Being at home doesn’t mean you have to give up on your education. You can earn you bachelors, masters or even doctoral degree right from the comfort of your own home. We’ve put together a list of some of the best online degrees available right now.
Online activities were once regarded credulously as a place where phony people did phony things. Thankfully, most of this stigma has melted away.
Online degrees offer advantages over traditional options. You get the convenience of a workaround schedule with the same credentials and accreditation.
Which is good for people looking to expand their vocation options later in life. Individuals with a college degree earn as much as 56% more than high school grads.
Getting a degree that works on your terms is great. However, it isn’t just about getting a degree, it needs to be right degree. The best online degrees have structured skill sets they impart and contribute to niches within the job market.
Best Online Degrees Breakdown
The convenience of getting a degree at home offers a lot of options. Sorting through those options can be daunting. This isn’t just about improving your life, it is also about juggling what you have with what could be.
The following degrees have been broken down into what degrees work best from home. These work well outside of the collaborative classroom or campus environments.
Further, we let you know about the skills learned so you can fit what you know with what you want to know. Finally, we go over the job market for these degrees to show their potential earning power.
We understand that continuing education takes time and effort. We wouldn’t want to send you out without thorough information.
Accounting Degree
Accounting may be the best of the best of degrees you can get online. Accounting degrees become viable careers with just an Associate’s in Accounting. You can then upgrade into bachelor’s and master’s degrees over time.
What You’ll Learn
Dealing with home finances provides a window into the accounting world, but be prepared to go much deeper.
Accounting skills may sound like they all just require math and a spreadsheet but there are many avenues within the field. Payroll preparation requires a combination of math and interpersonal management to perform well.
Account management and investment require knowledge of the economic pressure of the market. Tax preparation requires constant research into the ever-changing tax code.
Careers
The growth of accounting has been steady and is listed as one of the most stable fields in the economy. Not only that, but accounting companies have had some of the largest hiring deficits in any industry.
Earning potential grows with experience and education. This makes accounting a great degree to pursue online now and continue to build on in the future.
Legal Degree
Not all degrees have to be 4-6 year endeavors. An Associate’s Degree in Paralegal studies takes as little as 18 months.
The legal field is an excellent example of the benefits of continuing education. Degree building offers more opportunity after getting a foot in the door.
What You’ll Learn
Principle skills include reading legal documents and researching precedent. Paralegal’s aid lawyers in preparing for trials by combing through information. Searching for pertinent details of precedent and mistakes in paperwork is key.
Strong time management skills give an advantage in finding and employing information effectively. Interpersonal and management skills working with other employees and will help you move up the ladder.
Careers
Paralegals work in all aspects of the law. This can include criminal trial law and private sector law.
Patent law and copyright law deal mostly with paperwork and little courtroom action. Real estate and corporate law also see a lot of out of court meetings and contract work.
Because laws change from state to state, make certain that a degree comes from one of the states that offer online law-related degrees.
Business Degree
Probably the most popular of the top online degrees, a degree in Business Administration opens up multiple fields. Like the other best-ofs so far, this one also can start at an Associate’s and move up with experience.
Specialized colleges provide coursework and instruction in this field. This makes it easier to find a solid accredited institution to work with to get your degree online.
What You’ll Learn
The key skill in business administration is a working understanding of business functions. These can cover a variety of subjects and take a bit from a lot of fields. Managment and human resources require interpersonal skills and knowledge. Training and working with others requires knowing how they work best and problems solving skills. Finance and marketing take some math and understating of market forces.
Information systems and supply chain management need a lot of computer skills and some logic.
A business degree provides a good launching point for delving into more specialized degrees further down the line. That makes this a degree where you can start broad and then find your niche.
Careers
Careers in the field include rapid growth and stable income. Businesses may come and go, but business skills continue to be necessary regardless.
Most careers include office time and sometimes travel. Business management also benefits from being the kind of career that can be as high impact or low impact as you chose. Many business management careers can be done telecommuted or in the form of off-site consulting.
Nurse Practitioner Degree
While some nursing jobs can be done with certifications, others require degree programs. A Master’s in Nursing degree takes as much as 7 years through a bachelor’s and into a graduate program along with licenses and exams.
What You’ll Learn
In addition to lessons in anatomy, chemistry, and medical history you will be embracing managerial skills. Patient healthcare requires an overseer and this is often that.
Keeping track of information to manage the healthcare of a patient requires computer and filing skills as well.
Be prepared to come directly into contact with patients and doctors. The position bridges the gaps in the healthcare system. With practitioners in the field, a higher level of care can be brought to the burdened system.
Careers
Nurse Practitioners and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) work in urgent cares and emergency rooms. They work stand alone and with doctors. They work as the free-agents of the medical world going where needed to do what isn’t picked up elsewhere.
Engineering Degree
Another of the more demanding degrees online, Master’s of Engineering Managment takes some effort to reach.
Some lower degrees such as a BS in Accounting or BS in Engineering can be expanded into a Master’s of Engineering Management.
The career changes dramatically once the master’s degree is complete.
Engineering degrees use a lot of in-depth thinking and math, which makes them great subjects to learn online. The time and relative seclusion of the online learning environments fold in well with the job expectations.
What You’ll Learn
Engineers work in both design and implementation of technology and structures. Skills include applications of physics and management. Project and team management helps get jobs done on-time and within budget.
The skill set also builds an attention to detail and some imagination in visual conceptualization. Knowledge of physical structures and building materials can help.
Careers
Engineering management covers a vast set of fields. Some smaller jobs may be in one location, such as chemical engineering, where a laboratory or building would be the seat of the job. Architectural engineering may move from one place to another.
Civil engineering can take you across a whole city. Environmental and marine engineering can involve a lot of travel up and down coasts and to offshore locations.
Electrical and mechanical engineering frequently require a combination of office and field work. Engineers oversee construction of towers and installation of designed equipment.
Software Development Degree
A Bachelor’s of Science in Software Development opens a lot of doors in the modern world. Those with this degree do more than simply learn to code. They know how machines work and coordinate the efforts of others to see projects through.
What You’ll Learn
Be prepared to learn about different programming languages and what benefits each provides. When you get a degree in any computer field it can take you to some fast-paced changing environments. That makes problem-solving and networking skills a must.
An eye for detail and the patience to try things a lot of times to debug and tweak programming is a must.
Careers
Software developers work in myriad places. Everything on this list uses computers with specialized software to accomplish their goals. This means that software development will find work in some aspect of nearly every career. For those looking to break free of the corporate world, software is also needed in education and entertainment industries.
Make the Most of It
This list of the best online degrees doesn’t cover every online degree but it should give you an idea of the scope of advancements possible. For those worried about completing coursework and maintain their current lifestyle, we have some DIY and Home help tips to save you time in your day.
Whatever you chose to do, get started sooner than later. There is a lot to explore in this world of ours.