College Degrees

Adam B. asked:


I have a BS in Multimedia and Graphic design with 2+ years work experience. I think I would be more satisfied teaching and mentoring high school art students. Since I already have a college degree, what could I do now to get into that field?

Debra

Kenneth Anczerewicz asked:


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. As these jobs require only a two year degree, they are paid well and well 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. Access to online education will speed up and more options will become available to students, such as access to online evaluations of their work, 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. Students with learning disabilities will be able to take advantage of special online programs created just for them.

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. The minimum amount of time in which degree programs can be completed is two years, but the time it takes to complete a degree varies, depending on prior coursework and whether or not you take time off between courses. 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.



Daniel

Melissa T asked:


Right now I am getting my associates degree in english at a community college. I plan to get my bachelor’s in business management or criminal justice. (We’ll see). With all the crap that they put you through, I am thinking that it would be better to go to technical school.

Brittany

Claudia asked:


I undertsand that having a degree is better, but why? You can go to college and receive a certificate or enter into a diploma program and still get an education.

Antonio

Bailey Smith asked:


If you’re a non traditional student that wants to change careers or if you have been a stay at home parent for years and you’re now ready to get back into the workforce getting a real estate college degree might be exactly what you need to get started in a new career in real estate. There are real estate training seminars and mini courses that you can attend to learn about real estate but in order to become a real expert in real estate you should get a specialized real estate college degree. If you don’t have a lot of experience in the real estate field or if you have been out of the workforce for many years then getting a real estate college degree tells potential employers that you are serious about wanting to have a successful career in real estate. Sometimes having a real estate college degree can make up for a lack of experience because the real estate college degree will give you a lot of knowledge and insight into the world of real estate. If you don’t have a lot of experience in real estate then getting a real estate college degree can help you learn all the intricacies of the real estate business. Once you have a real estate degree you can even open your own real estate office and work for yourself. Real estate is one of those industries that there will always be a high demand for because people will always need to find somewhere to live. Getting a real estate college degree will teach you how to deal with buyers and sellers as well the laws regarding real estate sales.

Real estate can be a great career for people who like to work independently and are good at sales. If you are looking for a part time job that has a high commission payout then real estate is the job for you. Getting a real estate college degree is really an investment in your real estate career because it will help you achieve more and go further within the industry. If you are already working in real estate then you have probably realized that having a real estate degree is a great way to set yourself apart from the thousands of other real estate agents. Experience is great but education is also important to even if you have experience in real estate you can benefit from getting a real estate college degree. If you want to someday branch out into another area of real estate then having a real estate degree is very important because when you move into an area of real estate that you don’t have a lot of experience in having some education in that field is a big bonus and might be the only thing that gets you a job in that area of real estate. Getting a real estate college degree online is a great way to network with other real estate agents and increase your knowledge of real estate while you also improve your resume and increase your potential to have a high powered career in real estate.



Joan

Knoxville asked:


I am applying online for a legal certification and in my education level I am being asked my highest level of education, which is a 2-year college associate degree, and Im on my way for a bachelo right now but i have not completed that one yet, just wanted to know if I should select the option of University degree or high school degree (there is no other in between those two), thanks!

Timothy

Kingsley Tagbo asked:


However, just bear in mind that you are not alone in wanting to start your computer programmer career by studying at home in your spare time. Actually a significant proportion of computer programmers are self taught. What everyone who has started a programming career outside the confines of college have in common is that they all focused on becoming as good as or even better than those who attended college. If they felt dis-advantaged in the beginning, they ignored that and focused on sharpening their technical skills until they became expert, highly skilled and competent programmers.

Do Employers Value A Computer Science Degree Over Raw Programming Talent?

Now, let’s get one thing clear. Yes, there are several careers where your formal education or college degree will literally make or break your career. There are also several high paying careers where it’s illegal to practice without going through a formal education and training system. However, computer programming is not like that at all. Computer programmers come from all works of life and all levels of education. There are computer programmers with PhDs and there are computer programmers with a high school diploma. There are computer programmers with backgrounds in arts, literature, music, law and even medicine. However, the one thing that programmers have in common is the ability to write program code using a programming language. This means that successful computer programmers have mastered the art of writing good quality code. So, whether you plan to study and become a computer programmer at home or get trained or enroll in a home study course or go to college, make it your goal to be the best software developer you can possibly be.

The answer to the question “do employers value computer science degrees over programming skills” is a NO. This is because it’s quite possible to study programming at a good college and still not be a good software developer. So, when it comes to programming, your career is only as good as the code you write which levels the playing field for both computer science graduates and self-taught computer programmers.

IT Is Easy To Study Computer Programming And Get A Job

One of the best kept advantages of becoming a computer programmer is that you can learn computer programming at home and advance your skills to the level where you become really good without first getting a programming job. When I realized this more than 10 years ago, I was excited that I could just buy a computer, connect it to the internet and learn as much of programming as I want without having to get a programming job first. Of course, I realized that I would still have invest in programming books, invest in buying programming languages, and invest in training packages that will allow me to learn programming on my own. However, I figured that the total costs of these investments in my computer programming training would pale in comparison to how much I was sure to earn as a computer programmer and would also pay in comparison to how much it would cost me to study medicine or law or engineering or even computer science in college. At the end of the day, I took my training and getting well-paying contract programming jobs within 6 months. An opportunity I knew I would not have with any other high paying career.

Yes, You Can Get A Computer Programming Job Without A College Degree

After more than 10 years, spent working several software development jobs, I have a lot of personal, intimate knowledge of how the industry works. I have worked with talented software programmers who got into programming with a high school education or dropped out of college to begin a programming career. So, I am always a bit surprised when someone that I am coaching or someone who runts into me on my blog at www.IT-CAREER-COACH.NET tells me they can not start their programming career because they do not have a college education or a computer science degree.

If you are saying this to yourself, then you are just making excuses for not taking action. Let me tell you that from my experience as a software developer mentor, I have discovered that people make excuses to themselves because they are not ready to hold themselves accountable to results. So, they either complain about how old they are or how poor they are or they complain about the time it will take them to learn programming or complain that they cannot afford to go to college and study computer science or complain that programming textbooks are too expensive and they go on like that. Okay, I am telling you now that there is nothing stopping you from beginning your programming career if you really want to and it’s not as hard as you think it is.

So, Where Does This Leave You?

This leaves you without an excuse for not taking action. I am granting you the liberty to pursue your passion, your dream and your personal excellence to learn or master computer programming. As a software developer mentor, IT Career Coach and Contract Programmer, I have worked with people who overcame all sorts of personal situations, handicaps and obstacles to begin their software developer career. On my blog at www.IT-Career-Coach.NET, I coach, mentor and train individuals who want to transition to a software developer career or become an expert computer programmer. From my personal experience and observation helping programmers from all over the world succeed in software development professions, your success in programming boils down to how skilled you are at software development and how much experience you have in solving real-world problems. If you gain a lot of practical programming skills and knowledge your software developer career will go into overdrive.

If you want to improve your programming skills and take your career to the next level, I recommend you read “the street smart guide to computer programmer careers” book which explains how to master computer programming in as little as 4 months. It will shave years off your learning curve by showing you how to learn programming fast, how to prepare your resume so you get noticed by hiring managers, how to prepare for and excel at technical job interviews so you get job offers more easily and how to consistently gain the kind of programming experience that keeps your career moving forward.



Julie