Will Going Back To School To Earn An Online Degree Help You Get A Better Job Or Promotion?

Will Going Back To School To Earn An Online Degree Help You Get A Better Job Or Promotion?

A Guest Post By Derick Sutton

Adults going back to school may feel uncertainty about new challenges and requirements in their lives. They want to complete unfinished college degrees or to advance in their careers. Others are motivated by the need for increased financial worth. Some like the challenge of continual learning and intellectual growth to fulfill personal and work needs. Nontraditional students are adults returning to an online university for a higher education, do not fit into the young, living on campus, college student. Nontraditional students are adults over the age of 25, and have become the new trend in higher education at online universities.

Statistics from the U.S. Education Department's National Center for Education state that college admissions in colleges and universities are expected to climb from 18.2 million in 2007 to 20.6 million in 2018. The most significant growth will be among older students, minorities and women.

Significant changes in an adult's life especially in their career can prompt the need for continuing college education. A few reasons could be being passed over for job promotions because of lack of skills, job requirements have changed, discontent within their company's hierarchy and the possibility of announced layoffs or mergers.

Personal motivation and self improvement is a high motivator for adult learners. Learning about new topics, studies or special interest is a reason for going back to college. Learning new technological skills not only increases their job security but helps them in the home. Learning about social trends could improve their involvement in community activism and volunteer work. The completion of an online degree could revolve around their career and simply be a desire to finish what they started.

Some adult learners begin a new college degree at the retirement stages of their life. Their involvement in new college studies fulfills a need for community engagement and provides the opportunity to stimulate intellectual growth. Others are motivated by a need for change especially with career prospects. Adult students may have decided midlife to transition into new career paths that require additional knowledge and accreditation for them to begin their change.

Nontraditional students have numerous college opportunities especially with the increase in online colleges and online degrees. Add in the potential for financial aid, scholarships, and grants, especially to specific groups such as minorities and women, and going back to school does not have to be an unfulfilled dream.

Many adults, especially during economic downturns, are returning to online universities to complete previous college degrees or to increase their financial worth. The American Council on Education states that higher education colleges and online universities experience a surge in college admissions during these times. Employed and unemployed workers return to school to advance their skills and seek to increase their appeal to their company or potential employers. The increase of online colleges and online degrees are making higher education accessible to returning students especially for those who continue to work and support their families.

Returning to school gives the adult learner a chance to improve their career skills or change career directions. Many returning students do so because of changes in job structure, being passed over for advancement, job requirement changes and possible layoffs or mergers in their company's future. In general, the higher the education a person holds means the higher the salary and better career security.

The potential for salary increase varies with the type of college degree you want depending upon the needs of your career field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers with advanced degrees earn more than workers with a high school diploma or GED. The Bureau of Labor employment projections for 2008-2018 show that nearly half of all new jobs and one-third of total job openings will require a postsecondary college degree or award. Also projected is that 14 out of the 30 fastest growing occupations will require a bachelor's degree or higher.

College counselors through assessment services can provide valuable guidance when shopping for online universities and degrees. Be sure to find a personal counselor who can access multiple college searches within college programs such as transfer credits, cost comparisons, and accreditation.

College Equalizer is a revolutionary college search and counseling service that provides you with a personal counselor for your search. With a patented computer system the counselor is able to compare your life experience, such as work and military experience, training, certificates, licenses and others with the transfer requirements and tuition rates of hundreds of accredited colleges and online universities around the country. http://www.collegeequalizer.com

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What You Need to Know When Deciding Whether to Attend an Online University

When I completed my undergraduate degree, I talked with the Chair of my degree program about getting an online college degree (this was in 2001). He knew I was interested in teaching college courses, someday. His response was, "If you go to an online college for your master's, don't come to me for a job."

I was understandably upset, since I had to go to work full-time right out of college, and could not afford the time commitment to attend graduate school full-time in a brick-and-mortar school. After thinking about it for a while, I decided that online graduate school was what I needed. I earned a MS in computer information systems at University of Phoenix. About a year after the MS, I talked with the same Chair about teaching some adjunct classes online. He not only agreed to let me teach for him as an adjunct, when a full-time faculty member quit the week before fall classes started, he called and offered me the full-time teaching position. So, what had changed?

The most important thing that had changed was the attitude of many higher education institutions concerning online colleges. After all, if the online college is accredited by the same body that accredits the university in question, how can they say the online college degree is no good without condemning their own degree programs?

When choosing an online college, it is vital to ensure that they are accredited. Accrediting agencies in the United States include:

• Middle States Commission on Higher Education


• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities


• The Higher Learning Commission


• New England Association of Schools and Colleges


• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools


• Western Association of Schools and Colleges
• 
  

If the online college is accredited by one of these Department of Education sanctioned bodies, your degree will be a valid program that will enhance your career opportunities. One caveat: If you plan to teach in higher education and want to teach at a research university, an online education may not get you the opportunity you want. I have been warned about this by other online college graduates, but I have not applied to any of the research universities, so I cannot personally comment on this. I recommend that you contact the Chair or Dean of the department for which you would one day like to teach and ask if an online degree is acceptable for employment in their schools.


Top Online Universities For Distance Learning Programs
By Amit Kothial

Over the past few years, education has undergone a major shift in teaching as well as learning mode. Staring from conventional knowledge-based courses to modern job-oriented courses, education has transformed its facade and now getting popularly known as distance education. In fact today, distance education has achieved new heights and emerging as one of the great way to advance one's qualifications.

Facilitating a student to study from home and set his or her own schedule and pace for learning has made this mode of learning a convenient option. Students from all over the world have started taking up this style of learning so much that it has become an essential part of modern education. Making the best use of modern methods of delivery like video conference, teleconference, and online communications such as, e-mail, chats and pod casts, it is also easily accessible.

These days almost every modern course is available for students through distance learning mode. In fact many working personnel are also opting for distance learning or online education programs. No doubt, if we carefully look at the present scenario the possibilities of obtaining useful knowledge and distance learning degrees are endless but it has become more important to filter those fake institutes and universities that are spread all over. Students must perform initial research to check the authenticity of the diplomas offered from various distance learning universities or else it can hamper student's career, time and effort. However, here are some of the best inline distance learning universities that offer some of best online education programs and learning classes meeting the standards of current education industry:

University of Phoenix- This is one of the best online universities that offer online, on-campus, and hybrid degree programs at the associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral level. Each degree is a balanced combination of academic theory and practical application. Every online education program is fully accredited and designed in collaboration with academic and industry professionals to ensure quality. Today, University of Phoenix is one of the largest private universities in North America, with nearly 200 convenient locations, as well as internet delivery in most countries around the world. The university is well known for providing best distance learning service and constantly aim to help students balance education and life in a fast changing world.

Argosy University- It is a private university and well known for providing flexible online programs in business, education and psychology. Argosy University has established campuses and supports one of the largest graduate student communities in the United States. Besides this, the university is regionally accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. All online lectures are designed to improve student's practical knowledge. The best highlight of various online education programs provided by Argosy University is it facilitates students take the accelerated online classes at their convenience, during the day or night. Moreover, experienced instructors are always available to provide students individualized attention through online class session.

Capella University- Capella University is yet another famous distance learning university that offers online degrees in information technology, business, psychology, public health and human services. As an online university, the greater part of learning takes place via the Internet. Besides this, its online environment is organized into course-rooms, with each course utilizing its own individual component. These course-rooms are built on the Blackboard Learning System software. Every online course offered by Capella University is taught by industry professionals possessing years of teaching experience. United with the flexibility of having all courses and resources available online, selecting Capella University for attaining a online degree can be a very attractive option.

Kaplan University- Kaplan University also offers various online degrees and distance learning programs in finance, international business or sales and marketing. Accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), every online degree and certificate programs are taught by experienced instructors. These instructors use hands-on approach to teach and give their students practical exposure with the tools and knowledge of their specific trades. The university also provide interactive learning program that in turn allows students prepare their course schedule as per their convenience.

A degree from a reputed online distance learning university can be regarded as advantage and ambitious students from all the across the globe always crave for it. It not only adds an impressive touch to academic background but also helps student identify his or her core competencies, build new skills, create a portfolio to mark a positive career growth.

Find detailed information on top online distance learning universities providing top online distance learning degree and programs in United States and Canada. Choose the best distance learning programs and universities in your preferred location and earn online degree at the convenience of your home.

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