Not too long ago, if someone told you that you could get a great education and prepare yourself for a lucrative career, all without leaving your house, you’d have laughed. But now, with more and more schools offering entire online degree programs – and the quality of those programs improving every semester – it’s entirely possible. When you enroll in an accredited program, distance learning can be a great – and cost-effective – way to kick-start your career.
These five online college degree programs will help you start some of today’s most in-demand and fastest-growing careers with a strong starting salary (as according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Online Business Administration Degree Programs
To adjust to the schedules of busy executives and workers, more and more top-notch business schools are offering online business degree programs with where you can choose to take one or two classes or earn your degree. No matter what level of degree you choose, business programs can help you get your foot in the door to myriad rewarding career paths, from marketing to business management to sales. When you’re choosing a college program, consider which area of business interests you the most (entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, etc.) and choose your major or area of study based on that.
Online Computer Science Degree Programs
Every company needs an IT technician, a network administrator, a security specialist, in-house software engineers, a programmer – the list for computer science career opportunities goes on and on. By earning an online degree in computer science or IT, you’ll become you very employable – job openings for software engineers, for example, are expected to grow by about 34 percent in the coming decade. Opportunities for network administrators and IT technicians in particular are expected to grow by a whopping 53 percent from 2011 – the BLS expects well over 150,000 job openings in the field by 2018.
Online Human Resources Degree Programs
The field of human resource management is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. Overall, the field is expected to grow by about 20 percent, and some positions are expected to see their employment opportunities increase by nearly 30%. Human resources personnel provide vital services to companies, from interviewing, hiring, training, handling benefits, labor relations, and more, and in most cases, they’re compensated well. Depending on an HR manager’s specialty, they can expect to earn a salary between $50,000 to well over $90,000 annual salary.
Online Accounting Degree Programs
The accounting field is broad, and the work can range a great deal depending on the specific position. Public accountants, as one example, work with anyone from individual people to large corporations, and can help their clients with everything from investments to taxes. At the other end of the spectrum, internal auditors evaluate the efficiency of their company to determine places of waste or fraud. All told, the field is expected to grow by over 20 percent, and add well over 200,000 jobs in the coming years. Considering the median salary for accountants and auditors is close to $60,000, that’s a whole lot of high-paying jobs you could be setting yourself up for with an online degree in accounting.
An online degree can propel you toward a rewarding and lucrative career. Just make sure to carefully evaluate the programs you’re looking at, make sure you pick a school and a college program that works well for you, and go for it!
