I completed the on-line Master's in Environmental Studies at Green Mountain College in VT this year. My situation is not the same as that of someone pursuing a science career - I am a freelance journalist, and was mainly interested in broadening my knowledge to improve my coverage of environmental issues. Also, I'm over 50 and do not expect the degree to be a springboard to a higher-powered career or a PhD, so I can't speak to that.
I also live outside the US, and for a variety of reasons (having to do with time commitments, travel commitments and available funds) an on-line program in the US seemed a better option for me than an on-site program in the US or here in Peru. A few thoughts: There are advantages, including time flexibility, place flexibility (I turned in some assignments from public internet places while traveling), having profs from both Green Mountain and other schools, and the ability to tailor the program to focus on ecosystems in the country where I live. I started when the program was in its second year. I'd advise against that, just because wrinkles are still shaking out at that point. I'd suggest looking for a slightly more established program; looking carefully at the course offerings and syllabi; evaluating the on-line library (and other) resources; asking current students about their experience, especially how much the profs interact with students (my experience is that it varies from just like in the classroom to not very much) and how good the thesis advising is; and asking a lot of questions about the school's ability to help you connect with research opportunities and funding. I would think the latter would be fairly important for someone in Ms. Bullock's situation. Some schools have on-line "open houses" for their distance-learning programs, so check those out, or ask if you can have access to their platform for a day to poke around in the courses, see what the lectures and discussions are like, etc. I was very happy with the program I did and feel it met my goals. As with most education, I think a lot depends on what you put into it. Best, Barbara -- Member, Society of Environmental Journalists and National Association of Science Writers [email protected] Telf: +511-242-0115 / +511-9-9668-4400 (celular) VoIP (USA): 301-960-4201 Apdo. 18-0418, Lima 18, Perú
