What are Online Students Studying?
Popular Degrees Provide Career Insight
Despite the fact that hundreds of different online degrees exist, it’s human nature that clusters of users gravitate to particular degrees and majors and that a subsequent and intriguing list of “most popular” percolate to the surface. Lists of most popular anything are commodities in and of themselves, hawked as market research by internet research firms, but it’s entirely possible to make a fairly accurate estimation of the trendiest online degrees by simply opening your eyes. Online search results and keyword analysis suggest strong trends, after all it’s these indicators that serve to direct many online economics. And online degree providers often put their most popular wares right “up front” as if in their online shop window.
Online research surveys suggest that though trends in online degrees fluctuate quarterly and within degree levels, that the main fields of interest remain:
- Business
- Healthcare
- Education
- Engineering
Further evidence suggests that students are increasingly pushing beyond the Bachelors degree level, taking advantage of the convenience of online Masters and PhD degrees.
Business Degrees
Business people are competitive so it makes sense that should a convenient avenue to a professional degree present itself, that it would draw plenty of interest. Online business degrees come in Associates, Bachelors, Masters and PhD flavors, but according to many sources, the Bachelors and Masters degrees remain most popular. The Masters in Business Administration degree has become an industry standard among mid-level business managers and maintains an overwhelming market share of the online degree business products. Newest trend in MBAs, though, are concentration or specialization options, such as Human Resources Management or Finance. Business leadership degrees—a new trend—suggest new directions in corporate America and another level of management and administrative professionals.
Healthcare Degrees
Healthcare continues to evolve: decentralized niche specialties drive demand for well-trained specialists, and the growing pains lead to sharp personnel shortages. And speaking of shortages, Nursing degree programs continue to experience the strongest interest.
Nursing degrees have shot to the forefront of online degrees for a variety of interrelated reasons: in response to the widening chasm between nurses retiring and new recruits, the healthcare industry as a whole has found it necessary to advertise the abundance of good nursing jobs available as well as shine light on the career benefits; congruently, online educators have responded to student interest in the field with menus of online nursing degrees from Associates through PhD. RN-BSN degree completion programs are a staple among degree providers, with Masters of Science in Nursing programs, particularly Education and Health Systems Administration, making strong inroads.
Education Degrees
Within the Education field many more online degree seekers now opt for graduate or post-graduate degrees in Education. There seems to be an industry drive for administration jobs, positions where decision-making and critical thinking may thrive. Perhaps this trend is a direct result of the state of education, worn thin in almost all areas.
Engineering Degrees
Engineering has always offered a bright and well-salaried career future. Now that many more programs, especially graduate, have come online, there is a growing interest in them. Undergraduate engineering programs continue to be somewhat constrained to a campus environment, simply because most undergraduate coursework entails a significant amount of hands-on skill-work that in traditional programs engaged students in internships and co-op education.
Graduate engineering students, however, are typically required to complete upper-level courses that are more informational and theoretic than actual hands-on skills. Specializations such as Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering are popular, but workforce and professional certificates and standalone courses are featured elements of online engineering programs.
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