What´s hot in online degrees and what´s not? Business is the number one online degree major. Adult learners are enrolling in high-prestige distance programs such the Master´s in Business Administration (MBA) in record numbers. The hope is the more they learn the more they will earn. A recent survey of students worldwide by the Graduate Management Admission Counsel (GMAC) found 2004 MBA graduates expecting a salary bump of $20,000 to accompany their diplomas.
Human resources (HR), a popular residential B-school major, is also popular among online degree seekers. HR ranks 9th among the top 10 most sought after graduate B-school majors online according to a survey of more than 2,000 prospective online students undertaken in 2004 by www.GetEducated.com.
With more than 400 business degrees offered online from accredited U.S. colleges there´s never been a better time to dial up an advanced degree.
Convenience is one benefit of online education. Cost savings is another. With college costs escalating an average of six percent annually in the U.S. students are shopping the Internet for their best buy.
GetEducated.com´s biennial survey of distance learning graduate schools reveals that running the numbers before enrollment is a wise move. A distance master´s in business (MBA) from an accredited online university can cost as little as $4,000 or as much as $110,000. The average cost is $16,400-$26,300 depending on programmatic accreditation.
Comparing the cost of different online programs, the editorial staff of GetEducated,com has come up with a list of the top 10 bargain buys in HR degrees online.
GetEducated.com´s Top 10 Bargain Buys ~HR Graduate Degrees Online
The following programs are offered 100% online at a cost of up to half the national average for similarly accredited online degrees. The schools listed below are all regionally accredited. Regional accreditation is considered the highest form of academic accreditation in the U.S. and has the widest acceptance in terms of employment and academic transfer status.
Note: HR graduate schools in the U.S. commonly require a four-year bachelor´s degree from a regionally accredited college with a 2.5-3.0 GPA. Provincially chartered schools in Canada are considered the equivalent of regionally accredited colleges in the USA.
Amberton University
www.amberton.edu
Master´s Human Relations & Business
Tuition: $7,200
Central Michigan University
www.ddlcampus.cmich.edu
Master´s Human Resource Management
Tuition: $10,080
Troy State University
www.tsulearn.net
Master´s Human Resource Management
Tuition: $10,080
TUI University
www.tuiu.edu/
Master of Business Administration/Human Resource Management
Tuition: $12,129 Florida Institute of Technology
www.segs.fit.edu
Master of Science Human Resource Management
Tuition: $12,375
Baker College
www.bakercollegeonline.com
Master of Business Administration/Human Resource Management
Tuition: $12,755
University of Illinois Online
www.online.uillinois.edu
Master of Education Global Human Resource Development
Tuition: $12,096
Northcentral University
www.ncu.edu
Master of Business Administration/Human Resource Management
Tuition: $13,500
University of Wisconsin Whitewater
academics.uww.edu/business/onlinemba
Master of Business Administration/Human Resource Management
Tuition: $19,800
Top 10 Undergraduate HR Degrees Online
With more than 100 accredited US colleges offering online bachelor or associate degrees in business finding a program that suits your needs and your budget should not be a problem. For a true bargain, ferret out state-supported colleges that offer their degrees online to all North American residents at the same price they offer them to in-state residents.
GetEducated.com´s Top 10 Bargain Buys~Online Undergraduate HR Degrees
The following are offered 100% online at a cost of up to half the national average for similarly accredited distance degrees. Tuition is stated in semester credits. A bachelor´s degree requires a minimum of 120 semester credits (40 courses). An associate´s degree requires a minimum of 60 semester credits (20 courses). Tuition is stated in semester credits.
Pennsylvania State University
www.worldcampus.psu.edu
Certificate in Human Resources
Associate in Business Administration
Tuition: $185-$370 per credit
Amberton University
www.amberton.edu
Bachelor´s Human Relations & Business
Tuition: $200 per credit
Park University
parkonline.org
Bachelor´s Management of Human Resources
Tuition: $200 per credit
University of Wisconsin Platteville
www.uwplatt.edu/~disted
Bachelor´s Business Administration/Human Resources Management
Tuition: $225 per credit
Upper Iowa University
www.uiu.edu/distance/index.html
Bachelor´s Business/Human Resources
Tuition: $235 per credit
Baker College
www.bakercollegeonline.com
Bachelor´s Human Relations Management
Tuition: $245.50 per credit
Excelsior College
www.excelsior.edu
Bachelor´s Human Resource Management
Tuition: $240 per credit plus fees.
Thomas Edison State College
www.tesc.edu
Certificate, Associate or Bachelor´s Human Resource Management
Tuition: $128 per course credit plus significant fees
University of Maryland University College
umuc.edu/ge
Tuition: $384 per credit
Western Governor´s University
www.wgu.edu/
Bachelor´s Business Human Resources Management
$2,390 per 6-month term
Not All Online Degrees Equal
Are online degrees as good as their classroom counterparts? A review of almost 400 studies has failed to find any significant difference between learning outcome or learner satisfaction based on degree delivery method alone.
But how do people "feel" about distance degrees? Does the public accept them? More importantly, will your boss feel an online degree represents an inferior education?
GetEducated.com began surveying employers on questions of perceived quality in 1989. Thirteen years of research indicates two solid trends.
Since 1996 there has been a sharp increase in the acceptance of distance degrees. This appears to be related to the rise of the Internet as a delivery method: Americans trust the Internet, and therefore tend to trust degrees delivered this way more than those delivered by older technologies such as cable TV, radio, and mail correspondence.
In 2000, 79% of corporate managers rated a distance degree "as good as" a residential option. (Up from under 50% in 1989). However, this approval rating surpasses 90% when the name of the institution offering the degree is immediately recognizable to a prospective employer.
Distance brands tied to large public university systems, such as California State University, The University of Maryland, and the University of Texas System, tend to receive high approval marks (90% or more) regardless of the assessor´s state of residency.
Universities that lack a brick-and-mortar legacy, offering degrees only by correspondence, earn the lowest approval marks. People are waiting for a new generation of "Internet Only" universities to prove themselves. They tend not to trust universities that operate distance-learning programs only.
While Americans generally love new products and services, higher education is one area where historical longevity breeds consumer trust and confidence.
© 2004 GetEducated.com, LLC. For more tips on finding your best buy in accredited online degrees in management and human resources, consult GetEducated.com´s 100% FREE downloadable PDF college guidebook series, GetEducated.com´s Best Distance Learning Graduate Schools and GetEducated.com´s Best Distance Learning Undergraduate Schools,www.GetEducated.com.