Employer Perceptions of Online Degrees: A Literature Review

This literature review explores the research about the perception of online degrees by potential employers or “gatekeepers” in comparison with those earned in a traditional format. This is important because these perceptions can affect the employment opportunities or lack thereof of students and, in turn, institutions. Introduction With fluctuations in the economy, increased technological competence, fast-paced lifestyles, geographic dispersion, and the need for workers to possess new skill sets and credentialing, the demand for online degrees has grown over the past decade (Conceicao, 2007). Institutions offering online degrees have proliferated the adult and higher education landscape to meet these needs. According to eLearners.com, there are currently over 170 “accredited” U.S. online colleges and universities that offer online Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees in numerous fields (Elearners.com, 2007). Adams and DeFleur (2005) state, “although there are some 678 non-resident degree programs available online, only a handful of these are fully accredited or taught from recognized institutions” (p. 72). Furthermore, students individually invest thousands of dollars each year obtaining higher education. Increasingly, they select online degrees to reach that goal with the expectation of a sound return on investment. Adult students primarily choose online degrees to obtain credentialing for promotions and employment, as well as to cultivate life-long learning while overcoming such potential barriers as full-time work responsibilities and remote geographic location. Nance (2007) suggests that minority students may also select online learning after experiencing racially discriminatory treatment in the traditional classroom. Despite the increasing drive toward this means of credentialing, the economic climate causes students to place a high premium on whether online degrees translate into jobs or careers based on the current hiring practices that are influenced by the organization’s hiring “gatekeeper’s” view. Purpose and Literature Selection This literature review explores the research about the perception of online degrees by potential employers or “gatekeepers” in comparison with those earned in a traditional format. The guiding question for each study and article is: What does the current literature say about hiring gatekeepers’ perceptions of online degrees and how they influence their assessment of the candidate’s employment qualifications? To answer the research question, literature was reviewed within four databases: Academic Source Complete, Education Source Complete, Business Source Complete, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Abstracts. The keywords used were “online degrees,” “higher education,” “virtual college,” “hiring,” “perceptions,” and “academic degree programs.” The initial search resulted in 11 academic journal articles, 18 dissertations, two unpublished manuscripts, three books, and two online articles. The literature selected for this review was then evaluated and chosen based on pertinence to the topic of employer views toward online degrees in North America. This review will discuss the following: characteristics of distance learning degrees, definition of hiring gatekeepers, empirical study results comparison, popular media and communications, and typical employer concerns and commendations regarding online degrees, as supported by the literature. Characteristics of Distance Learning Degrees Today’s post-secondary degrees are offered in various delivery modes. According to the 2005 Sloan Consortium report, the following describes the standard academic degree program configurations: • Traditional or Web-Facilitated: No online technology used or 1 to 29% of course content is online through a course management system (such as Blackboard or WebCT) to support the primary use of the face-to-face format. • Hybrid: 30 to 79% content covered online such as online discussions and readings; supplemented by occasional face-to-face classroom experience. • Online: 80% plus of course content is delivered online. (Allen & Seaman, 2005, p. 4) Many online institutions espouse the comparable quality of their degrees to traditional institutions. In response, many traditional institutions have also adopted online degree programs as part of their strategic direction. According to Allen and Seaman (2005), “Forty-four percent of all schools offering face to face Master’s degree programs also offer them online.” (p. 1). The National Center for Education Statistics (2003) states that 90% of public four-year institutions provide online bachelor degrees (as cited in Adams and Eveland, 2007).