By: Jacqueline Foster
A lot of emphasis is placed on online bachelor’s degrees, but for those for whom four years of school seems daunting or impractical, the online associate degree may be more appealing. Not only do associate degree programs help people attain a degree sooner, but they also help people get a job sooner as well. They cost less overall, since you’re only paying for two years of school instead of four. And if you decide you want to go on to earn a bachelor’s degree later, after you’ve secured gainful employment, nothing’s to stop you.
There are a number of decent-paying jobs available today that only require an associate degree. A CNN article pointed out that jobs in nursing, computers and computer support, working as a paralegal and occupational therapy assisting are all decent-paying jobs that only require an associate degree.
Many of these associate programs can be completed partially or completely online. For instance, there are a number of two-year paralegal programs available fully online. For instance, Kaplan University offers an Associate of Applied Science in Paralegal Studies through its School of Legal Studies. National Paralegal College has an associate degree program that allows students to complete their degree in as few as 15 months if they take three courses at a time; students must complete 60 credits to earn their degree. Liberty University Online, Virginia College and Rasmussen College are other online schools that offer online associate degrees in paralegal studies.
Fully online associate degree programs in computer-related fields are also abundant. For instance, Penn State Online offers an associate degree in information sciences and technology that trains students in information systems, database systems, and Web and multimedia systems, as well as equipping students with general business skills (such as accounting, marketing, management, etc). UMass Lowell also offers an associate’s degree in information technology fully online. Grantham University’s online associate degree in computer science equips students with training in programming, computer networks and other computer concepts, requiring the type of advanced mathematics that prepare students for an analytical career.
Other educational programs for the careers mentioned above can be completed partially online. For instance, some schools offer online associate programs in occupational therapy assisting that provide all classroom lectures online, but require students to make campus visits on evenings and weekends to complete lab work. One example is Santa Ana College in Santa Ana, Calif., which offers an evening/online program. Another example is Green River Community College in Auburn, Wash., which offers an evening format with an online component.
The same is true of associate degree programs in nursing. While the clinical requirements of such programs prevent them from being offered fully online, there are still a number of programs that allow students to learn all lecture-based material online while doing clinical practice on a physical campus. For instance, the Chamberlain College of Nursing’s associate degree program in nursing allows students to complete the didactic portion of their nursing education online while completing their clinical requirements on campus.
In conclusion, if you are considering going to school online, you may want to consider an online associate degree program from an accredited school.
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