Online colleges offering full online degrees have grown steadily in the last decade. But, what has propagated these phenomena? Why are online degrees becoming so popular? Recent data shows that while trends to change from time to time, some areas colleges remain popular with online students. These degree programs are in criminal justice, health care, information technology, and, business.
Let as examine why degrees in business have remained on the popularity list for so long. What sets them aside from other degree programs? As you can imagine the field of business is a competitive one, and to be successful one must be able to stand out from the crowd: You can do this by: advancing your education, getting a promotion, getting more professional experience; and becoming an expert in your particular niche.
A major advantage of online business degrees is that you can complete your training at various levels. These are associate degree (AS or AA) bachelor degree (BBA or BSc), doctorate degree (DBA), masters degree (MBA), Also, you can complete additional business certifications for example health care management, risk management, Six Sigma, and project management. Thus, the online degree option is a chance to advance your career and set yourself aside from your competitors.
The MBA has certainly made its mark as the industry standard for measuring success and accomplishment in business. This is more so for those who are in mid-level business management positions, and those who what to move beyond entry-level positions to more challenging tasks and responsibilities. The demographics show that many students enrolled in online MBA degree programs work and take class simultaneously.
An additional advantage of considering pursuing an online business administration degree is that there are multiple areas of focus to choose from including: accounting and finance, business leadership, human resource management, e-business, risk management, organizational management, project management, international business, marketing and sales, small business management, operations management, retail management, sport and entertainment management, and information technology management to mention a few areas of focus. This wide selection does make business administration stand out from other degree programs.
Online business degree programs apply student-centered instructional strategies to improve learning outcomes. These approaches include: enhanced instructor-to-student communication and student-to-student; customized approach to instruction that matches students’ learning styles and work schedules; easy access to learning tools and materials any time and place; and using authentic approaches to evaluation and assessment.
A selling point for online business management is their dedicated approach to flexibility in scheduling and teaching. Unlike in many brick-and-mortar colleges, completing a degree online assumes you do not have to be physically present to complete your course requirements, and attending a virtual classroom is ideal for those with busy family and professional schedules. However, do keep in mind that some courses may require asynchronous, synchronous, or a combination of both communication modes.
The United States Department of Education reports that 20% of college students elect business studies. As discussed, the many areas of focus in business studies are perfect for many professional areas such as finance and accounting, marketing and sales, and small business management. In fact, in the U.S. the most popular area of concentration is accounting, which in itself has various areas of concentration e.g. financial accounting and tax accounting.
Other areas in business with an increasing or steady demand are finance, and economics. In addition, employers are always seeking to hire graduates with marketing degrees. This makes sense given that the Internet created new way conducting business. The web acts as a platform for sales, advertising, business interaction, and business promotion. Related to this phenomena is e-commerce or e-business, another growing area in the business world.
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment in advertising, marketing, sales, and promotions should see a 12% growth from 2006-2016. During that same period, accounting jobs are expected to grow by about 18% due to the expanding economic market and increasing regulatory reforms. While earnings vary by industry, education, and professional experience, some reported potential earnings are: $106,790 for sales managers, $97,170 for public relations managers, $96,000 for project management positions, $113,400 for marketing managers, and, and $137,000 for financial analysts.
Business professionals are work in virtually about any industry that you can think of including education, financial institutions, not-for-profit bodies, manufacturing, entertainment, and sports and entertainment among others. Each business and industry needs a range of skills from its employees making it important to make an informed decision on what you would like to focus on to succeed. Also, it is advisable to conduct detailed research on which program best suits your needs. Finally, it is important to really only consider online universities that are accredited and recognized.