The Most Popular Online Degree Programs

In this day in age, more and more students are going back to school either for their initial degree or for an additional degree. Not only are more students attending school, but our lives are jammed packed with more and more requirements on our time. Therefore, going to school can place an even larger burden on our already hectic lives. Because of this, many schools are offering classes online. There are even colleges and universities that are exclusively online and have no traditional on-campus facilities.

With so many colleges and universities and so many degree options, it leads to the question: What are the most popular online degree programs? Below you will find the top ten online degree programs and an explanation of each. One of these may be appealing to you. Or, you may find it to be useful information as to the trends of our society and the needs of specific professions. Whatever the case may be, I hope this information is helpful.

1. Business Administration: It’s no surprise that business administration is at the top of the list. Business, whether it is large corporations or smaller hometown stores, will always exist. And, because of this, there will always be a need to understand how business works, how to manage it and how to make it grow effectively. There is always a better way of doing things just around the corner and having a degree in business administration can give you a great foundation into this area.

2. Nursing: The Baby Boomer generation is a large group and each day, more and more Boomers are retiring. As our workforce and society in general ages, there is a much greater need for healthcare. With this comes a great need for nurses. In fact, this career field is eager for new recruits because the number of nurses has not been able to meet the need for nurses in several years. Also, colleges and universities are making programs in nursing more flexible to help those considering this career field. They are partnering with local hospitals to provide scholarships and co-ops to meet this growing need. Even the military is giving aid to those who want to pursue a nursing career by offering tuition assistance, direct commissioning, and sign on bonuses.

3. Psychology: This mental health field is growing again because of the general need for healthcare services are growing. Psychology fields are also growing in general. Researchers, physicians, businesses and sports teams understand the need for mental health and providing it to their participants. For example, psychologists were primarily doing research or providing counseling to individuals and families. Now, psychologists can specialize in business trends, forensics, sports, and even post-traumatic stress disorders. More and more people are realizing the need for good mental health and how important it is to provide this service.

4. Criminal Justice: Like psychology, this field is becoming more and more specialized. Gone are the days when you could major in criminal justice and law enforcement. Now schools offer degrees in forensics, ballistic science, crime scene investigation, computer forensics, and homeland security. Shows like “CSI” and “Law & Order” have no less given rise to these specialized fields and interest in them. Also, the rise in world-wide terrorism and the need for homeland security has created more job possibilities.

5. Health Administration: With the increase in healthcare needs, comes the increase in administration needs. More administrators are needed to run hospitals, hospice facilities, doctors’ offices, clinics, and nursing homes. Strong administrators are those who understand the needs of the facility, staff and especially the patients. This is a combination of good business sense and good people sense.

6. Religion: Many people believed that you had to attend a seminary or divinity school in order to get a religion degree. Many others also believed that religion degrees were only for those who were going to become preachers. However, many liberal arts colleges and universities offer degrees in religion and this degree is not only for those who want to preach. Churches and denominationally supported nonprofits need people who can teach, administer programs and understand diversity. All of these areas can utilize men and women who have a religion degree.

7. Early Childhood Education: With the rising cost of living, more and more families are not able to have one parent stay home to care for younger children. Also, there are many more single parent families than ever before. Because of this, there is a huge need for early childhood facilities like daycares and pre-schools. These daycares and pre-schools may even have waiting lists because there is limited room. Quality early childhood education is important to parents as well, so having a good quality and well educated status is vital.

8. Counseling: The need for counseling has increased with the need of mental health services. This counseling can be in the form of marital counseling, drug and alcohol abuse counseling, social services and pastoral counseling. This profession can also be done as an individually licensed practice or in a group of professionals within an organization. This flexibility attracts those interested in this area as well.

9. Accounting: As tax forms get more complicated and business regulations become more confusing, there is a growing need for good accounting. Accounting positions are also available in just about any business, non-profit agency and government facility. This can take the form of inventory control or ledgers. Accountants must also be familiar with accounting programs and technical information as well. This field is becoming more diversified throughout the public and private sectors.

10. Human Resources: Remember when you could ask your boss for the day off without having to fill out a form or login to a computer system? Those days are gone. Now, there are systems in place that calculate precisely how much time you are allowed and how you can take it. There are also laws and regulations governing workman’s compensation, short term disability and payroll. Human resource employees must keep current on all of these and understand the implications of business rules and regulations when it applies to its employees.

A Common Thread

Each of these degrees is driven by the need for these jobs. Students realize this and are majoring in these particular degree programs because they are showing significant job growth. Whether you are a first time student or a seasoned professional looking to enhance or change your career, these online degrees can help.