Ask 3 Career Questions When Choosing an Online Program

Pursuing a degree online can be a great solution for those who cannot attend an on-campus program. I decided to pursue my MBA while living abroad in Saudi Arabia as a way to advance my career – and because class sessions for the U.S. program were held late at night for me, minimizing the effect on my family.

But before you embark on this journey, you need to determine what your career objectives are and if the online programs you are considering will fulfill those needs. Here are three career-related questions to ask before pursuing an online education.

1. What field do you want to pursue, and what credentials do you need? It's important to determine your main objectives for pursuing an online degree and your career expectations for once you graduate. Consider whether potential programs meet both of these criteria.

On that note, you should determine the academic credentials necessary to either advance your position at your current company or change careers. Though you might need an online degree to truly expand your network and career trajectory, you may be able to accomplish your needed training through a lower-cost certification program or another credential.

I chose to pursue my degree through the MBA@UNC program because of the strength of the alumni network, its high ranking and the job placement numbers. Those figures – which you can get from career services – will give you an idea of a program's ability to help you find employment, or to improve your negotiation skills and resume if you are looking to advance in your current role.

2. How much does it cost, and how much would you make? You should research and weigh the expected salary increase you anticipate receiving after completing the online program versus the overall program cost. Are the long-term career salary benefits great enough to justify the cost of the online program you are interested in?

Approach this as you would being asked in a job interview about expected salary. Be conservative with your anticipated expected salary increase so that you do not overinflate your expected returns and make a poor long-term decision.

3. Can you balance your current career with your online education? Online programs require many hours of work a week during the semester. So, when evaluating your level of interest and availability – especially if you have a job – take that into account.

Succeeding in an online program requires more self-discipline than a traditional program requires. In my experience, you need to be adept at time management and work delegation. If you live outside of the time zone of the program you are pursuing, as I do, you may need to even be able to manage long-term sleep deprivation – my program took 27 months to complete – and ensure you are equipped to handle the course load without it hurting your performance at work.

The takeaway: Online programs can be very rewarding in advancing your career and providing you the flexibility to pursue a degree. However, you need to carefully consider your motivations and expectations for the degree as well as your true level of commitment to complete the program.