In more recent years, well-respected colleges and universities have transformed the online degree market, offering a top quality education that fits around student's work and family commitments.
Many employers, however, are still unaware of this development and continue to view online degrees with suspicion. With that in mind let’s take a look at what employers need to know about today’s online degree programs.
The Degrees Are Offered by Some of the Most Respected Schools in the World
A quick internet search will reveal just how many top tier colleges now participate in online degree programs. These schools offer degrees in a wide range of disciplines at the associate, bachelors, and master’s levels.
Because of the flexibility that online degrees offer to students (particularly adult students), enrollment in online programs is steadily growing, while campus enrollment continues its downward trend.
In their 13th annual survey of higher education, the Babson Survey Research Group reports that 5.3 million students were enrolled in online courses in 2016.
Employers need only check the school’s online degree course accreditation to be confident that job applicants have studied a rigorous degree program. A school’s accreditation from both state and national bodies will be the same for their campus-based courses and online programs.
Online Courses Cover the Same Material Taught in Traditional Campus-Based Programs
Online courses cover the same material taught to students attending lectures on campus. In fact, the video lectures that online students receive are often the very same lectures that were delivered to their counterparts sitting in the lecture hall.
Students studying for their degree online have full access to faculty and support staff, and a number of live classes are often part of the course, allowing staff to evaluate student performance just as they would in a classroom setting.
Many Courses Are Structured to Meet Professional Needs
In addition to more general degrees like history, physics or philosophy, students can study degrees that cater to specific professions, particularly at the master’s level. And the degrees on offer are often developed with industry concerns in mind.
Take the two-year online civil engineering degree from Norwich University as an example. Their online MCE degree program follows recommendations from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and allows students to specialize in one of four areas.
- Structural Engineering
- Environmental/Water Resources Engineering
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Construction Management Engineering
Graduates of the online civil engineering program will be completely competent and ready to take on the same roles in project management and structural engineering as their traditional degree holding contemporaries.
Job applicants that have earned their degree online will often make great employees. The majority of online students work a full-time job while they study. Following a degree program while keeping up with the demands of a job shows drive, resourcefulness, and dedication - qualities that all employers value.