By: Fabiola Grosshan
Submitted: 2010-09-22 06:56:28 | Word Count: 386
America wrestles with a great recession; the machinery of prosperity seems to sputter to the point that some feel traction will propel the economic vehicle forward, but then it shakes and falls back to where it began. Predictions abound on whether more pain is just around the corner or that smooth running locomotion is ahead.
An area that seems to have bucked the trend of downturn, at least in terms of enrollment, is education. Early in the recession, many economists recommended that employed and unemployed individuals seek out education while the economy stumbled along. Many took the advice to heart and enrolled, wherein many universities experienced increased, even record enrollments.
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Since many former college students remember the glory days of football, fraternity parties and cramming for midterms, the idea of returning to college to complete an advanced degree involved investigating brick-and-mortar campuses as a viable option.
Over the last two decades, though, online degree programs have become a serious force in the world of higher education. These online universities have solidified their position by offering curriculums based on today’s business, technology, education, finance and a football stadium full of other current education needs. These programs are certified, so they stand up to the test of any accreditation inquiry.
But these programs are not just bachelor’s or associate degree programs. Students can gain an online Masters degree and even an online PHD. The value to the student is that an expert in one part of the country can offer a course to students on another coast and time-zone. So the opportunity to learn from highly skilled, recognizable instructors becomes a reality.
The list of online doctorate programs or master’s is extensive. However, the highest benefit comes from the online PHD when students can add the title of PHD to their resume. Especially when jobs are tight, employers are looking for what sets a candidate apart from the pack. A doctorate not only sets one apart, but it also offers a great deal of credibility to whatever is said during the interview. The result is an advantage when searching for that dream job.
