The United States Census Bureau has recently reported that 28% of American adults over 25 have earned a bachelor’s degree. That degree has a big impact on their financial futures. People with bachelor’s degrees earn twice as much per year as their high school graduate counterparts. A master’s degree pays off even more, earning $1.3 million more over a lifetime compared to a high school graduate. Getting a college degree is much easier than it was 15 or 20 years ago. The Internet has made it possible for colleges and universities to offer their programs online. Some of these programs, the accelerated online degrees, enable the student to complete a degree in a very short period of time.
Working adults who have been out of high school for several years may consider going back to school because they want to upgrade their jobs skills and earn more money or they want to change careers entirely. However, these students have a specific set of needs that must be met in order for them to achieve their goal of higher education. These needs include aflexible degree program that will work into their current schedule fairly easily, the ability to go through the program at their own pace, available financial assistance, a variety of majors and accreditation.
The characteristics of online college degree programs match the needs of the non-traditional student. Accredited colleges and universities offer associates, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in a wide variety of subjects. These include elementary education, library science, math, criminal justice, psychology and counseling, accounting, human resource management and many more.
Another very important requirement for non-traditional college students is the flexibility of the program. Most non-traditional students have full lives filled with family and work obligations. The beauty of earning a degree online is that flexibility is inherent in each program. This is due to the medium in which courses are delivered, e. G., the Internet.
In addition to flexibility, non-traditional students also need flexibility in the speed at which they proceed through the program. Some students want to complete their programs as quickly as possible and are willing to take the maximum number of classes allowed per grading period. Other students may need to take more time to complete the entire program. Both can be accommodated by online colleges.
Most online bachelor’s degrees take about 3-5 years to complete. For students wanting to speed up the process, accelerated online degrees can be finished in just two years. To accomplish this requires taking classes year round. The student who decides to take this route must be aware that it will take more time and effort than completing a degree in the regular 3-5 year time table. If a student has other obligations, he or she needs to be realistic about whether or not an accelerated program would work well in his or her individual circumstances.
Going to school online is such a wonderful alternative to attending school on campus. Programs have the flexibility that non-traditional students require. These are pretty much the cheapest degrees you can get and the degrees from accredited colleges and universities are accepted by employers without issue.
The most attractive feature of fast track degree programs is that the work can be completed anywhere there is an Internet connection. You can go to college in the pub, on the beach or in your living room. The old excuses that you have too many obligations or that no college is near you, are wiped away with online degree programs. You can now follow your heart and get the college degree you have always wanted.
Do you prefer a distance college education ? Get the inside skinny on accelerated online degrees in our summary of top fast track degrees online .
Graduate Savvy: Navigating the World of Online Higher EducationWhat a great time to be engaged in higher education! Innovations in teaching pedagogies, expanding understandings of how adults really do learn, and the exponential growth of the Internet form the perfect storm for one of our most endearing values: Opportunity! Never has there been a greater opportunity to learn and teach than today. Online learning, quite literally, is transforming the world of higher education. Graduate Savvy begins with a compelling exploration of online learning as it moves into the heart of the text, which is to help you succeed should you decide to enroll in a web-based program. Topics such as plagiarism, Bloom's Taxonomy, scholarly sources, and academic writing make this a must read for all graduate learners. The Strategies for Success chapters provide invaluable insider knowledge and insights to help learners successfully navigate the courseroom, residencies, comprehensive exam, and dissertation in an online environment. The final chapters discuss post graduation opportunities and offer personal statements from online program alumni sure to provide inspiration as you progress in your academic journey. This second edition of Graduate Savvy engages readers like no other book in this field and provides the current status, latest trends, and best practices in online higher education. An indispensable book for web-based learners, as well as anyone interested in the world of online higher education, Graduate Savvy has become the authoritative word on online graduate school survival and success.
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