Flexibility, career advancement and specialized knowledge: the benefits of NC State's online programs

In today's competitive job market, a master's degree can help set job seekers apart from their competition — but not everyone has the time to commute to classes or attend school full time.

That's where online programs come in. Offering flexibility and remote-friendliness, online degree programs improve the odds of career advancement and help individuals gain specialized knowledge in their field of interest.

At North Carolina State University, online programs are helping students earn graduate degrees while balancing their other responsibilities.

"Typically in our online programs, most of our students are actually full-time working professionals, so it's a way for them to get a graduate degree, but not have to move, sacrifice their employment or otherwise interrupt their lives," said Kara Peters, director of graduate programs for Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. "Our classes are offered so that students can take them in the evenings, on the weekends or around their work schedule. There's a lot of flexibility intentionally set up."

For students like Winston Allgood, that flexibility allowed him to complete his master's in civil engineering while also maintaining his full-time job. Allgood started his program in 2018 and is due to finish up at the end of 2021.

"I'm lucky enough to work somewhere where we have pretty good flexibility with our hours, then N.C. State also has hours of prerecorded lectures available 24/7. Plus, it helps that instructors are very intentional about getting homework assignments out a week before they're due and giving ample notice of exams — it really sets us up for success," said Allgood. "For someone who's trying to keep up professional commitments, that transparency and flexibility is key."

Like Allgood said, since the courses are online, faculty are all the more intentional about communicating.

"I hear from a lot of students that even though their courses are online, they get a detailed interaction with the faculty member. That higher level of interaction also gives them the opportunity to dive deeper into a particular subject and really refine their knowledge," said Peters. "We also have an Engineering Online office, which takes some of the logistics away from the individual departments and programs. We have people who focus solely on how to deliver the online content in a way that's beneficial to the students, then the faculty can focus on delivering the technical aspects of their material."

Students who are in the area and able to commute to campus can also attend in-person sessions if they choose. This gives students another chance to connect with faculty and their classmates.

For Allgood, taking time to meet with instructors in-person or virtually helped set clear expectations for the academic year.

"If there was any sort of difference between in-person and online learning, it's easily overcome, you just need to make an effort. It can be as simple as, at the beginning of the semester, sending an email, introducing yourself and saying, 'Hey, can we have a 10-minute call to see what you expect from me as a student?'" said Allgood. "From there it can almost be like an interview, and it takes a lot of the confusion and pressure out of the whole situation."

Currently, Allgood works at an environmental engineering company in Raleigh as a member of its structural discipline group. The flexibility of online learning at N.C. State allowed him to maintain his full-time job — and now, he hopes his new degree will help him advance further.

"There are a lot of intricacies to this field that you just don't get in undergrad. I worked in my current job for about two years before I started my master's, but everybody who is somebody around here has a master's, so I made it a goal for myself — and it really has served me well," said Allgood. "There are so many teachers at this level that people in my field have interacted with in the past, so there's another level of professional connection, as well."

"People have that connection with you where they know you've both been through the same program. It's almost like there's some more inherent trust, and it's increased the level of confidence that people have in the work I can do."