Accredited vs. Non Accredited

would go for the full degree over the "diploma mill". Less than a year ago there was a big hulaballo about government employees who had received such degrees. Many were terminated or forced to stay in their positions. One's degree should not prevent you from moving forward. While I have no specific knowledge of the quality of education received, from what i understand it is not comparable to a full education - many coreners cut simply to get a piece of paper. Finally, and slightly off-topic, in my youth, I paid $20 to become a Chaplainn in a church advertised at the back of Rolling Stone magazine. While I could legally marry folks and perform last rights, would I be equally capable of performing the important tasks of comforting parishioners and finding important issues to cannonical questions as someone from a real seminary or divinity shcool. Definitely not.

My answer to stones' question is "It depends." If you're already doing the work of an engineer, or if you simply want a piece of paper that tells the world or a questioning boss what you already know (e.g., "I am a skilled engineer"), then why not take the quickest route? But if you're starting from scratch with little technical knowledge, then look carefully at those on-line programs. Most of the "success stories" I've read profile people who are already working in their chosen field. So how do graduates without engineering work experience fare? Maybe that's the million dollar question to ask on-line recruiters (and I welcome any who are reading this to jump in). On-line programs that are advertised as being "for busy professionals" are, I think, telling an oblique truth about themselves. They work best for those who already know most of what they need to know, but simply need to provide proof. This is, after all, an age of specialization and certification.

Gaining a degree from a diploma mill such as Kennedy Western University a/k/a Warren National University is never the answer. They were investigated by the Senate and it was found that they will waive a large part of your "degree" and that entire courses consisted of one open book exam.