master's program to a great doctoral program as long as you do good work.  BUT I will say that academia has a long-standing bias against online programs as preparation for PhDs, with sort-of good reasons.  The theory is that an academic career involves a lot of face time - in a PhD program, online interaction won't substitute for the face-to-face mentoring and networking that you do with peers and professors, much less the intense discussion you get during small classes and seminars.  Nor will you be present at the university to assist a professor in his/her research or attend research talks given by people in your field.  Your professors won't know you personally enough to give you really good recommendation letters to grad school.

 

Overall, an online MA is not an ideal choice in preparation for a PhD in most fields.  So it's not the ranking or the prestige that's the issue, but the format.  My recommendation would be to wait to pursue the MA until you are healthy enough to do it in residence, if your eventual goal is academia.  That way you can get research experience and foster close relationships with professors, and set yourself up well for PhD applications.

 

I also disagree that your personal medical history will be taken into account as compelling for a doctoral program.  While professors may have basic human sympathy, when they are evaluating candidates they are judging you on your ability to complete the work - both the work in the program AND any work that they need completed by a research or teaching assistant, which you will be expected to do.  Although they are not supposed to discriminate based upon physical health or disability - if they are made aware of yours, they may unconsciously do so.  Also, they may have valid (and legal) concerns about your ability to do the work in the program, especially if you explain like "I had to do an online degree because of a medical condition I have."

 

Let me also say - and others may disagree with me - that I'm wary of the pursuit of a PhD as a lifelong dream.  A PhD is a means to an end - you get the degree because there is something specific you want to do with it, like become a professor or an educational administrator or a researcher.  You don't get it just to get it.  I'm not sure of your motivations because you don't say, but it does catch my eye that you keep saying that you dream about getting your doctorate but not necessarily that you dream of any specific career that requires one.  So for the sake of your health, it may be worthwhile to consider not getting one and switching tracks to dream of a career.  If the career you really want requires a PhD, then go for it, but if you're just getting a doctorate for some abstract reason and don't really need it, it's not worth the time.

[Loric]

I don't understand why your cardiologist wants you to live in a bubble..

 

Many very good schools have hospitals on campus...

 

Any chance of a second opinion..? Maybe at a bigger city in the first place..? This just.. i dunno.. reeks of small town thinking that's limiting your life experiences for no good reason. I'm not saying to just go out and avoid your doctor's orders, but certainly get a second opinion if it's going to be so detrimental to your prospects.

 

I can't imagine speed of health care staying in a small town is better than a major metropolitan area.

 

At my undergrad (which has graduate programs, just not in my field) it was highly unlikely anyone would drop dead there from a cardiac issues as there AED diffibulators everywhere, half the buildings were shared with a major cancer research/treatment center, and the grad programs were full of thousands of Dr's-to-be, particularly cardiologists.

[Loric]

Also.. go see Gatacca if you havent.

 

 

For that scene alone.

[LibraPorLibra]

Thank you both juilletmercredi and Loric.  In all honesty, these were the kinds of posts I expected when I asked this question.  I’ll answer some of the points raised in the new posts.

 

First of all, my health will never improve.  It can either remain stable, as it is now, or it will continually become worse.  For the average person, stable is still bad.  I see my specialist each month for updates and to see where I stand.  With that said, I have waited for a better time (really optimistic of myself) to move and continue my studies.  I’ve waited 6 years for better health and I am no further ahead.  In a perfect world, I would have accepted my offer of admission at the University of Toronto but that isn’t how life worked out.  If I had options to attend studies on campus, I would be there in a heartbeat.  (No pun intended.)  However, that isn’t the case for my health.  I could lay around and say, “Hey!  I have a serious chronic illness, this is my free pass to dabble in online education or just not to study at all!  No pressure!”  I am honestly sick and tired of waiting.  Sometimes, things don’t get better and we have to find ways to overcome.

 

Secondly, yes, it is a small town mentality in question here.  It is not so much that I cannot leave town because I am tied down to my cardiologist or services but rather, I would have absolutely no support system.  Not that you are interested in a tract about my health but I do need help.  Who will be there when I am vomiting uncontrollably at 3 AM?  Who will be there when I have to be taken to hospital?  Bigger cities may have superb medical infrastructure and universities may have defibrillators but they cannot provide caregivers.  I have a husband but he cannot leave his responsibilities here either.  Someone has to work for the insurance to cover my drugs that aren't covered and be the stable breadwinner for the days I cannot work.  Before the question is asked, yes, I feel that I am well enough to complete studies.  It is only that I need help and a caregiver when I can't crawl out of bed. 

 

Thirdly, graduate and post-graduate studies have become “a dream” because at this moment they seem unattainable.  It isn’t like I’ve sat here for years saying, “My, wouldn't it be wonderful if I could add letters at the end of my name!”  If you asked me when I was 22, I would say studies were just something I would have to do to increase employability in my field.  However, years later and many obstacles in the way, education has become a dream.  Maybe it’s fine for some chronically ill people to end up on disability and to not better themselves, but for me, in whatever life I have, I want to say I became a “small” expert in my field.  Anyways, after that treatise on an explanation of the term “dream”, I aim for graduate and post graduate studies to enter the world of academia or simply upper levels of public service.  In my employment which is considered a contract of government services, those higher ups all have postgraduate education.  Additionally, if you seek funding for “outside of academia” social research, one prerequisite is a doctoral degree.  I’m not sure if you’ve noticed or not but without a PhD in international monetary economics, nobody really listens.  It isn’t like I’m expecting to become a bigshot but to have the most opportunities in the area of theory in this field, the most education and research possible is a must.  Just as you have your plan for your education and life, this is only my plan.  Plans don’t always come into fruition.  If I am not accepted into a PhD program, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.  I’d use my education to the best of my abilities.  Remember, all of this may look good on paper and it may be a path but life doesn’t stay on script.  

 

In the end, I wouldn’t look for “sympathy” from admission boards.  In my personal experience, when my undergrad university announced its disability scholarships, my professors were all too amazed at what I accomplished.  I wish I had a magic wand that I could move to a metropolis or that my health wasn’t an issue.  It is what it is and I am only trying to find a viable path to education that has forks in the road due to no fault of my own.  Online education may not be my desired path but if it can help me realize anything positive in my life, I value it.  Whether an admissions board values it is another story, but, I guess I'll cross that bridge when I can get there.  Anyways, thank you both for the dose of reality and I hope I answered some of your uncertainties.