There are thousands of people going back to school
mid-career these days, either to re-tool their skills or to upgrade an academic
credential in order to better compete in the job market.
A master’s degree can be an important addition to the
resume for professionals who have gone as far as they can on the strength of a
bachelor’s degree. Because it’s become a
clear trend, schools have developed graduate level programs designed for
working adults who have family obligations as well. Here are some suggestions on how to obtain
that graduate level degree you never thought you’d need. Take a close look at
your online options. Every year more
traditional universities get into online education because they see the changing
patterns in higher education. And every
year the established online colleges gain credibility and accreditation through
steady improvement in quality. But if
you’re a classroom person, you have options there too.
Full time or part
time? A MBA program, for example, can be
completed in two years of more or less full time study, or three years of part
time study. A full time schedule may
require twenty hours a week of class and study time. It’s nice to accomplish life changing goals
quickly in order to gain the benefits, but there’s a reason for part time
programs that are driven by evening classes, weekend classes, or the online
option.
Here’s a new class scheduling paradigm in many career
degree programs that can make this process more manageable. Many online programs and professional part
time master’s degree programs deliver classes in eight week modules that are
sequential in nature. Classes are
intense but short, and one follows another with a designed curriculum. In an
online program with eight week courses you can enroll at six different times
during the year and get underway. You
need not wait for a fall semester to roll around; one of the reasons this
format works is that class work is a year-round activity. That means you can complete six classes a
year taken one at a time on a part time basis, and finish a twelve to fifteen
class program in 2-2 ½ years. Is this
beginning to make sense?The obvious advantage to an online program is the
“asynchronous” nature of the classes. You can watch a lecture or class
presentation anytime; from anywhere your laptop has Internet access. With most online programs there are
mechanisms for communication with instructors and with classmates as well.
Online programs have adapted the technology to mimic the
online campus experience. And you can
build your school schedule around the rest of your life instead of the other
way around. Good research into a quality
master’s degree program along with utilization of educational technology can
make a graduate level education an addition to your life instead of a wholesale
sacrifice of family time and work obligations.
