Right Online Degree Determine Your Wage – Even Makes You Fifty Dollars an Hour Earning Power. Before we go to the topic, you should know about online degree is.

The term online degrees refers to college degrees (sometimes including high school diplomas and non-degree certificate programs) that can be earned primarily or entirely through the use of an Internet-connected computer, rather than attending college in a traditional campus setting. Improvements in technology and the increasing use of the Internet worldwide have led to a proliferation of online colleges that award associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.
Accreditation

The goal of educational accreditation, according to the U.S. Department of Education, is to ensure that programs provided by institutions of higher education meet acceptable levels of quality.[citation needed] In the area of online education, it is important to avoid diploma mills that offer fake degrees at a cost. Students seeking valid online degrees should obtain proof of accreditation from a regional or national/specialized accrediting body in the United States. Online colleges that are fully accredited have earned a widely recognized form of university accreditation from one of six regional accreditation boards.

Each of the six geographic regions of the United States has a non-governmental, regional agency that oversees and accredits degree-granting institutions headquartered in their areas. There are six regional accreditation boards:

* Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
* Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
* North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
* New England Association of Schools and Colleges
* Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
* Western Association of Schools & Colleges

The Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognize the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) as the accrediting organization for distance learning institutions and education programs that offer online degrees.

The recognition of the quality of online degrees compared to on-campus degrees varies. While most major online colleges are regionally accredited, the public perception of their quality is in dispute. Some experts argue that degrees in certain fields are more accepted online than in others, while some programs are less suited for online-only schools.

A survey by the Distance Education and Training Council found that 100 percent of employers who responded felt that distance education program graduates performed better on the job as a result of their degree (as compared to their previous performance). Additionally, employers felt that an employee receiving a distance education degree compared favorably, in terms of knowledge learned, to someone with a resident degree. On the other hand, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported in January 2007 on a Vault Inc. survey that found 55 percent of employers preferred traditional degrees over online ones. 41%, however, said they would give “equal consideration to both types of degrees.”

The Sloan Consortium, an organization funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to maintain and improve the quality of distance education, publishes regular reports on the state of distance education in the U.S. In its 2006 report “Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006,” it stated that in 2003, 57 percent of academic leaders rated the learning outcomes in online education as the same or superior to those in face-to-face. That number is now 62 percent, a small but noteworthy increase.”

In some instances, an online degree may be no different than a degree earned in a campus-based program. The instruction is often exactly the same, and the online degree contains no special designation. An example of this is the degree offered to Columbia University students who earn a degree through the Columbia Video Network (CVN) versus the campus-based program.

Prevalence of online education

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) conducted a distance education study based on the 2001-2002 academic year at 2-year and 4-year Title IV (Federal Student Aid)-eligible, degree-granting institutions. The study reported that 56 percent of all institutions surveyed offered distance education courses. The study also found that public institutions were more likely to offer distance education than were private institutions.

The Sloan Consortium, based on data collected from over 2,200 colleges and universities, reports that nearly 3.2 million students took at least one online course during 2005 (a significant increase over the 2.3 million reported in 2004). According to the same report, about two-thirds of the largest institutions have fully online programs.

That should be enough for online degree description, now we go to our fifthy dollar an hour earning power.

Imagine that every hour you spend on the job makes you fifty dollars richer; two hours, and you’re up to three figures; a year of full-time work, and you’ve got a six-figure salary. Fifty-dollar-an-hour careers net eight times the federal minimum wage. Only five percent of Americans command this kind of money. With the right online degree, you can be one of them.

The following career paths will give you $50-an-hour earning power.

1. Pharmacist
Earnings (2007): $48.31/hour $100,480 salary

Health care workers are gaining earning power by the day, as an aging population boosts demand for qualified professionals. Pharmacists play a critical role in long-term care regimens, dispensing medications and advising patients about their use, possible side effects, and interactions with other drugs. Demand for pharmacists is expected to grow by twenty-two percent through 2016.

A licensed pharmacist holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. The qualification, which has replaced the bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, is much more accessible than a medical or doctoral degree. It begins with the standard two-year undergraduate core curriculum, followed by four academic years (or three calendar years) of professional pharmacy career training. About a quarter of the Pharm.D. program is dedicated to hands-on training in a clinical setting. If six years of college education seems daunting, consider embarking on a pharmacy technician career with a two-year associate’s degree, and pursuing your Pharm.D. online while you work.

2. Actuary (Management & Technical Consulting)
Earnings (2007): $51.48/hour $107,080 salary

In the wake of two major economic bubbles–the 2001 tech revolution and the 2008 mortgage crisis better risk analysis suddenly looks like a good idea. The private sector is already putting renewed emphasis on calculating and hedging risk. Actuaries specialize in risk assessment, analyzing statistical data to calculate the probability of different outcomes and forecast risk.

Numbers are the basis of an actuary’s job. A bachelor’s degree combining mathematics and business courses offers the best preparation for actuarial work. Some online degree programs offer a specialized program in actuarial science, but a bachelor’s degree in statistics, corporate finance, economics, or business will also offer the appropriate career training. Job opportunities look strong through 2016, with 24 percent growth predicted across the industry. The Department of Labor indicates the most optimism for health care and consulting firm jobs, where demand and earnings are highest.

3. Marketing Manager
Earnings (2007): $54.52/hour $113,400 salary

While engineers and industrial designers develop a company’s goods and services, marketing managers determine how to make money from these products. Marketing professionals develop pricing strategies, monitor market trends, and oversee the presentation of the product. They are, in effect, the liaison between the company’s product or services and its customer base. As a marketing manager, expect to add management and leadership skills to your job description.

Marketing managers may enter the field in a junior position with a bachelor’s degree, preferably in business administration. But to advance to the $50-an-hour club, head onward to a master’s degree in business administration. The MBA is widely available online to accommodate working professionals. Many aspiring managers will start on the ground floor as a marketing associate and gradually build the experience and qualifications for a management role.

4. High School Principal
Earnings (2006): $44.70/hour $92,965 salary

K-12 education administrators enjoy the perks of a teaching career helping students, summers off–without the “labor of love” salaries. In fact, the administrators at the pinnacle of their profession earn close to six figures. High school principals develop and coordinate the school’s program, implementing a curriculum, monitoring students’ progress, and managing the school’s budget.

Administrators often start their careers as teachers and work their way up to a leadership role as they gain the necessary experience and credentials. A master’s degree in education administration (M.Ed.) is the standard qualification for a principal’s job. These degrees are available online, making them accessible to working teachers.

5. Petroleum Engineer
Earnings (2007): $54.75/hour $113,890

Engineers command the highest starting salary among bachelor’s degree holders and petroleum specialists rank at the upper end of the engineering salary spectrum. Demand for qualified petroleum engineers is expected to soar in coming years, as energy issues dominate the national agenda. Petroleum engineers create and optimize methods of extracting and processing oil and gas.

A four-year bachelor’s degree in engineering is all that stands between you and a petroleum engineering career. Look for a program with a specialized energy or petroleum engineering curriculum. Hands-on design and development training offers the best preparation for a $50+/hour career in R&D.

1.  New York Times, “Degrees of Acceptance”
2.  Detc.org
3.  Chronicle of Higher Education, “Employers Often Distrust Online Degrees”
4.  Sloan Consortium
5.  About Business Majors
6.  NCES
7.  The Sloan Consortium, “Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006″
8. WorldWideLearn
9.  U.S. Dept. of Education
10.  Yahoo Education
11. Wikipedia