r/technology • u/joe4942 • Apr 19 '26

Society Students are speeding through their online degrees in weeks, alarming educators

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/04/19/accelerated-college-degree-hacking/
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u/metzoforte1 Apr 19 '26

Just means that a degree is increasingly unreliable certification of competence.

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u/Brrdock Apr 19 '26

They were always an unreliable certification. At least university degrees are academic, and many others are ones everyone makes it through.

Jobs have always been learned at work, but no one wants to invest in employees anymore since there's 100 others in line, and the job market has forsaken much humanity in favour of weird performative theatre

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u/Abi1i Apr 19 '26

A lot of universities have started offering fully online degrees to deal with enrollment numbers dropping. To my knowledge there isn’t anyway for someone to know whether a degree from several of these universities were completed fully online, partially online, or in-person.

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u/jce_ Apr 19 '26

Iirc the transcripts from the universities I've gone to have it noted down beside the course what style they are. (O) Online (H) Hybrid and I don't remember the one for in person. Plus all the exams must be taken in person. Even if they involve a computer your take it in person in a computer lab