Careers in Demand: Education and Teaching

Posted by Dan on June 17th, 2009

When most people think of a career in education, they immediately think “teacher”.  There are a variety of career positions for those interested in pursuing a career in education.  Superintendent, Principal, Professor, Dean, CEO even can be an obtainable title when you earn a college degree in education.  Careers in Demand examines how returning to school via an online college and earning a degree in education is a sure fire way to open new career paths for those in today’s tough job market.

 A career in education has been identified by the Wall Street Journal and Yahoo News as one of the fastest growing career fields in the US.  The demand for teachers currently is at an all time high.  An online education offers the convenience and flexibility that many busy adults need to complete their college degree program.   Some adults have selected to pursue an online bachelor’s degree in education despite being currently employed in a non related career field.  Employees and job seekers are searching for stability and growth opportunities.  Education and Teaching offers both of those to you if you are interested.

Current teachers understand the importance of education and their career demands that they continue to take certificate and seminar programs to help keep their teaching skills fresh and sharp. it should be no surprise then that the rise in online masters degrees in education has outpaced the past two years in the first 6 months of 2009.  Working as a teacher demands long work weeks often involving bringing your work home with you after the final school bell has rung.  Online Colleges offer current working teachers the flexibility to build their Master’s Degree curriculum around their schedule.  There is no hassle of driving to a campus, finding parking, sitting in a class, and then driving home.

While many may find that their career in education starts as a teacher, the ability to continue their education and learning, allows for the potential of a promotion or more senior positions.  You may decide that post-secondary education is important to you, so you pursue your online Ph.D and earn a tenured faculty position at a local college.  Salary for a college professor often starts at $70,000 according to Payscale.com.  As you continue your career, the opportunity to join the Adminstrative Board of a College or be promoted to a Dean position are all available for the motivated individual. 

A career in education can be very rewarding.  Many who choose to enter this profession have a profound love for knowledge and sharing that knowledge with students.  They embody mentor qualities and can often be very creative in their teaching approaches.  Those who choose to do so can aspire to high career positions with large six figure salaries.  Most educators will enjoy a work year that consists of 200 days or less.  Compared to those working in Accounting, Marketing, Communications, Print Media, and other career fields at 337 days a year (4 weeks vacation).  Earning an online degree in education offers the potential for a tremendous career filled with great opportunity.

Online Game Design Degrees: How to Get Into the Game

Posted by Dan on June 4th, 2009

Let me start by asking a question.  What current entertainment industry is poised to grow to a 65 billion dollar business by 2012?  If you said, “movies”, you would be wrong.  It is not digital music downloads either.  It’s video games.   Video games have come a long way since PONG, introduced the world to digital entertainment.  Video games are big business all around the world.  Led by the ultra successful, Nintendo Wii, video games now serve as the leading source of home entertainment for more than 50 million people worldwide.  

In the troubling economic environment, video games have continued to grow in revenue despite some games costing more than $70!   As the industry continues to grow, game development companies will look to grow their employee base.  Earning your online game design degree from an accredited college today can lead to a very rewarding and lucrative career in the near future for this industry.  Named by Yahoo!, as one of the fastest and most secure jobs in America, game design, is becoming one of the hottest college degrees across the US.  Cracking into the game industry is often the most difficult step in this career process.  Many of today’s top game designers will admit to starting on the bottom as a game tester.  We feel this is a tremendous first step into understanding if a career in video games suits you.  Working in the game industry demands time and dedication from all of its members.  Often work weeks will exceed 60 hours and weekend hours are typically mandatory near the final stages of game development.  Due to the demanding schedule, continuing your education at a traditional college setting would be almost impossible.  Earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Game Design from Westwood College Online while continuing to work as a game tester or intern, is a fantastic opportunity to achieve the education requirements necessary for landing a position in game design.   The flexiblity of an online game design degree allows students to attend classroom lectures, read assignments, and complete college projects at their own pace.  An online degree program is a perfect compliment to a working adult’s hectic schedule.

While working in the game industry can be intimidating due to its erratic schedule and demanding nature, the rewards are well worth the sacrifices.  Game designers salary often start at $70,000, which is almost $15,000 more than the average bachelor’s degree starting salary nationwide.  Talented and motivated game designers can establish a respected name for themselves within a company and the gaming audience.  When this occurs, salary’s easily pass into the 6 digit range.  Game designers also benefit from the commercial success of their products.  Video game companies often provide incentive bonuses to all members of the team based on the number of copies a game sells and how well it is received by the gaming public.

By enrolling in an online game design program, students prepare themselves for a growing career field that shows no signs of slowing down.  If you are creative, motivated, talented, and dedicated, a career in game design may provide a lifetime of career and creative successes.

What My Online Degree Has Done For Me

Posted by Jeff Davis on May 7th, 2009

My online degree has proved as valuable as a traditional degree in every sense of the word to me. It has been an invaluable tool and has opened up many more opportunities in my career field, including ones that would not have been possible without it. In fact, I have found it to be such a rewarding experience and of such great value that it has encouraged me to go back to school online and pursue my graduate degree. I am now halfway through an online graduate degree program and am looking forward to seeing what opportunities and doors will open even more once I am finished.

Earning my degree online was way more rewarding than I ever imagined it would be. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure what to expect as I had only attended a traditional school up to that point in my college experience. But once I became familiar with the online process and the overall familiarity of how things worked in this realm, I was off and running towards graduation.

Overall, I feel more confident about pursuing and applying for future employment opportunities because of my online degrees and educational experiences. I have learned so much during my online courses that I never did during my time on the ground. Attending school online has been a terrific experience and a great reward for me. I believe that you have to take advantage of the opportunities put before you and this could not be truer than with earning an online degree.

My needs for an online degree.

Posted by Jen Zeman on December 16th, 2008

When I started my search for an online degree, my number one requirement was my desired program. I wanted to study law and I initially searched colleges and universities within the state where I live (Maryland). I was fortunate because the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) offers a legal studies program that is completely online. Fortunately, having a degree program completely online was my second requirement! There are hybrid programs available at many institutions (where you attend some on-campus classes and take other classes online), but this wasn’t for me. I didn’t want to commute to a single class because it would have been too much of a hassle for me (too far from work and home). UMUC actually offers several programs completely online for those who would be interested: www.umuc.edu. The tuition and fees I paid for in-state were reasonable, which was my third requirement for an online degree. Some institutions will drain your wallet dry with various “technical” fees for online courses on top of the regular tuition, so this is something to research before signing on!

Another requirement for me was the availability of classes. UMUC offers a wide selection of courses to choose from each semester, including the summer session. This was important for me since I had set up a tight deadline to complete my degree and taking summer courses accelerated the schedule. A final requirement was the ability to retain nearly all my credits earned from my associate’s degree. I was fortunate to transfer from an in-state community college to UMUC and was able to retain nearly all my credits. I know not everyone is so lucky, especially when transferring to an out-of-state college or university. I recommend once you are fairly close to deciding where you want to attend, have the university complete a transcript evaluation as soon as possible. This way, you’ll know whether you will have to take more classes than you originally planned, which may make you decide to find another institution who will accept more of your hard-earned credits.

Reaction from Family and Friends…

Posted by Jen Zeman on December 1st, 2008

I was a late bloomer to college – I didn’t start my associate’s degree until I was 24. When I was half-way through my associate’s degree I made the decision that immediately after graduation I would continue on for my bachelor’s degree, even though it meant tacking on another two-years of school work. I would be 33 when I finally received my B.S. Working for a community college at the time, my employer was very enthusiastic about me obtaining higher education. Friends were supportive, as was family, including my husband. However, that’s not to say I didn’t suffer through some minor road bumps (i.e. stress) over the decision to pursue three classes a semester and work full time.

While friends were supportive, it took time for them to get used to the fact that I wouldn’t be available to socialize with them anymore or even have the time to gossip on the phone for hours on end. They were lucky if I could call them once a month. My husband expressed his support but would be visibly annoyed when I told him I didn’t have time to help him around the house or to socialize with our friends. I was determined to complete my bachelor’s degree in two and a half years and I expressed to everyone, husband included, that this was my goal. I knew going in I would be making sacrifices and I was comfortable with doing so. I also explained to my husband that this sacrifice was only temporary – it wasn’t as if I would be going to school for the next ten years. He finally empathized with me when he started his online bachelor’s degree this summer. After two five-week courses while working full-time he said: “I now know what you had to go through when you were in school. I’m sorry for being such a pain in the butt during those years!”

Tips to make the transition to school easier on everyone:

1. Be upfront to everyone about your time constraints. You will have a few people who try to invade your time for school. Be consistent with your firmness and eventually they will understand your dedication.
2. Schedule time with friends and loved ones. Look at the month ahead and when major projects are due. Decide to spend an evening out with friends or your significant other as a celebration once the project is completed.
3. Stay connected. Even if you are not able to go out with friends, allow yourself time once a month to reconnect over the phone.

Fears Before Enrolling in an Online College

Posted by Jen Zeman on November 24th, 2008

While earning my associate’s degree at a local community college, I completed an online class and loved the flexibility and the freedom it gave me. However, when I started my online bachelor degree program, a few fears crept into my brain: How hard will the classes be? How much work will be involved? How much time will I need to complete the work? Will I be able to handle three online classes a semester while working full time?

Before starting my classes I decided to come up with a game plan in order to quash my fears and guarantee my success. The game plan was simple: organization. Being organized is by far the number one way to guarantee success with an online college. It is essential to devise a plan of how you will study and complete assignments. Here are the five tactics I used:

1. Plan out your semester prior to the start of the semester. If you work full-time, schedule days off strategically so you can give yourself enough time to complete major class assignments/projects without scrambling at the last minute. This will alleviate a ton of stress.
2. Assign a separate binder for each class you take a semester. Print the syllabus and put it in the front of the binder. This eliminates confusion and a constant search for important documents. Even though all your required documents will be available to you online, having them at your fingertips makes life less stressful.
3. Assign a designated room in your home as your “school zone”. Make it a place where you can close a door and have privacy for studying and completing assignments.
4. In this room, hang a large white board on the wall. Use this to write down assignments and major projects for each class, along with corresponding due dates. It is a great feeling erasing completed projects off the board! This was a lifesaver for me.
5. Allow yourself some down time to relax. For me it was allowing myself an hour each day to exercise. However, realize while you are in school you will not be able to participate in activities the way you did before – you simply will not have the time. Choose the activity you cannot part with and schedule it in. All others will have to fall off your radar until you graduate. It may seem harsh, but remember you won’t be in school forever.

You will find with organization comes discipline – discipline will keep you focused on your goal. Tell yourself you will succeed in your online courses and it will happen. Once you complete the first semester of online college following the tips above, you will ask yourself, “What was I so scared about?”

My Inspiration for Choosing an Online University?: Accessibility

Posted by Jen Zeman on November 18th, 2008

Living in a small, rural country town has many advantages. Having an easily accessible four-year college or university is not one of them. Accessibility became the main inspiration to pursuing an online university.

The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) provided me everything I needed online: application, course schedules, registration, book ordering, advising, library services, you name it. I didn’t have to step foot on the physical campus until commencement! Final exams couldn’t be taken online, but even that was convenient. I had the ability to take proctored exams at my local community college (which at the time I worked for them, making it that much more convenient). It was wonderful knowing I could achieve a bachelor’s degree (and now even master’s degree) without having to commute 45-75 miles to a physical campus. No wear and tear on my car, no extra money spent on gas, and no traffic! I could log-on to my coursework during lunch breaks, evenings, weekends, whenever it worked for me versus the rigid three-hour classroom requirement typically available. A point to remember – the coursework isn’t any easier because you’re not sitting in a classroom! There usually is plenty of reading, but if you account for the three hours normally spent in a classroom, the reading won’t be an issue.

One other reason I chose an online university was the ability to learn at my own pace. I’m an independent learner who normally moves quickly through assignments so an online atmosphere was ideal (i.e. I didn’t have to sit through an hour-long discussion on someone else’s question when I didn’t need the clarification). However, instructors were easily accessible if I did have questions.

If accessibility to a four-year institution is an issue for you, an online college or university is an ideal choice. It certainly beats the alternative – not getting a degree at all.

What Inspired me to attend Capella University Online

Posted by Jennifer Buchholz on November 13th, 2008

Online education. When I first enrolled in my online program, I had one thing in mind - convenience! I was working full time, and taught college classes part time at night. I was trying to earn a PhD, but there was no way I could give up my life (and my livelihood) to go to a traditional school full time to do this. So I started looking for alternatives. I settled on Capella University in Minneapolis - just after it transitioned from being The Graduate School of America. I had already selected my degree program - Organization and Management, so I just needed to find out where to go. When selecting a school, I was looking into a number of comparative factors - accreditation, scheduling, cost, residency requirements, quality of instruction and rigor. I didn’t want to just spend money to get a degree and have it be meaningless once I was done. I would suggest that anyone considering online education start with those basic factors (although a residency doesn’t apply to most undergraduate degrees).

Accreditation - there are two levels of accreditation - regional and national. When selecting a school, you should know whether or not it is accredited. Generally, if it is accredited it will advertise this fact on the school’s website. Accreditation means that the school has passed a review (sort of a calibration) to ensure the degree is being earned, not just given. Accrediting bodies do a regular review of the schools to ensure the standards aren’t slipping. Generally, your credits have a stronger chance of transferring to another school when you attend an accredited school.

Scheduling - there are so many factors to scheduling, you will want to learn how each school does their schedule and how that works with your schedule. For example, one school I teach for has online classes that go for 5 weeks and most students take one class at time, while another has classes that go for 10 weeks and most students are taking 2 at a time. It is up to you to find a school that has a schedule that will work best with your learning style and attention span. There are advantages and disadvantages to all the options.

Cost - look at this factor closely. How do you plan to pay for your education? Will you get tuition reimbursement from your employer? Will you get help from financial aid? Do you have the resources yourself to pay for school out-of-pocket. Some schools have fees per class or credit (make sure you know the breakdown of how those fees work so you can compare them fairly). Some schools have feels per semester or term - and you can take as many classes as you wish during that term while paying that flat amount. Knowing how the financials of school will work is essential to your long-term success.

Residency Requirements - this almost always required for PhD studies, but could be required for Master’s degree online programs as well. This is a time when you are required to physically attend a conference in-person. Again, how these work will vary by school, but find this out in advance.

Quality of instruction or rigor - accreditation is the first step to ensuring you will get a quality education. After that, you should do some additional research. Google the school you’re looking into and “review”. Look into news articles about the school. Find out what qualifications the instructors are required to have.

Making the decision to attend college online is a big decision, and often it is done swiftly, over the phone or over the web. Do your research to be sure that the structure of the education is what you want so you stick with it and see it through to graduation. I am still (slowly) finishing my final requirements for the dissertation and I hope graduation will not be far off!

Western Governors University Offers Scholarships

Posted by admin on October 23rd, 2008

Western Governors University is helping place more highly qualified teachers into classrooms, especially in the high needs areas of math and science, by offering the WGU Scholarship for Urban Mathematics and Science Educators. These scholarships are designed to help working adults attend college online to become mathematics or science teachers in America’s urban schools.

These scholarships are specifically aimed at individuals living in urban communities who wish to earn a license to teach math or science in their school districts. Also eligible for the scholarship are licensed teachers living and teaching in urban areas who want to earn a master’s degree. Each scholarship is valued up to $3,000.
The WGU Teachers College is one of the largest providers of online teaching degrees, with graduates who have become licensed teachers in nearly every state. It is the only exclusively online teacher education institution to be accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
WGU’s online degree programs focus on the needs of adult learners by providing flexible, technology-based instruction. WGU’s competency-based education approach makes it possible for students to complete the requirements for their degree at a quicker pace and accelerate their program based on their prior experience, academic background, and time commitment to study.
Multiple scholarships will be awarded. However, this is a competitive program and scholarships will be awarded based on a candidate’s academic record, readiness for online study at WGU, and current competency, in addition to other considerations.
For more information or eligibility requirements on the WGU Scholarship for Urban Mathematics and Science Educators, please visit www.wgu.edu/urbaneducator.

College Degrees That Pay You Back!!!

Posted by Dan on September 25th, 2008

The cost of higher education has skyrocketed in the last 10 years.   More and more students are finding themselves entering college and leaving with almost unmanageable debt.  In a society that dictates that going to college is a guaranteed part of life, many students have started to question the worth of a college degree.

In a new report published by PayScale.com, a leading salary comparison website, they list the top Undergraduate Degree Programs that end up paying the student back throughout their career.  The top of the list is heavily populated by Engineering Degree Programs and Mathematics.  However, some career education degrees that might help pay the bills include, Healthcare, Philosophy, and International Relations.  We have included the graph and complete degree listing below