Online Degree Programs are Gaining Speed

It wasn’t that long ago that people balked at the idea of virtual classrooms. Brick and mortar schools are the only way to earn a higher education seemed to shout the masses. But indeed the masses are fickle and with the increasing reliance on the internet the pavement was laid for the love and popularity of online degrees.

Distance learning and online degrees are no longer limited to higher education programs that trend has changed as well. Elementary and high schools alike are logging on to online educations. For example, recently in the state of Oregon a bill was passed that will consolidate all the various online and video education programs into one central “virtual classroom” there students will have uniformed access to gain the type of online education or video education programs that are offered. This is good news to students who may have trouble accessing education to foreign languages or who may be physically incapable of attending a normal class.

Even the reputable brick and mortar universities are getting into the distance learning action. A National Center for Education Statistics study displayed results that concluded over 56% of traditional 2 and 4 year degree education institutions now offer some variation of a distance learning method.

So how does this effect the job hunt? You might be asking yourself. With the increasing popularity and reputation of online degrees more employers are not only more than willing to hire an applicant with an online degree but they are subjecting their employees to these programs for career enhancement and company development. Obviously having employees that are able to gain the career enhancement courses they need while allowing them to stay at their jobs is a pleasant new prospect to employers.

According to the Claria Corporation, a behavioral marketing firm, healthcare and business programs attract the most online degree seekers. In addition their behavioral data showed that the top five factors that influenced online degree students’ choice in an online university were:

1. Flexibility of Schedules
2. Quality of Teaching
3. Accreditation
4. Financial Aid
5. Overall Cost

Both employers and students are beginning to profess their claims that an applicant or education that is gained at a non fraudulent online university is equal to the traditional brick and mortar schools. In fact, prestigious Ivy League schools like Harvard and M.I.T. now offer online degree programs. There is no doubt about it we are moving fast into the 21st century, judging from the past few years online degree programs will have even a more prominent role in our future.