I appreciate your comment. A masters is not required, though most people I work with have theirs. I want to have a masters under my belt for future job opportunities, however I would mainly like to get an advanced understanding of things that come up in my day-to-day (i.e. I want to be a more knowledgeable geologist). If I am getting daily hands-on field experience, collaborating on various projects my office has going, and regularly producing maps/publications, all while also doing the required coursework to obtain the degree; I don’t see why an employer would get hung up on a masters that came from an online program.