College Degrees Online: Wave of the Future

Online college education represents the wave of the future! The jump in adults returning to school has gone from 28% in 1970 to 39% in 2006. Adults participating in educational ventures came to 92 million is 2001 (Statistics may be found at eLearners.com). The largest segment of online education participants is represented by those earning online college degrees. This article will present a summary of degree types, levels, and majors, as well as "10 Predictions for Online Education in 2007."

Four Levels of Online Education College Degrees:

Associate Degrees.

Bachelor's Degrees.

Master's Degrees.

Doctoral Degrees.

Types of Online Education College Degrees & Majors:

Arts & Humanities Degrees: Liberal Arts, Humanities, Design, Writing, Communications, English

Business & MBA Degrees: MBA, Management, Human Resources, Marketing, Finance, Accounting

Computers & I.T. Degrees: Information Technology, Web Design, Networks, Technology Management

Education & Teaching Degrees: K-12, Early Childhood, Administration, Special Education, Curriculum/Instruction

Health & Nursing Degrees: Nursing, Psychology, Counseling, Health Administration, Human Services

Science & Engineering Degrees: Engineering, Technology, Mathematics, Aviation

Social Science Degrees: Criminal Justice, Paralegal, Law, Psychology, Public Administration, Political Science

Some careers require only associate degrees (equivalent to the first two years of a college education). These include: physical therapist assistants, dental hygienists, forensic technicians, veterinary technologists and technicians, diagnostic medical sonographers, occupational therapist assistants, cardiovascular technologists and technicians, paralegals and legal assistants. Considering that only a two year degree is required for these jobs, they are well-paid and respected.

10 Predictions About Online Education in 2007

1. Online education programs will continue to grow and expand. There will be more programs offered online to earn online education degrees and those already offered will expand into more areas of study.

2. Technology will advance. Technology is continually improving and replacing older technologies. More options will gradually become available to students as online education access speeds up - such as online access to evaluations of their homework, etc.

3. Costs will decrease. As more online education programs evolve, competition will increase, and costs to students will decrease.

4. New degree programs will develop. New degree programs, related to online education will develop. Such programs might include: online student counseling, online education site debate/discussion host, etc.

5. More students will enroll in online education programs. Each year the enrollment in programs continues to increase and will continue to do so. More than 1.6 million students took at least one online course in 2002. In 2003, 1.9 million students took online courses. In 2004, more than 2.3 million students enrolled. In 2005, the number of online learners increased to almost 3.2 million students. (Source: Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006, Sloan Consortium)

6. Specialized programs will begin to emerge. Special online programs for students with learning disabilities will begin to emerge to encourage these students to attend online education programs.

7. Attitudes toward higher education will begin to change. The general public will soon see degree programs as accessible to the average person, rather than just the highly intelligent.

8. The time to obtain a degree will shorten. It will take less time to obtain a degree as students will be able to work year-round, at any time of the day or night, transfer courses from other programs, and earn course credit by challenge exams. Two years is generally the minimum amount of time in which degree programs can be completed, although this varies, based on any time off between courses and previous classroom work. Many students complete a degree in two to three years, but it can take four or five years or more, depending on the pace. The more credits transferred, the faster the degree will be completed. You can earn credits from professional training, the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), or previous college courses. (Source: www.uopxworld.edu., "Frequently Asked Questions")

9. Most online colleges will begin to offer course credit for life experience. More credit will be given for life experiences, especially to older students.

10. New programs will begin that are hybrids. New programs will be developed that combine traditional on-campus education with online education or work/online study programs.

Getting an online education college degree is the wave of the future! Use the 10 predictions about online education in this article to begin your search for the online education college degree that is best for you.

Article Source: http://www.rightbiz.com

Ken Anczerewicz is an author and publisher devoted to helping students of all ages achieve their financial goals. Learn how to create your own income stream by clicking here now: www.resourceriver.com

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