Archive for January, 2010

The term ‘busy moms’ speaks about those over 26 million moms who wish to or are working and have children under the age of 18. Taking care of children is no easy feat especially with the social changes in this twenty first century. This is even more difficult when these busy moms are trying to establish a career by gaining quality education.

However, with the proliferation of the internet within households, busy moms need no longer to despair. With only 16% of moms with college degrees, many busy moms are now turning to online education as a sure means of gaining their college degrees.

Benefits of Online Degrees for Busy Moms

The online degree alternative for busy moms has proven to be a blessing. Busy moms are able to access quality education from the comfort of their homes. Course work material is either shipped to their homes or available online where busy moms can then study at their own pace at times convenient to them. As a result, they can still spend time with and attend to the needs of their children. They can also easily revisit any course material that they either fail to understand or juts simply want to re-enforce. Significant savings are also realized from the pursuit of online degrees by busy moms. This is significant especially in this economic climate. There is also no need for relocation or travel.

Types of Online Degrees for Busy Moms

With over 62% of institutions that offer online degree programs for busy moms not requiring any on campus visits, online degrees are preferred by busy moms for their educational advancement. These online degrees are available in the form of certificate programs, associate, bachelor, master and PhD programs. The level of degree pursued depends on the level of education attained prior to their application to the university. These online degrees can be completed in reduced periods through the pursuit of accelerated versions of these programs.

The type of degree pursued by busy moms depends on the respective area of interest. Online degrees for busy moms are available in fields of hospitality management, computer and information technology, education and teaching, business, science, humanities, arts and business management. With these qualifications, busy moms can establish careers from which the can generate additional income for their families.

Busy Mom friendly Online Colleges

Many online institutions offer degree programs tailor made for busy moms. These programs are designed in consultation with various social groups and parent association to establish the types of degrees are in demand by that segment of community. Online colleges are sensitized to the schedule of busy moms and thus afford them the flexibility to study at pace that enables them to give undivided attention to their children. Upon graduation, these busy moms armed with their accredited degrees can source employment from the many industries that offer employment to work from home moms.

Some of the institutions that offer online degree programs for busy moms include:

• Kaplan University
• Colorado Technical University
• Walden University
• American Intercontinental University

Degrees in Human Resources remain one of the most popular degree programs within the online student community. As businesses get more sophisticated and competition increases, businesses are recognizing more the importance of their most vital asset, its employees. Employees can make or break your organization, so it paramount that they are catered for in the most responsible manner. This has resulted in a shift in the responsibilities of human resource managers whose roles have graduated from just being paper pushers to include roles as negotiators, mediators, public relations and performance assessment coordinators. One of the easiest ways of gaining these skills is through the pursuit of an online degree in human resource management, where online universities focus on training their students in both the theoretical and practical aspects of human resource management.

Cost of Online Human Resource Degree Programs

An affordable way of gaining your degree in human resource management is by the pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in business administration with focus on human resource management. These degrees are popular amongst the online community and thus relatively inexpensive. Of course, the price charged by each university will depend on their influence in the market place. However, prices are also determined by market forces and averages $15,000.

After graduating from your bachelor’s degree in business administration, then graduates can specialize by pursuing an online master’s degree in human resource management. One must expect to pay more for a master’s degree as this degree significantly increases their earning power. Medial cost for a master’s degree in human resource management stand at around $25,000 but will vary with the package offered by the online university. Some universities bundle job placement assistance and other student services into their student fees.

Types of Online Human Resource Degree Programs

Most online universities who offer degrees in human resources will offer them at all levels of education. This is to increase the awareness of employees at all levels of the organization about the part they play in the success of the organization and the importance of good human resource management. As a result, human resource degrees are available online at levels such as:

• Associate Degree in Human Resource management: The associate degree in human resource management introduces students to the basic concepts of human resource management. It focuses on aspects of recruitment, business structure, compensation and employee evaluation. Graduates of this degree will gain employment in entry-level positions within organizations.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management: A bachelor’s degree in human resource management is the accepted educational level for middle management positions in human resource management. This degree widens the scope of human resource management to include aspects of economic, social and legal issues that affects employees. During the program, students learn skills of creating credible compensation and benefits packages; formulate employee-training programs, importance of employee health and safety and workforce planning and development.
• Post Graduate Degrees in Human Resource Management: At this level, students focus on research and development strategies that can improve the management of human resources. Students examine various schools of thought in human resource management and determine what type of structure best suits particular organizations.

An Online Nursing Degree provides one of the most convenient, effective and affordable ways to earn a nursing degree. The growing phenomena of online learning has led to many prestigious nursing institutions premièring online versions of their regular nursing degree programs to make nursing education more accessible to practicing and prospective nursing students from any where around the world.

Types of Online Nursing Degree

The field of nursing encompasses many different branches and the type of Online Nursing Degree pursued will depend on the type of nursing field one wishes to practice in. Online Nursing Degrees begin at the Associate through to the Doctoral levels. Each level of Online Nursing Degree provides students with both general and specialized nursing education combined with nursing practicum. An Online Nursing Degree at the Associate level (ADN) is the most common route to becoming a Registered Nurse (RN). This two-year nursing program(depends upon number of chosen subjects) teaches students the technical skills needed to perform basic nursing duties and includes classes in Chemistry, Anatomy, Biology, Microbiology, Psychology, Geriatric and Pediatric Health along with courses in the Liberal Arts. The successful completion of an Online Nursing Degree at the Associate level qualifies students to pursue entry-level positions within the nursing profession or go on to pursue a more advanced Online Nursing Degree at the Bachelor’s level (RN to BSN).

Specializations in Nursing Degree

The broad field of nursing allows for a host of specialties for registered nurses interested in specializing in a particular area of the field to maximize their career prospects. Some of these specialties are available in geriatric nursing, pediatric nursing, midwifery, home health nursing and even forensic nursing that requires a close working relationship with law enforcement agencies in clinical investigations related to crimes among other duties such as providing medical treatment to criminals.

Cost of an Online Nursing Degree

The average cost of an Online Nursing Degree varies widely depending on factors such as the level of nursing degree pursued and the type of institution. Other factors such as your Geographic location will also influence the final cost of your tuition fee. A two-year RN to Associate Nursing Degree(depends upon number of chosen subjects), mostly offered at community and technical colleges can cost up to $3,000, while online universities offering graduate level nursing programs can run you up to $20,000. For example, Blinn College offers an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program for $7,900, while Ohio University (School of Nursing) offers an Associate of Nursing (ADN) program for around $6,000 if you are an in-state resident. Overall, a two-year Online Nursing Degree program(depends upon number of chosen subjects) can cost you around $14,000 to $31,000 where in addition to course fees; the tuition covers other items such as books, uniforms and nurse equipments.

Career Outlook

The career outlook for nurses is very promising. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) the field of nursing is expected to grow much faster that any other occupation over the next ten years. This is due in part to the large number of newly created nursing opportunities that will be available to registered nurses (RNs) in all branches of the profession, making it the single largest occupation in the health care industry.

Online learning is rapidly growing this is due to the increase in demand and many benefits and advantages over traditional classroom setting.

Online Programs and Traditional Programs

Online learning is a learning experience delivered via a computer and the internet whereas traditional learning is done in a classroom on-campus setting. Online activities which consist of group projects, pair work, online discussions and debate are all included in your online learning experience. Online course work and collaboration is conducted through electronic forums, e-mail, chat rooms or discussion groups. Most online programs are designed to give you the traditional classroom experience.

What are the Advantages of Campus-Based Education vs. Online Education?

Choosing a learning method that fits your busy life is quite possible with online learning. If you are considering to pursue your degree but do not have the extra time to attend the traditional classroom setting, then online degree programs can offer the freedom and flexibility that allows you to continue working, and attend to family life, while earning your degree at the same time. The online degree programs provide the same quality education that is found in the traditional college degree programs. Studies show that for most students, distance learning is just as effective as traditional on-campus learning.

Are Online Degrees Respected By Employers?

This varies from one employer to the next and the career path you choose. Most employers are more concerned that the educational institution is accredited and has a good reputation rather than the method you use to earn your degree. Further evidence of this can be seen in the number of employers now offering their employees incentives for continuing education and to undertake post-graduate online degree programs.

Will I receive the same Quality Education from Distance Learning?

Absolutely! Most online special education degree program follows the same curriculum content and earn the same degree as ground-base students. You will also learn from experienced professionals holding advanced degrees and who are qualified and experts in their field.

Do online programs offer the same Degrees as on-site?

Online colleges and universities offer a wide range of degrees programs that are exactly the same as on-site programs. Online institutions offer associate, bachelors, master’s doctorate and in some cases PhD degrees in addition to a variety of non-credit, diplomas and certificates.

Can I complete my degree faster online than on-campus?

The time needed to complete a degree varies, but in general an online degree can be earned much faster with accelerated programs and how much time and dedication you put towards your studies. A bachelor degree usually takes four years to earn but online students can complete the same degree in less than three years. By taking courses online you have the flexibility and can complete class work, projects and assignments much faster than you would be able to with a traditional on-campus classroom.

Is it Affordable to attend classes online or on-campus?

The tuition and fees vary among online universities and courses of study. However earning an online degree is far less expensive than earning a traditional college degree and you still receive the same quality education but at a lesser cost.

Is financial aid available both online and on-campus?

Most of the financial aid options available to students of traditional universities are also available to students of online universities. However financial aid is only available to those who qualify. There is some form of financial aid available to suit every financial need.

Computer Engineering is one of the most popular degrees online. Many graduates of the online Computer Engineering degree have gone to lead fruitful careers in Computer Engineering and its affiliated fields. The cost of tuition is always a concern for students who must shop around and sometimes make hard decisions on which online university to pursue their online degree in Computer Engineering. Each university will vary in price based on their prestige, equipment utilized during the program, their general student support systems, rank and influence among peers and working industries. Here we will look at a list of the top online colleges and universities for Computer Engineering and the associated cost of tuition.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Located in Cambridge Massachusetts, MIT has one of the best and most advanced online degrees in Computer Engineering. Their internal survey revealed that most students choose their five-year bachelors computer engineer program due to the high respect it receives in the working world. The program focuses on the development of problem solving skills that can be applied to the field of Computer Engineering. MIT boasts a strong relationship with both private and government agencies who give support to the institution to pursue their many researches in areas such as artificial intelligence, computer science and communicative mediums.

Due to the high level of studies done at MIT, tuition at the institution is not cheap. Records show that in 2010, students will be paying an average of $36,000 per year plus other cost. Competition for enrollment is fierce and only an average of 24% of applicants is accepted.

UC-Berkeley - Through its department of Computer Engineering, UC-Berkeley offers one of the most highly rated Computer Engineering degree programs within the online educational community. One of their most popular programs is their Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering that develops the understanding of all the aspects of Computer Engineering such as machine architecture, operating systems, digital devices, algorithm design and analysis and artificial intelligence.

They conduct various research on behalf of major industrial players who along with the government provide both financial and technological support to the university. Their tuition gives preferential treatment to residents of California resulting in them paying significantly less than non-state resident students. On average, non-resident students will pay around $24,000 per year along with other administration expenses for the online Computer Engineering degree.

Carnegie Mellon University - Based in Pittsburgh, Carnegie University offers a first class online Computer Engineering degree to the online learning population. The university offers online Computer Engineering degree at the Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral levels, which are all highly respected by all industry players. These industry players contribute significantly to the development of the course curriculum to ensure graduates are functional when they are employed in their various industries. The online Computer Science degree offered at Carnegie Mellon University is not restricted to raw Computer Engineering but also expands to incorporate computer application in various industries such as health, manufacturing, finance and construction. On average, students will pay $18,000 per semester plus administrative fees.