Are Online Data Science Degrees Truly Inclusive?

The demand for data scientists is growing faster than anyone thought possible. There will be 276,000 data scientists in the United States by 2033.

A growing number of people are going to seek data science degrees to enter this profession. We talked about some of the great things that you can do with a data science degree in this article.

However, it can be difficult to find the right program to learn to be a data scientist. You may want to find one that is truly inclusive, in addition to helping you develop the right skills. Keep reading to learn more.

It’s no secret that college accessibility is not equitable. The likelihood of a person going on to get a degree is determined by many factors that have nothing to do with their ability. Income level. Race. Gender. Family history. Did your parents go to college? If not, your chances of getting there diminish considerably. This is especially true if you are trying to get a degree in something as complex as data science.

As online schools become increasingly more popular potential students have a wider range of options. Will this increased range of choices make college more accessible, or will there still be barriers for disadvantaged students?

In this article, we take a comprehensive look at the situation.

The Problems with Online Learning

In terms of “barriers to learning,” the biggest obstacle for disadvantaged communities comes in the form of the digital divide. This term refers to anyone who does not have stable access to digital technology. If you don’t have WIFI, or the hardware to use it, you fall on the wrong side of the digital divide.

Sometimes tech-competency may also factor into the equation. Generally, this aspect of tech accessibility is less relevant for college-aged people but it could be a factor for people who haven’t had much exposure at home to digital technology.

Obviously, if you don’t have WIFI and you can’t afford a computer, it may be challenging to attend an online university.

There are solutions. You can go to a library, or even a coffee shop to use their WIFI. You can use some of your student loan money to purchase a laptop. You may even find that there are charities in your community designed to make digital technology more accessible for students.

These aren’t ideal solutions but they help make online learning more accessible. And as barriers to college go, this problem isn’t as big as say, the need to borrow $100K.

A determined lower-middle-class family can find a way to get consistent access to digital technology, even if they have to work a little to get it.

There are other cost barriers, but they aren’t as significant as they would be at a brick-and-mortar learning institution.

A more meaningful hindrance might be that not everyone works well in the more self-guided learning environment that is often natural to online schools.

While some virtual universities use a schedule that is similar to the traditional classroom environment, the format is usually looser.

Of course, this won’t necessarily impact disadvantaged students more than it would anyone else—except perhaps in the roundabout way that they may have to balance more responsibilities. A job. Possibly higher levels of responsibility within their family, etc.

It’s also worth pointing out that low-income families may be less likely to have an extra room where they can do their homework and sit in on lectures. This isn’t necessarily a deal-breaking concern, but it does add an extra degree of inconvenience to the process.

Not scared away? Cool. In the next few headings, we will take a look at how online schools can make getting a college education easier.

Online Learning is More Affordable

Granted, this will depend on a ton of factors, the biggest of them being what school you choose. If you select an online program at an institute that offers brick-and-mortar classes, you probably won’t receive any discount at all.

That said, on average, online school can be as little as half the price per credit hour as a traditional university.

It’s More Flexible

Many online programs are designed to let people work in the format that makes the most sense to them. For example, you might find programs that will let you complete pre-recorded units and assignments. In this format, as long as you are hitting your deadlines, you don’t have to be sitting at your desk during specific times.

We mentioned earlier that this level of flexibility makes it easier for some people to procrastinate. That’s true, but it also makes it easier for people with a lot of responsibilities to fit school into their schedule.

It Saves You Time

Finally, online learning also gives you the opportunity to skip the commute. If the nearest college is thirty minutes from your home, that’s an extra five hours each week. It may not sound like much but think about all the homework you could do in that time.

Are Online Schools Equally Prestigious?

They are! While they may not hold the same weight as a degree from Harvard would, your online qualification will open just as many doors as one earned at a traditional college. You do need to make sure that the school you pick is accredited both:

• Nationally: In other words, it meets the minimum requirements set by the federal government. It also needs to be accredited…
• Regionally: While this may sound less important it will be more influential to your experience. A nationally accredited education program won’t do any good if it isn’t recognized by your state.

It’s usually pretty easy to figure out where the program you are interested in stands. Do a little bit of research, and don’t be afraid to reach out to whatever state agency governs education programs in your area. They’ll get back to you. Maybe not quickly, but they will.

Can You Get Any Degree Online?

You can get most degrees at online universities. Even nurses can now pursue their certifications online. Programs that require face-to-face components—like nursing or education—may require physical attendance for clinical components of the degree requirements.

You can speak with the guidance counselor at the online university you are interested in to learn more about what those requirements are and how they can be met.

Conclusion

Does online learning fix the problem of college accessibility? That’s hard to say. It certainly does address many of the primary pain points. The increasingly high costs of traditional education is making college difficult to afford even for middle-class families who might otherwise have been obvious candidates for higher learning.

The problems that digital learning environments create are not meaningless, but impacted populations are shrinking every day. The digital divide is a real problem, but not a bigger one than the student debt crisis.

There will always be barriers to getting a college degree, and most probably it will be disadvantaged communities that experience those barriers most acutely.

Still, it’s safe to say that online learning will create more solutions than it does problems.