Accomplished grads bring new regard to Internet-based diplomas.

Long considered the Rodney Dangerfield of academia, online business degrees are finally earning respect.

An explosion of accredited online programs has generated a critical mass of accomplished graduates who have buoyed the cachet of Internet-based business diplomas, hiring experts say.

"When (online degree programs) first came out, recruiters weren't sure about them," says John Dooney, manager of strategic research at the Society for Human Resource Management. "As more graduates with online degrees come to companies, they're getting more and more respected."

That's not to say a diploma from the likes of DeVry University Online carries the same weight as a Harvard degree. Ivy League and upper-crust line-ups such as Duke University's Global Executive MBA program tend to loft post-graduates into a higher networking orbit.

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By MIKE DRUMMOND

Article source: The Charlotte Observer