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Graduate Degrees
If you want to upgrade the skills and knowledge that you acquired when studying for your bachelor’s degree while working, you should seriously consider acquiring a master's degree. Even though earning a master’s degree involves devoting a lot of time– more so if you decide to continue working full-time--it does help your career growth path. By ensuring that you stand out from among your colleagues, you are more likely to be selected for a challenging career path with commensurate pay hikes.
As in the case of those pursuing undergraduate studies, those working for their master's degrees get to interact with many educated people in their field on a regular basis. Apart from learning from respected experts who have devoted much time to study these subjects, students also get to network with fellow students who have contacts with others working in their area of interest. Opportunities to network arise when you meet at classes, labs, or conferences. As a few courses entail internships, you will be able to impress potential employers even when you are still studying. Even if the place where you intern does not have a suitable position for you, by playing your cards right you can get references that help advance your career. As you interact regularly with your classmates, you will develop friendships that will help you both socially and career wise. You can choose to become a member of social clubs and organizations attached to you program.
As more people now have a bachelor’s degree, those who want to excel in their careers choose to study further. Moreover, by prolonging your academic life, you can delay entering the workforce when unemployment rates are as high as 10 percent. However, a more productive way of utilizing the opportunity to study further is to have a definite career goal in mind. This will help you decide on the courses you want to opt for. By consistently working to acquire knowledge and skills that will enhance your productivity in the career you want, you will be able to succeed in your goals. You will also be able to pick the right college for your needs.
Benefits of a master’s degree
While some students opt for a master’s degree to help increase their chances of promotion and raises, others see a master’s degree as a means to change career fields. For instance, if you have a bachelor’s degree in English, but want to work as a counselor, you need to acquire a master’s degree in counseling. By increasing your knowledge and skill sets in this field, you will be able to pursue a career as a counselor.
Time needed
Usually, a master’s degree takes two years to earn. However, you need to keep in mind that these two years enable you to find more rewarding employment both in terms of responsibility and remuneration. The most commonly awarded master’s degrees are called Master of Science (MS) and Master of Arts (MA). While the academic requirements for either degree are the same, some colleges call their degrees MA and others MS. You can choose to study subjects such as psychology, biology, and mathematics when you register for a master’s course. Some master’s courses have special degrees such as the MBA for business administration and the MSW for social work.
What to expect
While master’s degree courses entail classes, the sessions are more like seminars than lectures. Students interact more and discuss issues and concepts. The professors too tend to require a greater level of analysis in term papers and other evaluation material presented by students working for a master’s degree.
Almost all master’s degree courses expect students to submit a master’s thesis, or a long research paper. Depending on the subject you have opted for, your master’s thesis could have you analyzing the available literature on a particular topic or conducting a scientific experiment. A few master’s courses let you opt for written comprehensive exams or write papers that require less rigorous work than a thesis. When studying for a master’s in service-oriented fields such as social work or clinical and counseling psychology, the course normally includes a practicum or internship where the student learns applied skills.
Doctorate Degrees
All accredited online doctorate programs are designed to cater to professionals who desire to improve their career prospects.
As of now a Doctorate Degree is the highest academic degree that is conferred when a student demonstrates both mastery of a subject and the related ability to conduct scholarly research and present the results in an accepted format. The original research that the student performs is the doctoral dissertation or thesis. As such the online program to help you acquire a PhD degree is more professional than academic.
Most institutions have academic criteria as the basis for admitting a student to a doctoral program – the student is usually expected to have a bachelor’s and master’s degree as well as considerable previous experience in the subject. However, a few institutions require subject expertise rather a master’s degree.
One needs to work for between 5 and 8 years to obtain a doctorial degree as the quality of research work and thesis needs to be very high. The subject you choose to study also impacts on the duration of the program. The time taken to complete the doctoral thesis also differs from university to university as well. By acquiring a specific doctoral degree, you will be qualifying yourself to work in special fields such as education or musical arts. Even when a doctoral degree does not involve research, a substantial thesis is essential.
Information on Doctoral Degrees
To obtain a Ph.D. the student needs to meet two criteria. First, the student needs to thoroughly master a specific subject. Next, the student needs to enhance the knowledge available about the subject.
By earning an online doctoral degree you will be able to increase your earning potential. You will also qualify for a range of prestigious jobs. One can obtain a doctoral degree by working in comfort from home. With a doctoral degree you are likely to be considered for leadership positions, professorships at universities, or similar professions where great skills are needed.
Student Profile
As earning an online doctoral degree is both time and money consuming, the ideal students are people who can devote time every day for this even as they juggle work and family responsibilities. As most online programs that guide you to acquire a doctoral degree are focused on reading and writing, the student should be very literate. The student should possess advanced research skills, be an effective communicator, and be able to understand complex texts. Moreover, the student must be able to work independently and be self-motivated.
It is important to remember that having a doctoral degree does not guarantee a raise. However, many jobs that require a doctoral degree as a qualification are well paid and prestigious. However, you need to be aware that academic jobs, for instance, professorships typically pay less than non-academic jobs. Before you decide to work for an online doctoral degree, find out about future employment paths and then conclude if you want to pursue the degree.
Online doctoral degrees
One cannot earn every doctoral degree by using the Internet. In many cases, for instance, training received by medical doctors, needs to be closely supervised. However, there are other subjects where online study toward a doctoral degree is possible. A few of the more popular online doctoral degrees are in the fields of Business Administration (DBA), Public Health (DPH), Education (EdD), and Psychology (PhD).
Masters Degrees
If you want to upgrade the skills and knowledge that you acquired when studying for your bachelor’s degree while working, you should seriously consider acquiring a master's degree. Even though earning a master’s degree involves devoting a lot of time– more so if you decide to continue working full-time--it does help your career growth path. By ensuring that you stand out from among your colleagues, you are more likely to be selected for a challenging career path with commensurate pay hikes.
As in the case of those pursuing undergraduate studies, those working for their master's degrees get to interact with many educated people in their field on a regular basis. Apart from learning from respected experts who have devoted much time to study these subjects, students also get to network with fellow students who have contacts with others working in their area of interest. Opportunities to network arise when you meet at classes, labs, or conferences. As a few courses entail internships, you will be able to impress potential employers even when you are still studying. Even if the place where you intern does not have a suitable position for you, by playing your cards right you can get references that help advance your career. As you interact regularly with your classmates, you will develop friendships that will help you both socially and career wise. You can choose to become a member of social clubs and organizations attached to you program.
As more people now have a bachelor’s degree, those who want to excel in their careers choose to study further. Moreover, by prolonging your academic life, you can delay entering the workforce when unemployment rates are as high as 10 percent. However, a more productive way of utilizing the opportunity to study further is to have a definite career goal in mind. This will help you decide on the courses you want to opt for. By consistently working to acquire knowledge and skills that will enhance your productivity in the career you want, you will be able to succeed in your goals. You will also be able to pick the right college for your needs.
Benefits of a master’s degree
While some students opt for a master’s degree to help increase their chances of promotion and raises, others see a master’s degree as a means to change career fields. For instance, if you have a bachelor’s degree in English, but want to work as a counselor, you need to acquire a master’s degree in counseling. By increasing your knowledge and skill sets in this field, you will be able to pursue a career as a counselor.
Time needed
Usually, a master’s degree takes two years to earn. However, you need to keep in mind that these two years enable you to find more rewarding employment both in terms of responsibility and remuneration. The most commonly awarded master’s degrees are called Master of Science (MS) and Master of Arts (MA). While the academic requirements for either degree are the same, some colleges call their degrees MA and others MS. You can choose to study subjects such as psychology, biology, and mathematics when you register for a master’s course. Some master’s courses have special degrees such as the MBA for business administration and the MSW for social work.
What to expect
While master’s degree courses entail classes, the sessions are more like seminars than lectures. Students interact more and discuss issues and concepts. The professors too tend to require a greater level of analysis in term papers and other evaluation material presented by students working for a master’s degree.
Associates Degrees
Even as you are working toward a Bachelor’s degree, you can aim to first obtain an Associate's degree. This degree is normally issued by community or junior colleges, though some colleges and universities award this academic degree when a student completes 60 undergraduate credits. Most full-time students can hope to get an Associate's degree after two years.
Once you have an Associate’s degree, you will find that many interesting career opportunities are now open for you. By opting to earn an associate’s degree, you choose flexibility and lower time to upgrade your educational qualifications significantly. This degree is apt for those who want to switch to a new career as well as those who want to move more rapidly up the career ladder.
An associate degree is awarded by a college once the student has completed 20 courses or worked for 60 credit hours. This degree normally takes two years to obtain. In many instances it trains the student for a specific career. One can also use the credits earned for completing the full four-year bachelor’s degree course. In the United States, about half a million associate degrees are obtained each year. Moreover, many students are now opting for the distance learning route to obtain these degrees.
Types of Associates Degrees
Associate degrees can either be occupational or transfer degrees.
Occupational degrees as the name suggests train students for work in specific fields on graduating. These include Associate degrees in Applied Science, Applied Arts, Applied Technology, and Occupational Studies.
While occupational degree courses usually require more hands-on practice than transfer degree courses or the more traditional four-year bachelor’s degree course, they still have general education classes covering subjects such as writing, mathematics, and communications. Even though students can start working as soon as they graduate, the credits earned for an occupational degree can also be transferred to shorten the study period for a bachelor’s degree.
By opting for a transfer degree, students can enroll for a bachelor’s degree course with almost half the credits required already completed. Such students normally take a general course that teaches them mathematics, science, writing, and literature. They can also study specific majors that interest them.
Advantages of an associate degree
- Greater Earning Potential: People with associate degrees earn $400,000 more on an average during their lifetimes than people with only a high school education. Moreover, with an associate degree you are more likely to command a higher starting salary than those who do not have a degree.
- Greater Employment Opportunities: People with associate degrees are more likely to be employed than those without a degree. Also, employment opportunities are growing in fields such as health care. These fields require at least an associate degree from workers. Therefore, the employment prospects of those with an associate degree are brighter.
- Associate Degree Course Costs: The fees paid toward tuition when obtaining an associate degree is normally substantially lower than those toward a bachelor’s degree, when you compare credit for credit. Additionally, as most students are based close to the campus or opt for online courses, the costs of commuting, room, and board when pursuing an associate degree course are minimal.
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Ease of Associate Degree Courses: For the most part, associate degree courses offer more flexibility, as many classes are held in the evening hours-making it easy for students to continue working either full- or part-time.
- Cooperative and Internships Programs: A lot of associate degree courses offer great opportunities for students to work in internships or co-ops even as they study and receive credit.
- Certificate Programs: A few associate degree courses award certificates after a year or less of study. This allows students to gain advantages in the work place (and maybe earn more) even as they continue to work toward an associate degree.
Preparing for an associate degree
You can start preparing for an associate degree course, especially if you intend to get a transfer degree, in high school. You can opt for a college preparatory curriculum that includes mathematics, science, history, English, and social studies.
If you want to obtain an occupational degree, you need to take vocational courses and/or work experience in the subject of your choice.
Many schools have specific course or work experience requirements for students, so you need to check with each school you are considering for additional details.
Every associate degree course requires you to fill in an application and provide high school transcripts. A few also ask for a personal write-up detailing the reasons for choosing the institution. Yet others expect you to provide your Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or some other college entry test scores as well.
After you are accepted but before classes start, you will most likely to asked to take standard tests in basic subjects such as English and mathematics to assess your skill levels. This will enable administrators to place you in appropriate classes.
Bachelors Degree
The bachelor's degree is essentially an undergraduate academic award from a university or college that usually requires full time study of four years to earn 120 to 128 credits. There is a minimum requirement of credits in major chosen by the student.
Bachelor’s degree
A bachelor’s degree, also referred to as a baccalaureate degree, is awarded by a college after the student completes about 40 courses equivalent to 120 credit hours. A bachelor’s degree course normally takes between four and five years of full-time study. Moreover, the student must usually choose a major after two years of the start of the course.
After graduating, a person with a bachelor’s degree can enter the workforce or study for a master’s degree either in the major opted for or a related discipline. Students can also study for a degree in medicine (MD), law (JD), or business administration (MBA).
Earning a bachelor’s degree through an online program
Even though the traditional way of obtaining a bachelor’s degree is by enrolling in a full-time course offered by colleges, many students now opt for online colleges to earn their bachelor’s degree.
Between 2003 and 2007, the students opting for online courses doubled their number to 3.9 million, outpacing growth in full-time college students by 12 percentage points. As more employers have started appreciating the merits of distance learning, a bachelor’s degree from an is a valuable addition to the resume of both job seekers and employees.
Online bachelor’s degree
One can obtain an online bachelor’s degree in any of a wide variety of subjects. One can complete the course by either studying part-time or full-time.
Some popular bachelor’s degree courses are:
- Bachelor of Arts (BA): This degree is awarded to those who study subjects in the humanities such as English, literature, history, and foreign languages. Almost half of the needed coursework to obtain a BA has to necessarily be in the student’s major. The other half comprises general subjects that the student chooses. Those who graduate with a BA can either start working at once or study further.
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA): This degree is awarded to those who study performance or visual arts. The majority of the coursework for this degree needs to be completed in studios or laboratories. Most BFA degree holders pursue a career in arts.
- Bachelor of Science (BS): This degree is awarded to those who study science-related, technical disciplines such as nursing, biology, and psychology. Most of the coursework focuses on the major opted for. Though some BS degree holders join the workforce after graduating, others join professional courses such as medicine.
Besides, there are special courses to obtain bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration (BBA) and Information Technology (BIT).
Advantages of an online bachelor’s degree
The main benefits of working for an online bachelor’s degree are:
- Greater Earning Potential: Those with a bachelor’s degree on an average earn $1 million more in their lifetimes than those with who have only graduated from high school. Moreover, those with a bachelor’s degree get paid higher starting salaries compared to those without.
- Greater Job Mobility: People are promoted in the workplace not only because of their better performance but also because of their educational qualifications. A bachelor’s degree gives you an edge over your colleagues during appraisal times.
- Greater Skill Set and Knowledge: Though everyone who wants to study further might not contemplate a career switch, working toward a bachelor’s degree will definitely increase their knowledge and skill sets.
- Flexibility: An online degree program is ideal for those who wish to study further but are not in a position to stop earning. Even as you study for your online degree, you can continue to work either full- or part-time.
- Lower Cost: Most online bachelor’s degree courses cost less than full-time courses. Savings accrue form lower costs travel, food, books, and lodging. You can also opt for courses after ascertaining that you can afford to pay for them.
Locating online bachelor’s degree courses
Numerous institutions including traditional colleges and universities apart from online colleges offer online courses for bachelor’s degrees. You need to go through the course and degree program details carefully to ascertain whether you need to attend contact classes or not.
Additionally, a few online bachelor’s degree courses entail laboratory work, internships, or other special criteria to be fulfilled.
Preparing for an online bachelor’s degree course
It is best if you start early and prepare for a bachelor’s degree course even when you are in high school. As a high school student you should opt for courses such as English, science, mathematics, history, and social studies to help prepare for college.
Also, by participating in extracurricular and volunteer activities, you can have a more impressive application. Such activities can also expose you to subjects you can consider for a career choice.
For admission, most online bachelor’s degree courses require you to apply, pay an application fee, submit high school and/or other college transcripts, write an essay giving reasons why you should be selected, and marks from Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or other college entry tests. You need to check with every school for their specific requirements.
Many institutions assess students using standard tests in basic subjects such as mathematics, English, and foreign languages before assigning them to classes appropriate for their skill levels.
If you already have an associate degree, you might be permitted to transfer those credits and use them to lower the time taken to earn a bachelor’s degree.