A College Degree or Specialized Certification Courses – how to make a choice, pros and cons.

Edited By Team Careers360 | Updated on Mar 11, 2022 05:20 PM IST | #Skill Development

A College Degree or Specialized Certification Courses – With the online courses in demand these days, one of the big dilemmas faced by many students is, “A college degree or specialized certification?” While both have their advantages and disadvantages, one must consider multiple factors before deciding on a formal college education vis-à-vis a specialization. This article here tries to comprehensively cover all these points which would help you in narrowing down your choices to decide whether a college degree or specialized online certification courses would be best suitable for you.

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A College Degree or Specialized Certification Courses – how to make a choice, pros and cons.

With a wave of demand for specialized skills such as analytics and data science, education providers are trying to bridge the knowledge gap by carefully crafting their courses to suit market needs. You might find yourself at a cross-section of choices where it becomes difficult to decide if one should be focusing on a formal college course or should pick a specialized course online.

On one hand, the online courses are often marketed as industry-ready certifications which are highly focused and updated compared to college degrees. On the other hand, a college degree has always been considered a standard factor or benchmark for a career or a job. While choosing, one must look at the multiple factors apart from the course structure. In this article we would be highlighting both the choices and the final decision will rest on the individual preferences after consideration of all factors in play.

It is important to note that we as different individuals are at different phases of life and working in different domains. Our career trajectories largely depend on our personal decisions. While the final choice rests with the individual, it is imperative to have all the information available before coming to any decision. Let us take a look at the pros and cons of both a college degree or specialized certification courses.

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Pros of College Degree

College degrees are backed by a strong pedigree that adds value to a resume.
The recruiters have a fair idea of the areas covered and not covered in a college degree. This gives them a fair idea of the skill sets of a candidate.
In most cases, students fight through a lot of competition to get into a college. This acts as a filter for the job market.
A college degree is often seen to be a lot more difficult to obtain and to prove one’s expertise in a subdomain.
Most colleges are graded at the national and international levels and also are subject to regulations of the law that approves their formation. This might not be true for the informal degrees & certifications.
Peer learning and group discussions play a larger role in learning and development in a college education.
Individuals develop a good network of alumni and peers which acts as leverage for future job prospects.
A degree comes with the whole college experience which other informal educational avenues lack.
Multiple aspects of multiple domains are covered in the college to make students ready for multiple opportunities.

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Cons of a College Degree

Lacks the focus and attention on particular main steam domains.
Often found to be lagging a step behind the industry development.
No option to customize a learning path
Strict deadlines are often the norm
Often lacking in practical case studies, updated job skills sets needed to grow and excel.
College pedigree sometimes plays a larger role than the degree itself.
Course structure is often not on par with the latest technological and industrial developments.

Now it’s the turn to take a look at the informal educational sector which is seeing a boom in recent times.

Pros of Specialized Certification Courses

Highly focused on a particular domain with special hands-on activities.
Constantly updated to match the industry needs.
Supplementary learning options available for knowledge expansion in a particular domain.
Practical case studies often taught by faculty who are closely linked with the industry.
Online certification courses or degrees facilitate convenience of time and saves costs on many fronts.
A flexible syllabus, course pattern and choice of topics with decision making largely in the hands of the candidates.
Access to a prodigious informal Q/A group that supports learning in all forms.
Multiple online reviews and recommendations available to help narrow down on a course decision.

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Cons of Specialized Certification Courses

Online courses often lack the pedigree associated with a college degree
Multiple options lacking competition or transparent reviews
No placement backing which is often a deciding factor and the reason to choose a course
Negligible peer and group learning and a lack of learning through observation
Do not fall under the purview of any grading, rating or ranking by any global institution which makes the review of the course difficult.

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Choosing a course involves multiple aspects of learning and envisaging career choices after. The right decision can be taken after weighing all the pros and cons of every aspect. Finally, the right decision rests on the opinion and the aspiring career trajectory of an individual. As seen, a single factor does not hep narrow down the choice. Instead, careful research of the courses and factors mentioned above should be considered before a final decision is taken.

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