When Did Graduate Degrees Become So Important?
Professionals that Value Higher Education Drive Online Masters Programs
Online graduate degrees have become much more popular than many people may have thought. One of the myths associated with online degrees is that they are predominantly vocational in nature, deliverables for students that couldn’t find the time or academic wherewithal to attend college. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
There are plenty of professional certificates and workforce courses designed for working adults, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that online Masters degrees now generate big business.
Professional Demands Drive Degrees
Consider the fact that one of the biggest advantages to distance learning is the convenience. No other group of individuals savvy to the value of higher education is more mindful of “convenience” than that of working, professional adults. This population of business and industry employees, healthcare specialists, and education and technical workers comprise the largest statistical chunk of the online degree pie chart. They are in mid-career, intrigued by upper-level administrative and leadership opportunities, excited by technical innovations, and hungry for fresh, career challenges.
Curriculum-wise, Masters degrees pose a more malleable medium within the constraints of distance learning paradigms. Bachelor and Associates degrees may require internships, clinicals, apprenticeships and otherwise tangible skills work. But grad degrees conform more readily to textbook and lecture learning—more theory and concept. This is not to say that online students do nothing but keep their heads buried in their books—not at all; in fact Masters level students are often required and encouraged to collaborate online with degree classmates. This type of learning promotes the kind of collaboration and communication necessary for professional, real world environments. Class members may comprise an interdisciplinary population, a perfect accompaniment to rigid curriculums.
Leading Online Degrees are Masters Programs
The most popular graduate programs remain Business and Nursing related. Online Masters of Business Administration degrees still lead the way among business professionals, but there are granular versions, niche specializations that pave a new way in the field. Human resources management and financial management are examples of MBA specialties. Business, like every other field is showing signs that professionals with these types of micro-specializations are in growing demand. Nursing graduate degrees are similar, and indicate the industry needs: educators, health systems administrators, and nurse practitioners in women’s health.
Graduate Certificates: Powerful Add-ons
Unique to distance learning are graduate certificate programs. These hybridized programs give professionals additional career boost by providing sub-specialized curriculums. These educational tools function in two distinct ways: some are designed specifically for graduate degreed students and provide an extra level of expertise. In other programs Bachelors students may earn graduate certificates that may be good toward a Masters degree at a later date, but serve to satisfy career development requirements in the short-term.
Specialization is the key among graduate online programs. Gone are the days of general degrees, niche degrees, especially in leadership and administration indicate new movement in business and healthcare, strong leaders in distance learning.
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