Online education has become one of the most popular ways to earn a college degree, receive vocational training, and earn your graduate degree. Many working adults take online classes to learn a new occupation, or increase their chances of advancement in their current job. If you are frustrated at work and want to rise above entry level administrative assistant jobs, accredited online degree programs may be your answer. With the economy like it is today, education is one of the most powerful tools you can have to survive.
Last month we covered the most popular online degrees for 2011. Popularity of degrees fluctuates as the economy and people’s interests change. Since the first of the year some of those degrees have remained very popular, but as the year goes on new ones are making headway. As of February the four popular accredited online degree programs are as follows:
- Business
- Healthcare
- Education
- Engineering
Business and healthcare remain the top two accredited online degrees with education and engineering following close behind. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in healthcare are expected to increase by 30% in the next decade. Business includes finance, retail, insurance, management and commerce including global commerce. So you can see how a degree in business is a valuable commodity. Talented and qualified teachers are needed not only in this country, but in other countries to teach English. You can go overseas and make a good living teaching children and adults how to read and write English. Engineering touches almost every aspect of our lives. Engineers plan and design the infrastructure of our communities, the roads and highways, and figure out ways for our world to work better.
If you want to make a change in your career or looking for a new career to start out, consider enrolling in an accredited online degree program. The importance of an accredited program can’t be stressed enough. Accreditation ensures you are getting a quality education and your degree will be marketable. Schools without accreditation have not passed the stringent guidelines set forth by the appropriate associations. Employers prefer candidates who hold accredited degrees over other candidates. The Council of Higher Education maintains a searchable database of approved accrediting associations. You can use it to find out which association is responsible for setting the guidelines in the field you are interested in. If you want to have a profitable career, be sure to check the accreditation of any online or on campus degree program you find interesting.
