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Hottest Degree Majors

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

It might be a good idea before setting in stone your educational goals to seek the advice of some professional career consulting. It is evident from enrollment numbers at most educational institutions that more students than ever are going to school. The large number of students that choose to go by of online degrees likely helps this; these numbers are significantly up. Before deciding what degree to work towards you may want to see what the hottest degree majors currently are?

It seems education and nursing are on top of the list. This appears to have been the way for quite a time. Checking the statistics will tell what the education trends are at the moment and the education usually follows the jobs.  So keep an eye on which direction you should head with your schooling. For example there has been a 51% growth in the past 10 years in jobs that require mathematical specialists. There are various areas you can choose to go with this such as accounting and actuarial studies.  The demand for these experts is high. In addition economists which is highly sought after also need a strong mathematic background are highly sought after. So if you have been told you are good with numbers think about stepping that up a notch.

Another field where there is hiring even in a bad economy is business and a graduate degree in business – such as  an online  MBA – can insure you have a good paying job even right after graduation. In the past 20 years there has been a 35% increase in jobs that require an MBA.

There are many areas of business management you can choose to work in where jobs outnumber qualified applicants.

For many students deciding what they want to do is always a tough decision. Sometimes it pays to take that little bit of extra time to decide by looking at who is getting a good paying job and who has to live with mom and dad and take a low paying having nothing to do with their education. Look and see what’s hot and what’s not. Times change and so do the demands for certain skilled people. So do yourself a favor, it might be the difference between a good job and a great job, do some research first before you finalize your choice.

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Obtaining College Credit through Life Experience

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

A big question that readers of the blog at www.TheDegree.com keep asking is … “Can you actually obtain a degree for life experience?”

Unlike most questions about education there is a simple one word answer for this question which is a plain NO. Any person who states that you can attain a degree for life experience is trying to sell a valueless piece of paper to you which will not be helpful for your life. Getting a degree is easy nowadays, but it can not guarantee a good life for you, but it’s just a tool to search for employment.

But it’s possible to obtain college credit and acquire complete degree depending on what you have learnt at workplace, through independent readings or study, life events, knowledge acquired from hobbies, life events, voluntary work etc, with help of exams like DANTES and CLEP and also through assessment of earlier learning (APL).

Adult learners with work experience often already know what students usually learn at colleges, having gained knowledge outside of the classroom. Many accredited universities in the United States and throughout the world offer credit when a student is able to prove that they have learned something, which is equivalent and valuable as a course. In United States, “portfolio” is used to asses prior learning when compared to college degrees. Portfolios are considered to offer a course description at college level from any college within United States. Hence portfolios are considered as necessary by some universities as evidence to prove that someone has acquired knowledge, which is tantamount to a college degree. In other institutions verification of work experience can meet their criteria for college credit.

In all cases, the knowledge, which is gained through experience at workplace, is compared with knowledge that is needed to complete a course and acquire a degree based on common standard. With portfolios, this is explained by a real life example of a student who explains what they have done in their life that includes proof to support the knowledge, which they have gained substantiating that it is equivalent to knowledge obtained through classroom training.

Because the process of assessing portfolios consumes lot of time and many students are searching for different alternative methods to showcase their skills and knowledge, which they consider to be equivalent to degree attained from a University. For the most part only universities present outside United States which are fully accredited are providing credit through APL (Assessing of Prior Learning), with and without need for submission of portfolios.

While this can save lot of time for students, the end result is actually same and student is able to attain credit for learning outside classroom through research, work experience, hobbies, voluntary activities or life events. International University of Panama is one such university, which gives credit to students for outside classroom learning. You can find lot of useful information about acquiring credit from knowledge gained through outside classroom learning at the website, http://www.thecareerpeople.com/

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Recession-Proof Career is Yours With an Online Accounting Degree

Saturday, April 30th, 2011

Ever notice something about those ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs? Many times you’ll notice these scribes meticulously writing everything down. You can see them bent over their papyrus scrolls, writing quills behind their ears. They were the accountants of their day.

If you’re considering a degree in accounting, you can pretty much guarantee yourself and long and lustrous career. The need for accountants will always be around as long as there are numbers to be recorded.

Consider a few things first. Do you have a good mind for and a real interest in math and numbers? Does working with numbers and spreadsheets appeal to your nature? If you think you so, maybe a degree in accounting is the way to go. One thing for sure – – there is a need for accountants and they are highly paid even in bad times.

Perhaps you already work in some accounting position and you want to advance your career, in which case a higher education would be required to move you along your desired career goal.

Why get the degree online? If you are currently working and cannot take time off to attend a brick and mortar school, getting your degree online might be right for you. The advantage to using an online university or college is cost and convenience. You live and study at home. Since your classroom is online, you can pretty much pick and choose when you can spend the time to study. No driving to classes. No worrying about gas prices, traffic or parking.

Cost are a big consideration online or on campus. Investigate as many colleges as you have time to because a study showed that students who apply to 3 or more colleges tend to end up paying less in tuition and getting more in financial aid than those who only look at one college or university. Online degrees are faster as well.

With accounting you can also specialize your degree in banking, financial investigation, government and nonprofit organizations, private sector accounting, business and taxation.
If you’re unsure which specialized degree is right for you, consult a career consular to find the best fit for you and see if you can speak with an accountant who is working in the field.

There are many online degree programs available in accounting. On the undergraduate level you can get a bachelor’s degree, or you can get an online MBA or masters degree in accounting. The possibilities are endless.

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The Cheap Track to a College Degree

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

Some politicians believe that students should be offered Bachelor’s degree courses at a cheap price, because education is very important, not that just for the future for the individual students, but also for the country, as these graduates are the future of the country. It is believed that education institutions should offer courses, even as low as $10,000 for students, and this is for a full degree course from beginning to graduation, and including books. They believe that there should be a cheap track to a college degree, which should not rely on Financial Aid loans but rather reduced tuition or scholarship only.

However, there are plenty of negative reactions to these suggestions. While many believe that it is a great idea, as not all students have no family support, cannot get adequate scholarships, and simply cannot afford to pay for a Bachelor’s degree as tuition is simply rising even as I type this. With the job market so tight student loans would put these students under water after graduation. Getting a job that can pay off student loans in the hundreds of thousands of dollars is becoming an impossible task. It takes time for enrollments to catch up with reality but if student aid is not forthcoming then colleges will close. College officials must wake up. Our elected leaders must prioritize education. Online degrees maybe the beginning of an answer to this problem. They are often cheaper and faster than campus degree as well as reducing the need for child care or housing.

In addition to this alternative to an overpriced college degree, it will give these students the opportunity to work as they study, because their time would be flexible. If the students are able to work while studying, they are able to earn money, and gain a real world experience when it comes to the working world which would prepare them for what is coming ahead when they graduate. e-Learning and Online courses is definitely road to a cheap yet fully recognized and accredited college degree.

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New Era of Higher Education, Distance Learning, and Working Adults:

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

This blog post is in response to an article from New York Times and it explains a report from public agenda with the title “With Their While Lives Ahead of Them” and was written by Bill and Melinda gates foundation. Some six hundred young adults of age groups 22- 30 who had quit college before acquiring a degree were surveyed.

I oppose the opening comment that was made by Tamar Lewin “Only 1 out of 5 students who enroll in 2 year institutions graduates within 3 years. And even with 4-year colleges, only 2 out of 5 students finish their degree within 6 years”.

As mentioned in past, the 3 and 6-year timeframes need to be examined before they are criticized. Taking more time to complete the degree than usual duration (150% point meaning, three years for 2-year course and six years for 4-year course) is often more a function of the population attending college than of the education system. 85% of college students are either part time students or adult learners, well past the average student age, who have full time jobs work while working towards their bachelor degree. We must think about longer time frame, which permits how such students pursue for completion of degree.

I believe that online degrees at state funded universities and colleges maybe their best path because it helps to resolve the issue of finances and time.

  • Sixty percent of people who dropped out in middle did not have any financial support from their parents for education.
  • Sixty percent of students who received financial assistance from parents were able to complete their degree.
  • Among people who dropped out, sixty percent did not have loan aid or scholarship when completing, only forty percent did not get any assistance.
  • The #1 reason for quitting is that they could not support themselves without any financial help from parents and attend colleges at same time.
  • More than one out of three stated that even if they have sufficient funds to cover books and tuition, they were not able to return to school due to obligations of work and family.
  • Among the students who completed, 72% were of annual income range of $35,000 while people who dropped out more than fifty percent of households were having income of less than $35000 per year.

What stands out? One is 85% issue. The public policies are made with the assumption that college students are attending full-time on campus and joining directly from high school and get financial support from parents. But the actual truth is that 85% are older, and/or study part-time and/or working and/or financially independent. The 2nd is that students having lower income have substantial challenges. Lot of students who have lower income belong to this 85% group.

It is no miracle, that survey respondents did not consider the solutions as making application process easier or adding online courses. To increase the completion rate students need financial support, cost-reduction and facilities for childcare, which permit more financial support for part-time students. However with online learning at state funded colleges costs drop dramatically and child care is much less of an issue.

What results are found by this study? Will any person listen to actual facts regarding the challenges faced by huge population of present-day college students? We must drop the assumption that high school students and their parents are singular audience for decision making of public policies for higher education and be realistic in our assessment of education in the 21st century.

For a FREE copy of THE BIG BOOK OF SCHOLARSHIP AND FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION (selling for $29.95 on Amazon) go to http://www.thedegree.com/f-book.html

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Business Management – An Online Degree Can make your Career Soar

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

The job market has become a highly competitive and extremely cut throat arena to be in today. With the struggles of the economy and its effect on businesses, and therefore its employees, successful careers can be a hard thing to have. It is plain and simple, if you want to succeed you need to push yourself and take advantage of higher education. Working towards a college degree will have a massive impact in the fight to advance your career. When you are able to produce a degree to your employer or future employers you are showing them that you are serious about being a successful person. When it comes to the different degree programs that are currently offered, a business management online degree can carry its weight in gold.
By choosing this type of degree you will get the information and skills that businesses want their people to have. Your company or future company can be secure in knowing that you understand how business works inside and out, and because of that you will make the kind of decisions that will make them money. Employees that can make that happen will excel and move up within the company and put themselves in a position that will give them the trust and respect that will make them irreplaceable.
Now for many people that look into attaining a college degree there is often the worry and fear of not being able to afford it. The important thing to remember is that there are resources out there that can help you such as student financial aid. Through grants, loans, and other forms of aid, the realization of earning a degree can happen quicker than you may think. In addition you can find the educational resource of professional career consulting to help guide your decisions. By sitting down with a counselor you can work as a team to get the most out of your education and degree. Remember that by making the decision, and putting in the effort, earning your online degree will be one of the single most productive and advancing things you can do for your future career and life.

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I Doubt That I Am Eligible For Financial Help. Should I Apply?

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Sure, of course you should apply! Don’t assume that you are not qualified for financial assistance. A number of adult students suppose they do not qualify and fail to benefit from a lot of sources of assistance, consisting of grants as well as low interest loans which are provided regardless of financial need, credit history or grade point average. A number of state and federal assistance programs do not impose age limits, though a few scholarship programs may. For financial assistance based upon low income, it is essential is to show financial need, plus that a number of the most qualified students are parents who are single.

Moreover, it is not essential to be enrolled in a university or college before applying for financial assistance. Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form after 1st January (do not wait till you complete tax return, however utilize estimates of salary.) Errors can be checked and corrected afterward, and a number of states require receiving the FAFSA by 1st March to be eligible for state assistance. Complete any Admissions and Testing as well as Financial Assistance Applications.

After identifying schools providing programs of your interest, go to their website or you can get in touch with the admissions office to obtain a course catalog as well as admissions application. The financial assistance office can provide you a financial assistance application. Complete the essential admissions and testing as well as financial assistance applications (consisting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA), then send an official copy of your previous transcripts to the institute.  In order to ask for a copy, get in touch with the previous college(s) or high school attended and request to send an official copy to the new university or college’s admissions office.) In case you want your General Educational Development (GED) transcript, the Council on Education of America provides help.

Usually, adult students are not needed to take admissions exams (i.e., the Standardized Admissions Test SAT or American College Test ACT), though they do require to take graduate admission exams like the Graduate Record Examination GRE or Graduate Management Admission Test GMAT if going to graduate school. A lot of colleges provide a placement test rather than admission test results for adult students, plus do not think about your performance at high-school or test scores, particularly with students who are transferred from community colleges.

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Time It Takes To Complete A Degree

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

It depends upon your academic objectives. Generally, a certificate course for a particular career or field (credit or non-college credit) takes around a year. Certificate programs are offered in culinary arts, childhood education, computer technology, emergency medical technicians, pharmacy technician, office administration, real estate, tourism, teacher’s aide, travel.

It takes around sixty credits and two years for a full-time student to obtain an associate’s degree. And, in case of a bachelor’s degree, one hundred and twenty credits and four years are required; however the degree can be attained through various academic options.

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Adult Student or Re-entry

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Adult student or re-entry (also known as non-traditional students) are usually age 25 or above, with ages varying from 25-69 at a lot of universities and colleges.  Usually, the adult students are female; however men are going back to college to update their professional skills as well as further advancement in career. Some might never have gone to college or begun college and then caesed due to financial, personal, or other grounds. A lot of them have spent their time as workforce, in raising family or the military, and need to return to make their lifelong dreams come true. Some are single parents whereas others are retired but all are in search of a better and happier life. (According to the Dept of Education, 13 % of students who are currently attending college are single parents, the figure increasing up from 7.6 % in 1993.)

A powerful factor why students wish for changing their careers or updating their professional credentials is the economic instability. A number of re-entry students continue working while going back to school whereas others go to part-time. It’s never very late to return to school. You might be opting for a degree program, going back to complete a degree, looking for a specialized degree or a second degree, or obtaining courses for personal or occupational enrichment.

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Earn Six Figure Jobs in Six Simple Ways

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

Earning six figure jobs can be done in six easy and simple ways. All you need to do is to find a college degree and complete the following steps.
1.     The first step involves matching your skills and interests to a college degree. See if you are interested in computers, movies, art, books or love to socialize. Are you an outgoing person? Or do you like facts and figures well? By matching your skills and interests with the perfect four year college degree, you can find a college degree in the field of your interest which will help you be successful in your job in the future. Moreover, it even assists to consider jobs that you did not like; for instance, if your love to talk to people while working retail, you may fit well in the position of business management.
2.    The second step requires specializing in a field with the potential of growth. Well, if you are interested in web and graphic design, consider digital and web design over print. According to BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), while three hundred fresh jobs are projected to open up in the print-heavy desktop publishing from 2006 to 2016, around twenty-six thousand people are expected to be accessible for graphic designer. A four year degree in graphic designing would meet the requirements for each of the 26,000. However, additional web design training will add to your career. Find a bachelor’s degree in a field that has growth potential.
3.    This step involves earning an online bachelor’s degree. For beginners, obtaining your online bachelor’s degree provides you the opportunity to keep full-time career along with your study. Now, you can attend school and earn valuable experience in the industry both at the same time. For the fields like IT, attending school online allows you to develop skills as you learn. Looking at the brighter side of the picture, you can get training to work well with confidence in the industry.
4. Always mention your degree objectives when finding a job while you are in school. Once you get the degree, do not throw your time away in a position undervaluing your education. Although, you may not be paid a six figure salary at the first day of your work, you can get there by proving your value to your employers.
5. This step requires you to make smart moves for your career. The starting wages for computer engineers in 2008, averaged $56,201, however, according to the BLS, the annual salaries for computer engineers averaged $100,180. What you need to do is to work hard for getting from point A to point B. Find the right organization to work with and do not be afraid to ask for a pay raise. While obtaining your bachelor’s degree, taking some courses of business administration would be wise to improve your business know-how.
6. Finally, it is the time to climb up the ladder. It involves further education.  For instance, if you are finding a management position, obtaining a master’s degree would be the best. Earn a Master’s in Business Administration to make your career successful.
Starting with a Bachelor’s Degree
Earning a bachelor’s degree will make it easier for you to get a six figure career. There are colleges that allow you to step in a program even if you don’t declare a major. Because of the degree programs online, obtaining a bachelor’s degree has become easier than it ever was.

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