online classes

[neuro1986]

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Hey,

I am planning on taking genetics and cellular biology at Athabasca University (a completely online accredited Canadian university). I am not taking any of my science pre-reqs online nor am I completing any of my degree requirements online. Since I will have to send in my transcripts from this university separately, they will def know that they are online courses. Will this put me at any sort of disadvantage? From what I have heard, the courses at this university are supposed to be very high quality and challenging.

Also, would anyone who has taken online sciences courses through Athabasca University be interested in sharing their experiences?

Thanks.

K

 

[apumic]

If it's an all-online school, it most likely will be looked upon as only slightly better than a diploma mill. There is still a limit to what one can learn online and the fact is that accreditation only means the school meets minimal standards. CCs are accredited but that does not mean they are looked upon in a positive manner. While this will probably not "hurt" you, I don't think your online course will help you either. It probably will not help as much in terms of showing your ability to handle upper division bio coursework, for instance. My suggestion would be to take this and all your courses at a traditional 4-year university, but if this is not an option for you, it probably will not sink your application single-handedly.

 

[Mattabet]

Some schools won't take online work; you'd do well to check specific schools' policies.

Some of the problem with online (in my experience; I spent a semester teaching undergrad) is that it's really, really easy for the work "you" did to have been done by someone else. Which is why there's still a lot of skepticism surrounding online credits.

 

[neuro1986]

are all done in person which makes up for the fact the assignments done at home might have been done by someone else. if they were- you wouldn't learn what you needed to know, and would fail the exams. In all of the classes I am looking at taking, 70-80% of the grades are from in class midterms and exams. Additionally, the university I would be taking courses from is very highly regarded for its high quality of work and for the challenging nature of its courses. After having my profs review the courses to see if they would transfer, I was told that at least half of them require MORE work (additional information that isn't covered at my university) and are def comparable/transferable across the board.

 

[looking4utopia]

Can someone just list the US schools that have online post bac science courses?

 

[futile]

I think it's really hard to judge without more information about the reputation of the school at the medical schools you are applying to. That being said, I go to a well-respected state university and they're moving all of the introductory chemistry classes online, even though they are well known to be some of the hardest classes outside of engineering, made even harder by the increased expectation of students to learn everything on their own.

However, I do think that a school that is entirely online may stir up a different sort of feeling with the adcoms, but like I said, without more information it is hard to know. Do you have any advisors you can ask?

 

[degi]

Don't do it unless you can't avoid it. Although a lot of schools prefer that you specifically do not take PREREQUISITE COURSES online, they obviously don't want you taking any other science courses online for the same reasons.

Why is this? I'm not sure. I actually learn more from online classes because I have to teach myself, but they are probably just trying to stray away from bull**** online colleges that give you your masters degree in like 1 month.

I am in the process of retaking Physics I in a traditional class setting because I didn't know certain schools would not even consider you if you took prereqs online.

But good luck with everything!

 

[Poliscidoc]

Two Questions

1. If I take online classes at my school, will Med Schools care?

2. Online classes are just a GPA boost, no need to study or even read for that matter (at my school at least). But how would go about take a science online class? I mean most of my science classes have a long that go along with them.

 

[taylormade2006]

What about taking english comp online?

 

[Isoprop]

Unfortunately, there is a stigma with online classes. If it was a prereq class, I would avoid it. Since you are taking non-prereq classes, it should not matter too much.

 

[kami333]

Two Questions

1. If I take online classes at my school, will Med Schools care?

2. Online classes are just a GPA boost, no need to study or even read for that matter (at my school at least). But how would go about take a science online class? I mean most of my science classes have a long that go along with them.

1. Are they even able to tell the difference between traditional vs online classes? On my transcript, unless you know that a specific class is only offered as an online class it just looks like every other class.

2. At a lot of big schools such as state schools labs are offered as a seperate 1-2credit course. They usually recommend you take both at the same time but you can take just one or the other.

I took an online biochemistry class this summer, just read the notes online on my own time (I usually don't go to lectures so it wasn't a big change) and went onto campus three times to take the proctored exams.

 

[taylormade2006]

Even if there is no notation on the transcript about whether or not the class is online, if you take classes during the same semester and one school is in Philadelphia and the other is in Dallas, then they will figure out that something was online.

 

[dedicate]

Even if there is no notation on the transcript about whether or not the class is online, if you take classes during the same semester and one school is in Philadelphia and the other is in Dallas, then they will figure out that something was online.

That is for sure.


I am interested to know if they look down on online courses/degrees that are also offered from respected universities. Many legit schools offer master degrees online.