The Online Degree Dorm Room

The Most Popular Online Degree Programs - What online degrees do people want?

Posted by bposton on September 29th, 2009 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

I thought I’d pass along some results of a recent survery that was done this past summer regard the types of online degrees that most popular.

There seems to be a trend shaping up if you look closely at the results, and the trend is that folks are getting more serious about the exact program they want to go for.

Maybe this is due to the fact that, with today’s job market, many are realizing that you have to be very focused on what kind of job you want, which translates to a more definiitive search for the degree program that fits that goal.

So people are make much more definite decisions about where they want to go, and how to get there, as well as understanding that they want to have a degree that will immediately prepare them for a competitive job marketplace.

So what are the most popular online degree programs?

The top 3 are business administration, nursing and criminal justice degrees, followed by health care, education and engineering.

Rounding out the remaining 4 of the top ten most popular online degrees are computers and IT, Psychology, Legal/Paralegal Degrees and Public Administration.

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Do I need an IPhone to be a Gator?

Posted by bposton on July 4th, 2009 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

OK, since my daughter (and a lot of my money) when to the University of Florida, when I read this story, I just had to pass it along to all my dorm room buddies…

Looks like UF announced recently that for students enrolling in one of it’s programs would be required to own either an IPhone or Ipod Touch. It seems that UF is the second university to require the Apple product.

According to information on the College of Pharmacy website, all students entering UF’s PharmD students must “have a iPod touch (or iPhone) and a computer meeting minimum UF and College of Pharmacy (COP) requirements,” 

Now, don’t get me wrong, UF is a great school (in my humble opinion ). It’s usually ranked in the top 10 every year by US News and World Report. The school began offering its Doctor of Pharmacy online degree program way back in 1994, and now, according to the school, this program has become one of the sought after pharmacy programs around. 

But, an IPhone? Give me a break. Why do I have to go out and get an Iphone (and subscribe to AT&T’s lousy service to boot)?

Sure, health care is one of the more recession proof career paths out there, and evidently, Apple’s developers have added a ton of software apps like medical reference applications, blood glucose monitor accessories, and the like. But why make it required?

UF is the second school to post this type of requirement. Last May the University of Missouri said that beginning this fall, all of its journalism students will be required to own an iPhone or iPod touch.

So what’s going on? Well, a little research uncovered that UF later announced that they would not actually enforce the requirement, and that they only listed it so that students would have an idea of what to budget for in their estimates of financial need.

What? Students actually budget?

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Associate Online Degree Programs | South Carolina grows it’s online degree programs

Posted by bposton on November 30th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

Both the University of South Carolina and it’s Community Colleges are seeing rapid growth in online enrollements.

The University of South Carolina Upstate has offered 56 online courses during the last two semesters. The courses are in the arts and sciences, nursing, education and business departments.

The number of online courses that the university has offered has more than doubled over the last two years and they expect the number to increase even more over the next two years.

They’ve had great success with its “RN to BSN program,”

This a program designed for registered nurses who already have an associates degree who want to earn their bachelor of science degree in nursing.

Of the 98 students enrolled in the program at the university, 30 are earning their degree online. The rest are taking course in a traditional classroom setting or through a partnership with state educational television (ETV).

Spartanburg Community College’s online courses have grown steadily since the college began offering them in 2001.

The community college currently offers three online degrees: an associate of arts degree, interpreter training program and a management degree. And they offer 60 online courses each semester.

They report that these online courses fill up as fast as are developed. And the school is finding that many students are taking traditional classes, and then adding online courses because of their flexibility.

They’re also finding out that online courses are often less expensive for colleges to offer since there’s little overhead, and textbooks can be updated often and downloaded easily.

According to college spokesmen, the South Carolina college system as learned that online classes can be just as good, or better than the traditional class environment,

And as long as the technology continues to expand (which it will, online courses are the way of the future.

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | Are we really non-traditional?

Posted by bposton on November 26th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

I really dislike the “labels” that some people give others.

One “label” I really don’t like is the label called non-traditional…the one that all of us in the online degree dorm room seem to get.

That’s because everyone beleives that we’re not the typical college student.

Well, that may be true, but here’s what the latest Sloan Foundation report found:

There’s a lot of information to suggest that online degrees appeal to a different type of student from those who go with face-to-face classroom instruction. 

Online students tend to be older, and often hold additional employment and family responsibilities, as compared to the more traditional student.

OK - you got me - that description fits me to a T

However, do those differences mean that online students are taking different types or levels of courses or are they studying at different types of institutions?

Accord to the study, the the general population of online students is a close match to the overall higher education student body, but the mix of schools where they study is not.

Students getting their degree online, like the overall student body, are overwhelmingly undergraduates.  And the amount of graduate-level students is a little higher in online education relative to the overall higher education population.

Now, who was it that said online eduction is not for undergrads? A dean from Stanford, I beleive. - HA! - take that, Stanford!

One difference the study did find is that online undergrads are more likely to be studying at Associates institutions than are their face-to-face contemporaries.

More on that later…

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | All About Associate Degrees - A summary

Posted by bposton on November 21st, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

I hope I haven’t bored you to tears with all these posts about associate degrees

And maybe you’ve even learned a few things that you didn’t know, like:

The difference between Community and Junior Colleges

The three different classes of associate degrees

The three different types of people that persue associate degrees or take associate degree courses

The advantages of associate degrees over 4 year degrees

How to make sure that your community college is accredited and that the credits you earn will be transferable to a 4 year school if that is your plan.

If you didn’t catch all of the posts, don’t worry, there still here in the online degree dorm room. Just take a look around and you’re find those and other posts that I hope you’ll find helpful.

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | All About Associate Degrees - Part 3

Posted by bposton on November 20th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

Part three in my little mini-series on Associate Degrees.

Let’s talk about who is a good candiate for an Associate Degree. Bascially there are three types of people who seek an associate degree program.

The first type is someone who does not want (or cannot) pursue a bachelor’s degree but instead wants to attend a US community college. Quite alot of people fall into this group. Many of them are seeking a post-secondary education to get the skills needed to quickly join the workforce or learn a trade.

The next type is someone who wants to pursue a bachelor’s degree but they decide that they want to complete the first two years of their undergraduate education by getting an associate degree at a community college and then transfering those credit to a four-year college for the last two years. Again, many college bound student fall into this catagory, and there are many more (in my humble opinion) that should consider it. It’s an easy way to transition into the rigors of college without having to jump in with both feet. A lot of students could use that transition. Just think about all the freshmen in college that don’t make it. A lot more would make it in college if they went this route.

The third and final group are folks who want to attend associate degree program classes in various subjects areas at a community colleges, but don’t want or need to get any type of formal degree at all. I like to call this group the “lifetime learners”. They enjoy and relish gaining knowledge in an area they are interesting in for many reason. One of them, for example is to become better at their current job or to gain knowledge in order to move to a new career path. 

Any one of these types of people would perform well in a community college or junior college. And the associate online degree programs that the community colleges are offering are normally right down their alley - especially group 3

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Associate Online Degree Programs | A sampling of associate online degrees

Posted by bposton on November 19th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

I’ve been doing some quick checking and found that there’s a lot of associate online degree programs out there.

Getting an Associate Degree is a great way of starting on the higher education pathway.

An Associate Degree is a two year qualification, which can be a degree all by itself, or it can be the first step to a Bachelor Degree and beyond. Many colleges recognize GEDs, testing them to place them in classes for their level of learning.

Here are some of the many colleges where you can get an online assoicate’s degree:

The Art Institute Online

St. Leo University

University of Phoenix Online

FMU Online

Westwood College Online

I’ll be taking a look at these and other colleges that offer associates degress in the near future, but this should get you started

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | Online Nursing Associate Degree successful in Ohio

Posted by bposton on November 18th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

At Ohio University - Southern I’ve learned about a very successfull online degree program.

One example is that the university has invested in human birthing simulator called Noelle that is being used in the training nursing students working on their associate degree in nursing. The Ironton campus is in the process of buying a pediatric simulator by next semester, said Deborah B. Meehan, associate director of the nursing program at Ohio University-Southern.

Noelle gave Dawn Watson, a Portsmouth resident and a second-year nursing student, practice she couldn’t ordinarily get. “I always wanted to get into nursing,” the 2004 graduate of Clay High School said. “I plan to get my four-year degree in nursing, but I want to get a job first. I can take classes online” to get that bachelor’s degree.

Now that’s what I call a smart idea

Melissa Bailey is another smart student. She’s a part-time medical technician and is a sophmore working on here degree online. Her dream is to become a flight nurse. She’s been an EMT for 6 years, and she also plans to pursue her four-year nursing degree online, but seek a job first.

And Courtney Whitley took college option course while in high school, and when she graduated she had enough credits to be a college sophmore. The associate degree she is pursuing is just the first step in a planned career in nursing. She hopes to get her masters and be a nurse anesthetist.

So there’s a few very smart students using online education to acheive their dreams.

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | Why do we have to lie about it?

Posted by bposton on November 18th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

This doesn’t make sense to me…

Why do people have to lie on their application?

Yes, it does happen, evidently a lot. According to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com, 57 Percentage of U.S. hiring managers say they have caught a lie on a candidate’s application.

Seems that lying to employers is done more often than lying to the IRS

So why do we have to lie? Are we that focused on getting the job - no matter what? Maybe so.

But it’s certainly not worth it. OK maybe if you lied on your application and didn’t get caught you think it’s OK. But lying has a way of catching up with you.

At least that’s been my experience

Oh by the way, that study also said that 93 Percentage of U.S. employers did not hire a candidate after discovering a lie on their resume.

Don’t you just wonder about the other 7 percent who did hire a liar?

Hey “hire a liar” - that rhymes!

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | Traveling Nurses Easing Staff Shortages

Posted by bposton on November 17th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

Remember my posts a few days ago about the predicted shortages of nursing positons?

Well, With the acute shortage of nurses nationwide, travel nursing has come into its own within the health care profession.

Today, a well-qualified nurse with experience in a high-demand specialty can find
short-term placements almost anywhere in the country - including exotic resort locations like Hawaii and the Caribbean - throughout the year.

Now doesn’t Hawaii or the Caribbean sound good this time of year?
Registered nurses with at least 10 months of clinical experience and good references are
eligible. These temporary assignments, typically lasting 13 weeks, are often staff positions in critical care settings in locations ranging from rural areas to cruise ships and resort
areas.

Travel nursing offers something for everyone at every career stage: the allure of
travel and unique settings; rewarding positions at top teaching hospitals and research
institutions; and challenging work in hard-pressed, underserved areas.

“For a nurse or nurse practitioner with a flexible schedule, travel nursing can be a
very appealing career option as it offers higher pay, flexibility, variety and often the
opportunity for business travel,” said Andrea Higham, director of The Johnson & Johnson
Campaign for Nursing’s Future, a public awareness and image-building campaign that is addressing the nursing shortage through nursing scholarships and nursing student recruitment activities. “It’s one of the many areas of specialty where current demand far exceeds supply.”

Those interested usually get their start with placement companies to determine
openings. Candidates complete an application, discuss their plans and interests with a recruiter, and conduct telephone and in-person interviews with potential health care facilities.

If the candidate is offered a position, the travel company helps with the details of travel
documents, credentialing and licensure, hospital orientation, housing (some provide free or subsidized apartments) and even arrangements for furniture and utilities.

Sounds like a sweet deal to me - be a nurse and see the world!
Ben

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