Online courses anyone?
I was recently directed to a website for Online master degrees. A while back, I spent some time looking for online courses to broaden my skillset and perhaps strike off from the job that I hated. At the end of the day, I didn't find anything that I was confident would not only increase my skillset, but also my desirability as an employee and, thus, my value to employers. In short, I don't think I would have been any better off than I already was.
Gonzaga, though, seems to have a different approach than what I'm used to. Instead of courses for transcription, which may or may not pan out, or accounting, which may or may not be your cup of tea you find out after job hunting, or a myriad of other learn-and-then-try professions, Gonzaga teaches leadership programs. The way I see it, no matter what job you carry, there is nearly ALWAYS an opportunity to lead others; if not subordinates, then your colleagues, and at the very least, yourself. As they point out on their website, effective leaders are required in nearly every profession in the world.
The other caveat when considering online courses is the personability, or the "small classroom" feel of some brick and mortar colleges. Online courses have a tendancy to be structured in a sink or swim fashion, much like the medical transcription course that I eventually dove into. While I think it's a great method for sorting out the motivated and capable from the not-so-motivated or capable-with-structure, I think it's a horrible method for academics and creates a terrible value for your money. To this, Gonzaga has organized online forums, and made their professors available during business hours by phone as well as by email. Not only do their published testimonials lend credit to the facilitation of a personable and personal atmosphere uncommon to online universities, but the coherence and organization of their website inspires confidence that they are indeed masters of information.
As a university receiving top ranks from US News and World Report, I was very surprised to see that they offered any courses online at all. Most outstanding colleges seem to prefer the prestige of teaching only those students that can put their lives on hold or bend their lives to accomodate packing up and heading to their college. Gonzaga seems just as interested in everyone else, which may be one more reason that The Princeton Review and Forbes magazine BOTH rank Gonzaga as one of the nation's best universities.
If you're looking for courses that will enrich your life and make you more valuable while maintaining a standard of worth for your money, Gonzaga may well be worth a second look.
Gonzaga, though, seems to have a different approach than what I'm used to. Instead of courses for transcription, which may or may not pan out, or accounting, which may or may not be your cup of tea you find out after job hunting, or a myriad of other learn-and-then-try professions, Gonzaga teaches leadership programs. The way I see it, no matter what job you carry, there is nearly ALWAYS an opportunity to lead others; if not subordinates, then your colleagues, and at the very least, yourself. As they point out on their website, effective leaders are required in nearly every profession in the world.
The other caveat when considering online courses is the personability, or the "small classroom" feel of some brick and mortar colleges. Online courses have a tendancy to be structured in a sink or swim fashion, much like the medical transcription course that I eventually dove into. While I think it's a great method for sorting out the motivated and capable from the not-so-motivated or capable-with-structure, I think it's a horrible method for academics and creates a terrible value for your money. To this, Gonzaga has organized online forums, and made their professors available during business hours by phone as well as by email. Not only do their published testimonials lend credit to the facilitation of a personable and personal atmosphere uncommon to online universities, but the coherence and organization of their website inspires confidence that they are indeed masters of information.
As a university receiving top ranks from US News and World Report, I was very surprised to see that they offered any courses online at all. Most outstanding colleges seem to prefer the prestige of teaching only those students that can put their lives on hold or bend their lives to accomodate packing up and heading to their college. Gonzaga seems just as interested in everyone else, which may be one more reason that The Princeton Review and Forbes magazine BOTH rank Gonzaga as one of the nation's best universities.
If you're looking for courses that will enrich your life and make you more valuable while maintaining a standard of worth for your money, Gonzaga may well be worth a second look.
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