Online Degrees
Online degrees refer to the certification obtained primarily through the use of a computer and without ever having to attend a class in person. Students can access the class objectives, lecture notes, instructional materials, and exams online as well. This is a fast-rising method of getting an education and being able to do so on one’s own terms. It has given students the power to make their career better and even helped find new career paths for people.
Mr. Sudhakar was born into a farming family in the Warangel District of A.P. India, where he and his family lived in poverty. Sudhakar, on the other hand, used remote education to get an advanced degree and establish himself as a respected journalist, as reported in a case study released by Kakatiya University. Hence, we can see the impact that an online education can have!
Today’s world is highly competitive. The competition is almost cutthroat. People continue to search for things that give them an edge over their peers. Online degrees and courses play a huge role in this. Thus, it gives people a pretty big edge over their colleagues and helps them stand out from other applicants in front of an employer.
Employers more and more look for unique employees. Employees that can make their company better by joining. Employees who have an excellent understanding of their field. In these circumstances, online degrees help a lot.
Facts
The way that online degrees function would have seemed impossible just a few years ago and yet it has become possible today. An impressive number of 6,932,074 students enrolled in distance education courses in America’s degree-granting institutions in 2018 alone.
According to the report of Snyder, Brey, & Dillow (2018), the percentage of graduate students who took entirely online graduate (postgraduate) degree programs has increased from 6.1% in 2008 to 27.3% in 2016. The same report also showed that the percentage of undergraduate students taking fully online degree programs increased from 3.8% in 2008 to 10.8% in 2016.
The percentage of graduate students who take one or more online courses also increased from 16.5% in 2008 to 45.6% in 2016.
You can clearly see the impact that having an online degree can have on one’s career from the following paragraphs.
Cost
An online degree offers a quality education at a fraction of the cost of in-person degrees. Not to mention, the saving that occurs when there are no additional costs incurred unlike in an in-person degree. Without dorms, meal plans and formal classrooms, online degrees are often significantly cheaper than their brick-and-mortar counterparts. In fact, the total average cost of an online degree is $50,000 less than that of a traditional degree. With online students able to access scholarships and financial aid, this reduced cost burden is an even bigger draw.
According to U.S. News and World Report, an online bachelor’s degree from a public college costs an average of $316 per credit hour. While an online bachelor’s degree from a private college costs an average of $488 per credit hour. The on-campus cost of that same degree from the same private college is $1,240 per credit—two and a half times as much as the online degree.
The college book scam forces students to buy brand new books because books less than a year old become “outdated” even if they have the exact same content. College students spent an average of $1200-$1800.00 on books and supplies in the 2018-19 school year. OER resources are freely available educational resources that are published under open licenses, frequently in digital form.
You can see quite clearly how much one saves by pursuing such a mode of education.
Exposure
Online degrees are able to expose students to a wide variety and range of topics that would have normally remained unknown to them. Possessing knowledge from different fields only makes the student more attractive to the employer and a diverse education background might actually be just THE THING that employers are looking for right now, with in-person education already in jeopardy from the pandemic. For example, having a degree in engineering as well has having one in literature is quite a unique combination. Such a combination becomes a USP (Unique Selling Point).
While the demand for online education continues to grow, 97 percent of online institutions still maintain a 25:1 ratio of students to professors. This ensures that online students get individual instruction and feedback. Such a situation may not happen in giant lecture hall-style classes.
Skills
Online degrees also show time management skills and self-motivation to potential employers. Unlike in in-person education, there are no fixed timings to adhere to. A student works at their own pace. Here, their motivation is highlighted as there will be no one to tell them what to do and what time to do it. The student studies at the speed they desire and hence, the understanding of the course subject increases as well.
A survey showed that 52% of graduate students in the U.S. found their online college-level education to provide a better learning experience than their college-level classroom education (Duffin, 2019).
In 2020, 41% of students indicated the quality of their online college-level learning experience was better than college-level classroom instruction. In comparison to that, 15% felt it was not as good.
Studying in such a manner shows the capability that a student possesses to adapt to the environment around them. It shows that they can make the best of the situation. In today’s climate, a dynamic and adaptive employee is a great asset to employers.
Being able to work from home without having to work around a rigid class schedule makes online college ideal for nontraditional and working students. It also makes it ideal for those balancing family obligations along with their educational pursuits.
Conclusion
During this pandemic, a popular online education platform saw a roughly 430% increase in enrollments in 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. The total number of enrollments? A massive 69 million! People have begun to realize the importance of having such an education and utilizing it. As a result of this, the online learning industry is projected to pass $370 billion by 2026.
Imagine the different technical skills a person can gain by getting just one of these online degrees! The possibilities and opportunities are almost endless. Thus, online degrees have the power to change the trajectory of a student’s career and the education that they possess.