Earning Your Master’s Degree Online vs. On-Campus

Are you thinking about going back to school to earn a Master of Public Health (MPH)? If so, you should commend yourself. An MPH can open many doors in your life. You can use the degree to advance in your current career, or you could use it to make a career switch to a new job that is personally rewarding and fulfilling. The need for public health practitioners is strong, and the field is diverse.

If you are considering earning an MPH degree to further your career, you may be wondering if you should earn the degree on-campus or if you should do it online. It’s not a small thing to consider. If you work full-time, for example, you will have to quit your job and possibly relocate to go through a traditional on-campus program. For many working adults, this simply isn’t an option. That leaves online programs as the only viable solution.

While the learning outcomes of a degree program delivered online are commonly considered to be the same as their on-campus counterparts, there are both differences and similarities in the programs that you should be aware of. Let’s take a look at those things to help you decide whether an online program is a right choice for you.

Differences in Course Delivery

The primary difference between online and on-campus degree programs is in the course delivery. In other words, it is the difference in the way the course content is presented to students.

You are probably already familiar with traditional on-campus course delivery where a professor and students gather together in a classroom, and the professor teaches the subject in person. In the world of higher education, this is sometimes jokingly referred to as “the sage on the stage.” In a traditional classroom, students can ask their teachers questions in person and can even engage in discussion on issues with the teacher and other students in the class.

In contrast, with online courses students usually don’t gather online at the same time. Some schools do have courses with this requirement (synchronous courses), although this is rare. Most online courses allow students to log on during times that are convenient for them (asynchronous courses).

Online courses typically do have lively discussions, just like on-campus courses, except the discussions are held online in discussion forum format. In asynchronous courses, a professor will typically post one or more discussion questions in the forum and students have several days to contribute to the discussion.

Technology Challenges

In on-campus degree programs technology challenges usually are not a problem. When they do arise, computer and other technicians can usually be called to fix the problem right away.

A reality of online programs you should be aware of is that technology issues do occur from time to time. A video may not play properly, for example. Or you try to upload an assignment using the online learning platform and get an error message. Or perhaps an online quiz suddenly freezes while you are half-way through it. These things do happen on occasion. And when they do, you will have to contact technical support (and not your course instructor) to resolve the problem.

Exams

In on-campus courses, the exams are administered in the classroom by the course instructor. Online exams, however, are typically administered one of two ways.

First, there are many online courses that allow you to take your exams at home right at your computer. Some use online proctoring services, like Proctor U, to ensure no cheating takes place. These services require that you have a web camera recording you while you are taking the exam. A person in a remote location observes you taking the exam in real time.

The second option is the use of a local proctor. Some courses may require a local proctor to observe you taking your exams. Suitable proctors may include companies that provide testing services, a human resources official at your place of employment, a librarian, or others as designated by the school. The downsides to using a local proctor include having to make an appointment to take your exams, traveling to and from wherever the proctor is located, and the possibility that you may have to pay a proctoring fee.

Motivation and Autonomy

Students taking online classes need to be self-motivated individuals with the ability to work alone. The instructor won’t be there to tell you it’s time to turn in your assignment, take a test, participate in a class project, or anything else. An online instructor will issue due dates for assignments and exams, but it’s totally up to you to make sure everything is completed on time.

As an online student, you will also be working alone on your assignments and won’t have others near you to bounce ideas off of or to seek clarification on things that are unclear. Yes, you can post questions in the discussion forum or send an email to your instructor, but it may take the time to get a response.

Commitment Requirements

Both online and on-campus degree programs will have similar commitment requirements of their students. Students will essentially be completing the same assignments and taking the same exams, regardless of the method of course delivery. Because of this, students will need to put in the same amount of effort in preparing course assignments and in studying for exams.

The Cost

Degree programs offered online usually cost the same as those offered on-campus, although some schools do tack on an additional “technology fee” for online students to pay for the use of the online learning platforms they use and other related technology expenses. Many schools still charge higher tuition for online students who live out-of-state, although this trend is slowly changing as schools seek to attract students from all across the nation and around the world to their programs.

Learning Outcomes

There is essentially no difference in the quality of education you receive in an online program in comparison to an on-campus program. The learning outcomes are considered to be the same.

Professor Thomas Russell, of North Carolina State University, compiled and studied 355 research reports already completed on online learning and concluded that there is “no significant difference” in learning outcomes. Considering this, you can rest assured that you will learn just as much from an online degree as you would from a traditional on-campus degree program.