ONLINE DEGREE ADVICE

Moms & Online Graduate Degrees

Online education for moms that are going back to work

Getting an advanced degree online for stay-at-home-moms that already have their undergraduate degree is an excellent way to keep up their skills and to gradually ease back into the job market.

There are plenty of qualified individuals with undergraduate college degrees that decided to take time off to raise their children. Lots of women finished college and worked for a number of years before starting a family. After having kids, many women decide that their time is better spent raising their kids themselves and taking some time away from working outside the home. As their children got older, these same women wanted to go back to work when their kids were in school full-time.

What better way to demonstrate their ability to multitask than to start an advanced degree online while still taking care of their homes and children? Moms have to be very organized and disciplined to care for children and pursue advanced degrees. Employers appreciate the commitment it takes for moms to get their advanced degrees while still juggling motherhood and achieving their goals in a timely manner. When kids start school full-time, stay-at-home moms are ready to re-enter the work force with their improved and more desirable skill sets.

Choosing Between an Online Master's Degree and Online PHD

Online Degrees-Master's and PhD

Before you consider pursing an online graduate program, make sure that the degree will be useful for your specific field. A graduate degree is not necessary for all professions.

What is a Master’s Degree?
A master’s degree is an advanced degree that is completed after a bachelor’s. Depending on the field, a degree can take one to three years to complete. Typically, students will take classes; some programs require students to conduct research or participate in an internship. A thesis or exam may be required depending on the program. The most famous master’s degree is a Masters in Business Administration (MBA).

How Choose An Online School

Top 10 Considerations

There are many factors that are important in determining what online school is right for you. Ask yourself the following questions when comparing online schools:

online universities

Is the university accredited? Many employers only consider degrees from accredited schools as valid. Accreditation is essentially quality control and ensures a vigorous curriculum that adheres to stringent standards.
Are credits transferable? In case you want to transfer, online credits must be transferable in order for the other institution to accept them. Conversely, you should also check if you can receive credit for any classes you have taken at other universities.
Are the classes purely taught online? Many online universities also have physical campuses at which you can take classes if you so desire. Some universities also require that students take some classes at the campuses.
What type of education do the professors have? Professors should at least have masters’ degrees. There are some exceptions, for example, some technical schools hire professors who have Bachelor's Degrees and practical experience in the field.
Does the school offer your desired major/online degree? Many schools offer programs and degrees across a broad breadth of disciplines. Others specialize in certain industries, such as Education or Business.
What are tuition costs and is their financial aid to help me pay for it? Tuition varies by institution. Cost per credit may also vary depending on the degree level. You will need to compare each school that is of interest to you. Financial aid is available to qualifying applicants and comes in many forms: federal and private loans, scholarships, grants, and tax credits.
How long does it take to earn an online degree? Some online schools have a time limit while others will allow you to complete the online program at an accelerated pace. You should carefully review course load requirements to ensure that you are comparing time to completion on an apples-to-apples basis.
What type of career services does the online school offer? Most schools offer both admissions advisors to help you with the enrollment process. Further, once enrolled, career service departments offer guidance to students along the path to graduation.
Are there technical and eduational prerequisites? Most online schools offer their coursework on sophisticated internet accessable platforms. You will need to have internet access as well as a computer that meets a school’s minimum standards. Also, depending on the degree level, the completion of a diploma or degree may be required.
What is the required professor-student interaction? There is a trend towards continued convergence between for-profit schools and traditional not-for-profit schools. Many online programs can be taken entirely virtually.

You can find more detailed information of these and other questions in the Find Degrees, Compare Degrees and Find Schools sections of the Online Degree Navigator website.

MBAs

Online Education- MBA Programs

A Masters in Business Administration (MBA) is one of the most popular graduate degrees, but what is exactly is an MBA? Why is it useful? The following are some reasons to attain an online MBA.

Develop and Sharpen Skills
An MBA teaches students how to analyze and look at problem/situation by using the skills and tools taught at the school such as cost analysis. Some typical classes cover the fields of economics, finance, management, accounting, and marketing. Other skills such as leadership, teamwork, and communication are developed. All of these skills are applicable to almost all jobs. It comes as no surprise that people apply their MBAs to many fields from medicine to nonprofits to investment banking.

Network with other professionals
Undoubtedly, networking is integral when it comes to landing a better job or even achieving your dream. For example, a person who wants to open a nonprofit needs someone to fund the project. A MBA gives you access to the university’s alumni, connections, community, etc. Schools even attract recruiters who speak specifically to MBA students.

Change your career path.
One of the most popular reasons people get a MBA is to change the direction in their careers. Because MBAs teach valuable skills and provide students with invaluable connections, it is a perfect degree for switching careers. MBAs gain access to internships in an array of disciplines.

Increase your salary
According to GMAC's Global Management Education Graduate Survey for 2009, salaries of MBA program graduates increased by an average of 66%.

Online Psychology Degrees-A Way to Make a Difference

Online Degrees in psychology-A way to make a Difference

The martial arts discipline of Tae Kwon Do has long been associated with developing better focus, self defense and a heightened sense of respect for others and self. This internal regulation is beginning to be recognized as a way to manage autism and diseases like trichotillomania (hair pulling) in children. Students of Tae Kwon Do have long repeated benefits like better grades and striving for excellence (it should be noted however, in this striving for excellence in Tae Kwon Do, humility is also stressed and the idea of perfection cannot be attained making it important for those children who are perfectionists). With discipline come physical fitness and other psychological positives such as better manners. With diseases such as trichotillomania, a sufferer will describe the desired goal to, “really feel something”. This aspect of Tae Kwon Do sparring beautifully translates to this intense, yet controlled feeling of physical contact that is so necessary to these diseases. For these kids even getting up and walking around provides relief. Also worth mentioning, the positive role of the higher belt teenagers has such a wonderful impact on these suffering kids. Often these children have delayed socialization skills and motor milestones and the socialization games within Tae Kwon Do provide huge benefits. Pursing an online degree translates into less time between beginning a Psychology degree and graduating to make a difference in all of the creative ways possible to treat patients.

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