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May 17, 1999

Computer Cramming

Get ahead with online degrees from eCollege.com

By Jennifer Mateyaschuk

Related links:

InformationWeek Career

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Channel Web Online Training

VARBusiness Computer-Based Training

InternetWeek Online MBA Makes The Grade

n today's working environment, people seem to have enough of a challenge reconciling home and work life. Add to the mix getting a computer science degree, and the balancing act becomes even trickier.

To help make it easier for overworked IT professionals to advance their education, eCollege.com, formerly known as Real Education, will award by year's end $12 million in education scholarships and grants to students and universities that participate in online distance learning. The 100 Degrees Online Grant and Scholarship program will provide grants to 100 schools to build degree programs entirely online and scholarships to 100 students to take accredited courses via the Internet.

The Internet and education company has partnered with more than 60 U.S. colleges and universities, including Pace University, Rogers State University, San Francisco State University, Seton Hall University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Wheaton College, to develop online learning environments. IT students can take self-paced and independent-study courses to obtain a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science or an MBA. The company's technology lets schools make course books accessible online and students order their books via the Internet. Professors can record their lectures for presentation online or teach classes in real time on the Net.

April Scott, a technology specialist at Hewlett-Packard, is grateful for the online learning program in which she's participating. When Boise State University in Idaho stopped coming to the HP campus to teach classes, Scott wasn't sure she'd be able to continue taking courses. "With my family and full-time job, it would be difficult to get my degree by attending off-site classes," she says.

Luckily, Scott was able to participate in Rogers State University's online bachelor's degree program for computer information systems. Scott limits herself to one independent-study or self-paced course per semester. Once logged on to Rogers State's Web site using a password and identification, she receives comments on her homework from her professor, participates in discussion threads, and receives homework assignments, which are due every Saturday.

Scott has already seen a payoff. After completing 15 credits toward her degree, she's been able to apply for higher-level IT jobs within HP. She's since advanced from a product-development position to a Lotus Notes systems administrator.

Become A Master
Dennis Brooks, a technology training specialist and IT project manager at PanAmSat Corp., a telecommunications company, is working toward an MBA degree online from Keller Graduate School of Management, which is a partner of eCollege.com. Brooks recently completed a master's in project management by attending both conventional and online courses at Keller. In addition to not having to commute, Brooks has been pleasantly surprised by other benefits of online learning. "I can E-mail my professor and ask questions 24 hours a day if I want," he says. "I can establish a rapport with the teacher by having more frequent one-on-one interaction."

Online degree programs can also help people who want to break into the computer-science field. Robert Tantlinger is working toward an associate's degree in computer science at Rogers State. After graduating next year, he hopes to move from his full-time janitorial position into a programmer or software developer position. "By taking classes on-line, I can keep my full-time job while studying to go into a field that really interests me," Tant-linger says.

Getting a degree online might not be for everyone. Independent and self-paced study can require more discipline than attending regularly scheduled courses in classrooms. But if you can stay focused, the Internet offers a viable alternative.