Booming Online Degrees to Switch Fields

If you're looking to make the switch to an in-demand career field, consider earning one of these hot online degrees.

By Andrea Argueta
Have you hit your company's glass ceiling? Maybe you're in a struggling industry with little opportunity. Regardless of your situation, if you're thinking about changing things up professionally, there are a variety of booming fields to consider.
And with the flexibility of an online education, you can go back to school without giving up your current job.
So if you are looking to switch fields, here are five popular online degrees that could offer you the flexibility to help you reach your goals.

Online Degree #1: Bachelor's in Business Administration

Potential Booming Career: Financial Analyst
Want to make the switch to the wonderful world of finance? Consider earning your bachelor's in business administration online.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a bachelor's in business administration is one of the degrees required by many financial analyst positions. As for opportunity, the Department of Labor reports 23 percent projected growth from 2010 to 2020.
Why online? "An online business administration degree might give you real-world experience - experience that you can't get in a traditional program," says Dani Babb, an online educational consultant and founder of the Babb Group. Students get to communicate electronically, which is common among colleagues in the business world, Babb adds.
Click to Find the Right Online Business Administration Program.
What you might learn: As a business administration and management major, you could develop your leadership skills while learning how to plan, organize, and direct an organization's activities, says the College Board, an organization of colleges and universities that administers tests such as the SAT. Commonly offered courses include business ethics and law, operations management, and financial management.

Online Degree #2: Associate's in Paralegal Studies

Potential Booming Career: Paralegal
If you are eager to pursue opportunities in the growing paralegal field, but can't quit your current gig to get the necessary schooling, consider earning your associate's degree in paralegal studies online.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the paralegal profession is projected to experience 18 percent growth from 2010 to 2020.
Why online? Going online gives students the flexibility to learn a new field while still working during the day and taking care of family needs, adds Babb.
Additionally, online paralegal degrees "...allow students to learn the language and to write and research in the same manner as traditional degrees," says Babb.
Click to Find the Right Online Paralegal Studies Program.
What you might learn: With common courses such as civil procedure, litigation, and legal research and writing, a paralegal studies program might prep students to conduct investigations and work under the supervision of a lawyer, says the College Board.

Online Degree #3: Associate's in Health Information Technology

Potential Booming Career: Medical Records and Health Information Technician
Thinking about making the switch to a data-driven health care field? An online associate's degree in health information technology might provide the flexibility you need to start prepping for a growing career in health information technology.
Per the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of medical records and health information technicians is projected to grow by 21 percent from 2010 to 2020.
Why online? According to Babb, online health information technology programs are popular because they offer students the flexibility they need to tend to all of their responsibilities. In fact, these programs now offer online labs so students can study anywhere - at the office or even at home.
Click to Find the Right Online Health Information Technology Program.
What you might learn: According to the College Board, health information technology students could study "everything you need to know to prepare and maintain medical records, from coding to terminology to special medical software." Classes could cover topics like medical terminology, health care statistics, and introduction to coding.

Online Degree #4: Bachelor's in Communications

Potential Booming Career: Public Relations Specialist
If it's your goal to switch to a career as a public relations (PR) specialist, but you need some flexibility to fit schooling into your schedule, consider earning your bachelor's in communications online.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment for PR specialists is projected to grow by 23 percent from 2010 to 2020.
Why online? Online communications programs remain popular because they have a competitive advantage over on-campus programs, according to Babb. "Learners spend a lot of time writing for online audiences and even presenting to others online, which is a sought-after skill for companies," Babb says.
And as if this weren't enough, communications is a very moldable degree, according to Babb. In fact, a student could go on to pursue an occupation in journalism, blogging, or marketing.
Click to Find the Right Online Communications Program.
What you might learn: As a business communications major, you may "learn how to write, edit, and speak professionally," says the College Board. Through courses like public relations, marketing, and mass communications, you can develop your communication skills by writing press releases or giving formal presentations.

Online Degree #5: Bachelor's in Public Administration

Potential Booming Career: Social and Community Service Manager
Looking to pursue a career where you can give back to the community? To fit the required schooling into your busy schedule, consider earning a bachelor's in public administration online.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the employment growth for social and community service managers is projected to increase by 27 percent from 2010 to 2020.
Why online? With the flexibility of an online degree, a public administration student who is already working can still advance his or her career, according to Babb. In other words, this online degree provides a more flexible option for working students trying to prep for a career in public administration.
Click to Find the Right Online Public Administration Program.
What you might learn: As a public administration major, you typically study how different people interact and how U.S. policymakers balance the needs of various groups, according to the College Board. Through courses like public policy, community analysis, and economic development, you could build the skills needed to bring together diverse groups.

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The 20 Smartest Colleges In America

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  Yahoo! Finance/Thinkstock - MIT at night

Think there's a difference between the most selective colleges and those with the smartest students?
That's what Lumosity, a cognitive training site run by Lumos Labs, sought to find out with a series of games designed to test America's leading higher education institutions.
After realizing that national and global rankings for colleges each year were based almost solely on standardized test performances and information about the school's resources (including endowment per student, student-faculty ratio, and graduation rates), Dr. Daniel Sternberg at Lumosity took it upon himself to discover which institution really had the smartest individuals.
He and his team tested 60,000 students at over 400 colleges and universities to play games that measured various cognitive skills including attention, memory, speed of processing, problem solving, and flexibility.
The study even broke down the college rankings by cognitive area, finding that Dartmouth College performed the highest on attention, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology was the best with memory, Harvard students ranked highest at speed of processing, and that Yale students performed best on flexibility.
The overall winner was the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the school with the best problem solvers. MIT has consistently ranked highly on best-of-schools lists, and was recently named the top university in the world by the QS World University Rankings list, beating last year's winner the University of Cambridge as well as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton for the title.
The top 20 schools are below. Click here to view the complete Lumosity study.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2. Harvard University

3. Stanford University

4. Northwestern University

5. Yale University

6. Washington University in St Louis

7. Dartmouth College

8. Wellesley College

9. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

10. Duke University

11. College of William and Mary

12. University of Pennsylvania

13. University of Portland

14. University of California-Berkeley

15. Vanderbilt University

16. University of Chicago

17. Carnegie Mellon University

18. Macalester College

19. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

20. University of California-Los Angeles

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Degrees to Help You Get Into Politics

Has the presidential election sparked your interest in a political career? Check out degrees that could help you prepare...

By Simon Herbert
Has the upcoming presidential election sparked your interest in politics?
Good news! Running for public office isn't the only way to get involved. There are many different political career opportunities that help you contribute back to society, says career expert Katharine Brooks, director of the Liberal Arts Career Services for the University of Texas at Austin.
Check out these degrees that could help you take that first step onto the political stage.

Degree #1: International Relations

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, it’s never been more important to understand what is going on outside of the United States. If you're ready to brush up on your international knowledge, a bachelor's degree program in international studies could be a good fit.
Students usually learn more about complex issues ranging from the effects of war on foreign trade, diplomacy, intelligence, and how nations interact on economic, military, and cultural issues, according to the College Board.
Click to Find the Right International Business Program.
Political path: With a bachelor's in international relations, you could pursue a career as a foreign service officer, government executive and legislator, or news analyst, says the College Board.
Those who have gone before: President William Jefferson Clinton studied international relations at Georgetown University, according to the White House website.

Degree #2: Business Administration

As President Calvin Coolidge once observed, “The chief business of the American people is business." So it's no surprise that many political figures have studied the dynamics of business management.
According to College Board, a bachelor's degree in business administration could help students develop skills in arranging, directing, and managing an organization's objectives. Courses might range from topics such as accounting, marketing, economics, managing, sociology, and business policy.
Click to Find the Right Business Administration Program.
Political path: A bachelor's in business administration could come in handy as you prepare to enter into a management career in government (like the Treasury Department), says the College Board. Other non-political opportunities might be found in finance and marketing. Of course, in most fields, you'll need experience, too.
Those who have gone before: President George Walker Bush received his master's in business administration (MBA) at Harvard University, according to the White House website.

Degree #3: Public Administration

The Oval Office isn't everything. There are plenty of political offices that need filling at the local and state levels. A bachelor's or master's degree in public administration could set you on the path to politics by teaching you how to work with neighborhoods and organizations within your own community, something our current president knows a thing or two about.
In a public administration program, you might learn how to effect real change in policies at the local, state, and federal levels, says the College Board. Some common courses in this program include public budgeting and financial administration, public policy, and community analysis.
Click to Find the Right Public Administration Program.
Political path: A bachelor's in public administration could serve as the jumping off point for your political career. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, this degree could help prepare you to pursue work as a social and community service manager. Get a master's in the field and you could pursue a related career as a political scientist, where you might analyze government policies for various private and public organizations.
Those who have gone before: Current U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell received a bachelor's in public administration from Miami University, and current U.S. Representative James Patrick Moran, Jr. earned his master's in the field at the University of Pittsburgh. And although he didn't study public administration specifically, President Barack Obama spent several years as a community organizer in Chicago before starting down the road to the White House.

Degree #4: Communications

Politics is about communicating a clear message, which has never been more critical than in the 24/7 news reports we've seen during this presidential election season.
With a bachelor's in communications, students might study journalism, marketing, public relations, communication and rhetoric, mass media (television, radio, print media, Internet), and how media impacts our laws and culture, according to the College Board.
Click to Find the Right Communications Program.
Political path: A bachelor's in communications could enhance your knowledge of communications and help as you pursue a career as a news analyst, says the College Board. Other less-political options might include program director, manager for advertising or marketing, or a public relations specialist.
Those who have gone before: Former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino graduated from Colorado State University-Pueblo with a bachelor's degree in mass communications, according to the Colorado State University-Pueblo website.

Degree #5: Economics

Money makes the world go round, so a clear knowledge of how it works is essential, whether you’re raising funds for a campaign, or working to cut the national deficit.
Economics students, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, may study how society distributes resources (land, labor, raw materials, and machinery) to produce goods and services. They might also conduct research, collect and analyze data on energy costs, exchange rates, business cycles, inflation, interest rates, taxes, and employment levels.
Click to Find the Right Economics or Business-Related Program.
Political path: Those with a bachelor's in economics could be prepared to pursue a politically-minded career in public policy consulting, says the College Board. Other potential opportunities might include financial analyst, management consultant, or market and survey researcher.
Those who have gone before: President Ronald Reagan studied economics at Eureka College in Illinois, according to the White House website. President George Herbert Walker Bush, his successor, graduated with the same degree from Yale University.

Degree #6: Political Science

Want to learn more about the development of government bodies and public policy? Pursue a bachelor's degree in political science, and you might study the mechanics of politics, including the origins and operations of political systems, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Other topics covered might include public policy, political theory, and political ideology, says the College Board, an organization that administers academic aptitude tests like the SAT.
Political path: A bachelor's in political science could help you pursue a career as a political scientist or policy analyst, says the Department of Labor. Non-political opportunities might include research assistant or teacher.
Those who have gone before: President Barack Obama received his degree in political science from Columbia University. President Woodrow Wilson was a professor of political science at Princeton, according to the White House website.

Degree #7: Education

While perhaps not an obvious choice, with the recent low performance of U.S. schools on the world stage, a background in education could present one possible path to a political career. And we can think of at least one major U.S. political figure who has proven this to be true.
In addition to providing you with the skills to be an effective teacher, a bachelor's degree in education could teach you about how people learn, covering topics like educational psychology, says the College Board. Common courses include philosophy of education, instructional technology, and teaching methods.
Click to Find the Right Education Program.
Political path: Although a degree in education does not necessarily offer a clearly defined political path, all of those hours in front of the class could get your public speaking skills tack sharp. To qualify for a public school teaching position at any level, you must have a bachelor's degree and a state-issued certification or license, says the U.S. Department of Labor.
Those who have gone before: President Lyndon B. Johnson earned his bachelor's from Southwest Texas State Teachers' College and taught for several years in South Texas before going into politics.

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Online Degree #1 - Bachelor's in Psychology

If you love psychology and delving into how the human mind works, you may want to think about earning this degree online.
According to Swan, an online psychology program could provide flexible scheduling options for students who want to prepare for health care or social services fields.
"The online delivery system makes it so accessible for people if they live far away from a university," Swan says. "If you have a program with videos, you might be able to study at different times."
What you might learn: According to the College Board, an organization of colleges and universities that administers tests such as the SAT, psychology students could learn more about the ways people think and feel through courses such as perception and sensation, developmental psychology, and personality.
Click to Find the Right Online Psychology Program.
Potential careers: A bachelor's degree in psychology or a related field is typically required when pursuing social services careers like a probation officer or correctional treatment specialist, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Social worker is another potential career option for bachelor's in psychology grads.

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Online Degree #2 - Bachelor's in Accounting

Want to study accounting, but don't know if you can commit to set class schedules and commutes to campus? Consider studying online.
"[Accounting majors] can do research and learn their technical number-crunching skills at any time they want," says Swan.
Just keep in mind that you'll need to be comfortable learning independently, Swan adds.
What you might learn: Accounting majors typically learn about gathering, organizing, and reporting financial information to companies and individual clients, according to the College Board. Courses might cover such topics as cost accounting, auditing, and business law.
Click to Find the Right Online Accounting Program.
Potential careers: This online degree is a smart choice if you aspire to pursue opportunities in accounting. Most accountant and auditor candidates need at least this degree or one in a related field, says the U.S. Department of Labor.

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Online Degree #3 - Bachelor's in Education

Going back to school to pursue your dream of teaching others doesn't have to be so out of reach. With online learning, you could earn your bachelor's in education on your schedule.
Besides providing more convenience to students, an online bachelor's degree in education could help students get more accustomed to using technical gadgets, says Swan. And these tech tools could eventually come in handy in the classroom.
"One of the biggest things happening in education is technology in the classroom," Swan says. "The iPad is infiltrating the classroom, and teachers need to know how to make full use of new tools."
What you might learn: According to the College Board, "education majors study how people learn and how to best teach them." Classes could cover topics like philosophy of education, instructional technology, and teaching methods.
Click to Find the Right Online Education Program.
Potential careers: If you are interested in pursuing a career as a public kindergarten or elementary school teacher, know this: You'll need a bachelor's degree in elementary education - along with a state-issued license or certification, says the U.S. Department of Labor.

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Online Degree #4 - Bachelor's in Communications

If you want to go back to school to earn your communications degree, going the online route could provide the flexibility you need to make it happen.
In fact, studying this subject online could have more benefits than you might think.
According to Swan, because a lot of today's business communications are conducted online, becoming adept at using a computer could pay off.
"Students are increasing their comfort level and competence with computers during the program, so it compounds the benefit of studying online," Swan says. "It's also a wonderful, flexible way to study."
What you might learn: If you want to learn how to write, edit, and speak professionally, a business communications program can prepare you to properly communicate in a business setting. According to the College Board, public relations writing, public speaking, and advertising and marketing communications are among some of the commonly offered courses.
Click to Find the Right Online Communications Program.
Potential careers: Earning a bachelor's degree in communications could help you pursue a number of careers. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employers prefer candidates with a bachelor's in communications, journalism, or English for technical writing and editing positions.

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