The Online Degree Dorm Room

The Top Ten Most Popular Online Degrees Help You Help Others

Posted by bposton on July 27th, 2010 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

There seems to be a trend going on in the online and offline degree world that a lot of folks are just now seeing.

The trend that many people are looking for careers that help them to help others.

Maybe it’s due to the economic downturn, or from a call for people to help their fellow man, but whatever it stems from, there’s no denying that outside of Business majors, which always seem to lead the pack, an interesting trend worth noting is that more people are seeking careers that lend a helping hand.

So with that, here are the top ten most popular degree programs, as rated by eLearners.com, which ranked these based on the top searches and inquiries made by prospective students on its site.

The top Ten include:
1. Business Administration and MBA
2. Nursing
3. Psychology
4. Criminal Justice
5. Health Administration
6. Religion
7. Early Childhood Education
8. Counseling
9. Accounting
10. Human Services

There’s also a lot of data from the U.S. Department of Labor that supports this trend, and interestingly, it also shows employment for many of these “helping professions” is expected to increase in the next eight to ten years.

For example:

– Job prospects in human services are expected to be excellent, especially for prospective employees with applicable postsecondary education. Employment for social and human services assistants is expected to grow by nearly 23 percent between now and 2018.

– In the criminal justice field, the employment of private detectives and investigators is projected to increase 22 percent as security concerns increase and criminal activity grows on the Internet.

– Between n0w and 2018, the number of jobs for registered nurses is expected to increase by nearly 600,000 (more than 20 percent), making it one of the fastest growing occupations.

– Health administration is another booming industry, with jobs in medical billing and as medical administrative assistants expected to increase by nearly 20 percent between now and 2018.

– Counseling will likely see significant growth between now and 2018. Overall employment of counselors is expected to increase by 18 percent; however, the outlook for some specialties is even brighter. Employment of mental health counselors is expected to grow by 24 percent; substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors by 21 percent; and rehabilitation counselors by 19 percent.

– Psychology, which was the second most requested online degree program on eLearners.com, has encouraging news as well. The psychology field is expected to experience a 12 percent increase in jobs by 2018, with most of these openings in schools, hospitals and social service agencies.

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Liberty U grows up

Posted by bposton on February 11th, 2010 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

A college that is close to my heart has just announced a new record enrollment.

This coming fall, more than 50,000 students will attend Liberty University, located in Lynchburg, VA.

And here’s the neat thing - of thos 50,000 only about 12 thousand will be on campus. The rest will be getting their degree online.

Liberty University was doing distance education before the internet. I’m showing my age here, but I remember taking classes via Liberty University by watching video taped lectures and taking written exams (in the presence of an approved mentor). Since then, Liberty has led the way in online degree eductation, becoming the largest non-profit, private college in the U.S.

Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr. (son of the late Jerry Falwell, founder of the University) admits that the popularity of LU’s online program is due to the poor ecomonic conditions, but I thinks its also due to two other reasons:

1 - Liberty has found a great niche in the education market and has marketed itself well. Heck, I still get mail from them as an “alumni” promoting their online degrees.

2 - The school accepts more than 90 percent of students who apply. The school is reported to be raising academic standards each year, but…

Anyway, it’s hard to beleive that ”little” Liberty University has enough students to fill Dodger stadium

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It’s official - online degrees are just as good as traditional (at least per the US Govt)

Posted by bposton on December 1st, 2009 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

It’s been the great debate in recent years in higher education and employment circles…

Is an online degree as good as traditional degrees?

Well, it seems that the US Government set out to answer that question (with your tax dollars)

The United States Department of Education recently announced the results of at 12 year study and they concluded that online degrees (which they defined as a result of online classes and examinations) are “somewhat more effective” than the traditional degrees.

More effective? Yep, that was the conclusion. Most of which was based on the fact that online classes are convenient, interactive, and interesting (due to the audio, video etc materials used in teaching), not to mention the fact that having direct access to the professor or lecturer normally makes for a more effective experience that traditional face-to-face classes.

Now, i have to admit that if you’re a student in a traditional college environment, you can certainly make your classes more interesting by being more particpative, and you can always get access to the professor. But evidently an online environment provides those elements without you having to do much in return, which certainly makes it easier.

But no matter which way, the same old adage applies: you’ll get out of it what you put into it…

But hey, at least it’s “official” - an online degree is just a good of an experience (if not better) than a traditional one.

All night cramming parties excluded, of course

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Bad News and Good News about the College Dropout rate

Posted by bposton on June 23rd, 2009 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Hey there my dorm room buddy

Hope you’re enjoying the summertime.

I thought I’d pass along some good news and bad news on the college education front. 

Back in the 1960’s the college dropout rates were as low as one (1) in every five (5) students.

You DO remember the 60’s don’t you?

Well, this 1 out of 5 ratio got worse over the years, and stood at one (1) in every three (3) in the 1990s.

And it’s even worst today. Figures from the Department of Education for 2000 through 2008 show that 30% of student enrolled on schools leave in their first year and 50% never graduate.

Believe it or not, these numbers are expected to go even higher. Why?

The biggest reason is the lack of funds to finish college. Another is the fact that most who drop out of college think they can never go back since they (hopefully) have a full time job.

But here is the good news…

The advent of online degree programs are finally giving those who could not finish college a great opportunity to do so now. Sure it’s a struggle to hold down a job and go to school, but at least students can now fit online classes in their busy schedules.

As I hope I’ve pointed out time and time again, even though it is a challenge to study online it is a lot simpler to attend online classes than missing classes in traditional colleges. You can have a one-on-one interaction with your professor via emails and Instant Messaging. You can also attend lectures anywhere (and anytime) so long as you have an internet connection. And, most importantly, you can usually go at your own pace and time schedule. 

Now, what about the lack of funds? Well there is good news here too. It appears that the US government is working on a to help in offering financial aid to the many students who qualify for the federal financial aid – i.e. the Pell Grant.

Last I heard, Congress will now allow up to a maximum of $5500 to those seeking their degree and who have insufficient funds to help with their college education.

To learn more about the Pell Grant check out the US Government website:

http://www.ed.gov/programs/fpg/index.html 
 

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Is this the number 1 online school in the USA?

Posted by bposton on March 12th, 2009 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Here’s a newsflash, my little dorm room buddy… 

This year Nova Southeastern University, based in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., was ranked No. 1 in OEDB’s 2009 Online College Rankings.

OEDB stands for Online Education Database, which is an organization that which ranks the top online colleges in the nation. 

In second place went to Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va., followed by Champlain College in Burlington, Vt., in third.

While Nova boasts a 300-acre campus with classrooms and students living on university grounds, their online program is growing and now offers 78 online degree and certificate programs.  The school has virtual students in nearly every state.

According to the information used in the ranking, online classes at Nova take advantage of a number of web resources, including threaded discussion boards, chat rooms, email and other online tools. Course materials are all available online and there’s genuine student-teacher interaction as well.

The OEDB survey is based entirely on numerical data derived from eight metrics: acceptance rate, financial aid, graduation rate, peer Web citations, retention rate, scholarly citations, student-faculty ratio and years accredited.

Here’s how Nova sized up in those categories:
Acceptance rate: 51%
Financial aid: 96% of students receive financial aid.
Graduation rate: 47%
Peer Web citations: Close to 5,000. (Peer web citations are links to Nova’s web site from another college’s web sites. It’s kind of a popularity contest. Nova won this category by a landslide.)
Retention rate: 60% This measures the student body’s overall interest in what is being offered by the school.
Scholarly citations: 11,800. Through a Google Scholar search, Nova had 11,800 references to scholarly academic work, the most of any online school.
Student-faculty ratio: No data.
Years accredited: 38

Undergrads at Nova Southeastern can enroll in online programs such as education, computer science, health science and psychology. There are even more online programs for graduate students in the fields of business, law, education, osteopathic medicine, psychology and more.

So, is this the number 1 online school in the USA?

Well if you agree with the numbers, then it probably is. But just because it ranks well, doesn’t mean it’s the right school for YOU. Make sure you do your own research and decide if the courses, environment, educators, etc are what you need to succeed in your online education.

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So…what are YOU doing this summer? Here’s an idea…that pays!

Posted by bposton on February 9th, 2009 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Hey my online degree dorm room buddies…

I know that it’s pretty cold outside, but let’s just relax and think about summer…

Warm sunshine, cool breezes…

WAIT - I need a JOB for this summer!!

If that kind of thinking has awaken you from your summertime daydream, then I’ve got some great news for you.

The wonderful folks at the Fresh Air Fund are hiring Camp Counderlors for the entire summer!

Fresh Air Fund camp counselors are young adults from all over the United States, representing diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. In addition, many international students spend their summers as Fresh Air Fund counselors. The most admirable quality in a Fresh Air Fund camp staff member - wherever they’re from - is a commitment to work with inner-city children.

The Fresh Air Fund also welcomes international staff who wish to apply. They’ll even help you with obtaining visas for summer work in the United States.

Can’t beat that!

So if you are thinking about that summer job (and you SHOULD be, should’nt you? ) Then head over to the Fresh Air Fund site to apply for any one of the many positions they have open:

http://freshairfundcounselors.smnr.us/

later…

Ben

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Happy New Year from The Online Degree Dorm Room

Posted by bposton on January 3rd, 2009 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Just wanted to give a quick shout out to all my dorm room buddies to say Happy New Year!

I hope you had a great Holiday Season. Now it’s back to work or back to school - or both!

So - what is YOUR New Year Resolution? If it’s to get that college degree that you’ve always wanted to get, the congratulations - you’ve take the first step. Now let this blog help you figure out which degree is right for you and where to get it.

You may have decided to go full speed ahead and shoot for a 4 year B.S. or B.A. degree, or maybe you want to start with a 2 year Associates Degree. Either way may sure you read some of these posts to learn the best way to go about it.

If you’re interested in an Associates (AA) degree, then make sure you come back to this blog, because in a couple of days I’m going to post a guide to getting Associate degrees online and I’ll also be giveing you a great resourse you can use to help find the best one for you.

So stay tuned, and have a great 2009!

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online degree programs psychology | High Gas Prices Could Mean More Online Degrees

Posted by bposton on June 9th, 2008 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Hey there my little dorm room buddy…

Don’t know about you, but gas prices are driving me CRAZY!!

In today’s ecomony, high gas prices are actually having a good news / bad news affect on the online degree industry.

On the one hand, high gas prices are forcing educators and students alike to take a much harder look at online degree programs.

For example, the Tennessee Board of Regents has called for a statewide effort to cut down on students’ drive time, asking schools under their jurisdiction to condense class schedules and reach out to students with their online education programs. As a result, enrollment in the Regents Online Degree Program is up 29 percent over last year, and 72 percent of those who have enrolled say gasoline prices are the reason they are pursing online courses.

So that’s the good news - an online degree can save a ton of money in gas.

So what’s the bad news??

Well, because gas prices are so high, and the ecomony is in such bad shape, a lot of folks that could use a degree are finding it much harder to shell out the money to oay for one.

Usually, Universities and two-year institutions benefit to some degree from economic downturns because struggling individuals looking for higher-paying jobs turn to education.

But with today’s gas prices pinching businesses and individuals’ purse strings, fewer are willing to budget for the cost of that education. 

When you think about the fact that in today’s poor ecomony, the hardest pressed group is an adult part-time student who is already juggling a family and a job or two. Often times they just can’t justify the cost of more education.

Sort of a double edged sword. so to speak…

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online degree programs psychology | another online degree success story

Posted by bposton on April 16th, 2008 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Hey my online degree dorm room buddy:

Here’s a great story about Stefanie Lund, 33, of Gulf Port, Miss.

She had all but given up on her dream to earn a college degree.

If fact, Stef has been through an awful lot, such as surviving Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, a colorectal cancer syndrome that ultimately led to a full colectomy.

Not to mention the fact that she move 37 times after high school.

But now this 33 year old mother of 3 has finally found a way to a better future — through Flint-based Baker College Online.

“Baker Online changed everything,” she said. “No matter how bad I felt, I could keep doing it … and when I left New Jersey for Georgia and then to Mississippi, I could take college with me.”

Now, after a packed day of homeschooling her children, she does her own classwork sometimes as late as 4 a.m.

No re-applying for financial aid, no re-doing credits, just re-connecting to the Internet.

Lund started pursuing her online degree at Baker in 2005 after reading about the program on the Internet. Now she’s two years away from a bachelor’s degree in marketing. After studying business through Baker, she has also become a jewelry merchant, runs a wholesale home decor business and works as a Baker Online tutor.

Lund is among the growing number of students at the Flint-based Baker Online program, who has seen their online student population increase from 2,900 students in 2005 to 4,700 students in 2007.

Now that’s what I call a great online degree success story!

Hey Stef - you’re welcome at our dorm room anytime!

Ben

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online degree programs psychology | Want 19 grand more in your pocket?

Posted by bposton on March 31st, 2008 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Did you know…?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, if you only have a high school diploma then you’re missing out on over $19,000 in additional income per year.

That’s right - you could be making about 19 grand more per year.

How?

Easy - just get a Bachelor’s degree.

Or you can just get an associate degree, which could put an extra $6,500 per year into your pocket. 

OK - I know what you’re saying to yourself: ”just how to do I fit a college degree into my busy schedule?”

Well, since you’re reading this blog, you’re close to the answer:

Start by checking out online degree programs (which are near and dear to my heart )

If you’re a homemaker, active-duty military or someone who travels a lot with your job, you can find an online degree programs that will let you complete college while maintaining a work-home-school balance.

Have you seen the gas prices lately? Well, as an online student, you will never have to worry about driving and parking.

Child care? No problem.

Scheduling? Attend class at midnight if you like.

(see - I told you it was easy )

And you know what? You might even be able to complete work for an associate degree in as little as 18 months or a bachelor’s degree in three years - which measn you get to that extra dough sooner.  

If you have access to a computer (which I assume you do if you’re reading this), then you also have access to online courses and distance-learning degree programs. Most lessons are delivered through special, Web-based distance-education systems. A course may include online lectures, assignments, practice drills and quizzes with instant feedback.

So what do you need to look for in an online program? Here’s a short list:

- Find out how often you will be required to log in for class.

 - Look for a program where you can interact with classmates using a discussion board and instant messaging.

 - Ask whether exams will be taken online or at a local testing site, and whether tests must be taken at specific times.

Also, make sure that you search out a college program that leads to career advancement. Otherwise that extra 19 grand might not happen.
And make sure that you check out a college carefully so that you are in a better position to get that extra income when you finish. Make sure you find this out:

 - Do instructors in your career-specific courses have practical experience in the industry or business? (Tip - go to the school’s Web site and look for instructor biographies or contact the school and ask the program’s director to verify that your instructors will be experienced professionals)

 - Ask if business and industry professionals worked with instructors to develop a program that will provide you with the skills employers are looking for. For example, if you are pursuing a degree in Information Technology, will your program include industry certification training? Or, if you plan on a career as a paralegal, will you learn how to use state-of-the-art legal software?

If you are self-motivating, then getting an online degree is a great way to improve your career opportunities.

And hey, who wouldn’t be motivated, by the prospect of as much as $19,000 per year?

:-)
 

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