What are the Most Popular Online DegreesThe internet can be a source of endless distraction – but it can also be a means of acquiring job skills and personal development through online education. Pursuing online educational opportunities provides potential students with a seemingly endless array of options, but there are certain degree programs which are uniquely suited to online formatting, thus making them particularly popular options.

Degrees for Jobs Seekers

Most people who are looking for the convenience and flexibility of online education are also looking to improve their career opportunities. This being the case, many of the most popular online degrees are those which equip students with specified jobs skills, making them more marketable and increasing their earning potential. Degrees and certifications related to business, information technology, healthcare, and paraprofessional positions are often designed with the purpose of providing students with marketable skills in a particular field or discipline.

Learning About Business Online

Business degrees, programs involving accounting, marketing, business administration, and related fields, are popular in part because of the increasing availability of open online courses, which can help to make a degree program remarkably affordable. This Wall Street Journal article details the strengths and weaknesses of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Much of this evaluation applies to most forms of online education education. Online courses allow students to access a quality of education that might not be available to them locally. As an experiment in free online education, MOOCs are an interesting and evolving business venture in their own right. Finding a sustainable model which allows free education to produce profits for the institutions providing the classes is a business experiment which should captivate and engage students looking for a business degree online.

Opportunities in the Expanding Healthcare Field

There has been a lot in the news recently about rising healthcare costs. While this trend has all sorts of negative consequences, there is a significant upside for those looking to land a job through acquiring an online degree. As medical technology and services continue to develop and expand, the need for healthcare professionals – from nurses to medical technicians to general medical assistants – also increases. The relative ease and speed with which students can sign up for and get started with these programs makes them a good option for those looking to expedite their job search. In addition to being plentiful, jobs in the healthcare field also allow those entering the field an opportunity to contribute to the health and well-being of others. This contributes to overall job satisfaction, which should be a significant consideration for anyone making a decision about which online educational opportunity to pursue.

Starting the process of discerning the right online degree program can feel overwhelming. However, some familiarity with popular options and programs which are suited to learning online can make such a decision more manageable. The availability of jobs prospects in a given field should be considered, making business and healthcare solid choices. There are also opportunities in more creative fields, like graphic design, that are highly compatible with online learning and filter directly into a high demand job market.

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