Texas A&M online MS Stats?

[runningincircles]

Anyone know anything about this program? I'm wary of the online aspect of it, but I know how to study, and have taken graduate courses online in the past.

I know Texas A&M has a fairly good reputation for its campus program, just wondering whether anyone has any info about the online one - or online programs in general?

Thanks.

[Stat Assistant Professor]

The biggest drawback to an online MS program is that you wouldn't be able to get good recommendation letters from any of the professors if your ultimate goal is to do a PhD. If you are looking for a terminal MS, it probably doesn't matter much, but it would be most valuable in that case if it is coupled with work experience. At my current workplace, there are many engineers getting their Masters degrees online (a Masters + work experience gives you a nice boost and more opportuniites in engineering... JUST a Masters with no experience normally doesn't help though).

[Caesar]

TAMU puts quite a bit of time, money, and people into their distance program and it's been extraordinarily successful thus far.  For the most part, the distance students take the same exact courses as the on-campus students and get the exact same degree.  You'll also have quite a bit of interaction with the professors.  There are weekly Q&A sessions that each professor hosts in addition to their weekly classes and they are very active on discussion boards as well.  I would have to disagree with "Applied Math to Stat" on recommendation letters though.  I can't speak for other distance programs, but if you perform well, participate in class, etc., I see no reason why you couldn't move on to a quality Ph.D. program; in fact, quite a few distance students have and a few decide to move to College Station and pursue a Ph.D. here at TAMU.  The only major drawback that I see to the distance program is that you have to pay for it, in contrast to the on-campus students which receive funding. 

[Stat Assistant Professor]

TAMU puts quite a bit of time, money, and people into their distance program and it's been extraordinarily successful thus far.  For the most part, the distance students take the same exact courses as the on-campus students and get the exact same degree.  You'll also have quite a bit of interaction with the professors.  There are weekly Q&A sessions that each professor hosts in addition to their weekly classes and they are very active on discussion boards as well.  I would have to disagree with "Applied Math to Stat" on recommendation letters though.  I can't speak for other distance programs, but if you perform well, participate in class, etc., I see no reason why you couldn't move on to a quality Ph.D. program; in fact, quite a few distance students have and a few decide to move to College Station and pursue a Ph.D. here at TAMU.  The only major drawback that I see to the distance program is that you have to pay for it, in contrast to the on-campus students which receive funding. 

Interesting... I was under the impression that it would be more difficult to write a good LOR for someone whom you've never met or talked with in person (I guess there is Skype and online chat though).  But maybe I am wrong about how strong a letter an online instructor can write for one of their students... I wonder how LORs from online instructors are perceived by admissions committees? Do they carry the same amount of weight as someone who took a class on-campus?

[mf161]

Whether a student took a course with a professor on-canpus or via distance learning may never even come up in the recommendation.

Considering how many universities are now offering free online courses or online degrees, I hope professors and departments take the students' experiences as being equal.