Discover the value in earning these five degrees online.
Is going to school online worth it?When it comes to value to employers and quality of education, the answer may be yes.
"I do see online education becoming more popular and more accepted by employers," says Jonathan Rich, a psychologist who teaches online courses at California Southern University. "Some employers actually value online degrees more because they show that someone is able to work well online."
As for quality, a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education in 2009 and updated in 2010 found that "on average, students in online learning conditions performed modestly better than those receiving face-to-face instruction."
Online college professor Dani Babb says the added value of online degrees is related to the way online courses are conducted. Students generally interact more with fellow students and teachers when they are online, which helps build the kind of communications skills today's employers are seeking, she says.
"So many employers want people who know how to use technology and how to communicate online in the written form," says Babb, who runs the Babb Group, a Los Angeles-area consulting firm that advises online educators.
Thinking about pursuing an online education? Keep reading to learn more about the value of earning these five degrees online.
Online Degree # 1 - Business Administration
Do your interests include the stock market, financial news, or investing? An online bachelor's degree in business administration can help develop your expertise and knowledge of business practices and financial strategies.Along the way, your online studies might include economics, statistics, corporate budgeting, and accounting, based on reports by the U.S. Department of Labor. Some of the careers that might require this degree for entry include administrative services manager, financial analyst, and personal financial advisor.
Click Here to Find Business Administration Programs
Value of Online Study: Students in online business administration programs often work in groups or teams, much like they would in real-world business practices. Employers in this field value people who know how to effectively use technology to, as one might say, get down to business.
"Knowing how to use the latest and greatest technology at school translates into an easier time being hired," says Babb.
She adds that the objective of some online business programs is to give students a chance to develop their entrepreneurial skills and show they have the potential to make products or services profitable. "It's all done online with things like mock presentations on Skype, just as if the venture capitalists were in the room," Babb says.
Online Degree #2 - Health Care Administration
A starting point for people interested in managing a health care facility might be an online bachelor's degree in health care administration. In the degree program, students become familiar with the practices and principles of managing hospitals, nursing homes, and clinical facilities.The degree generally qualifies workers for entry-level or assistant management positions at smaller health care organizations, the Department of Labor reports.
Click Here to Find Health Care Administration Programs
Value of Online Study: Getting an online bachelor's degree in health care administration can help students qualify for careers in specialty fields such as health information management. Professionals in information management have the important task of organizing and protecting patient records at a time when threats to online security abound.
In an online degree program, prospective health information managers might experience what it's like to work with records that are increasingly being switched from paper to online databases. "In school, they are getting strong doses of medical records and medical coding, and they are doing it all online," Babb says. "This is hands-on experience they can use as health information managers."
Online Degree #3 - Paralegal Studies
If you want to prepare to pursue a career as a paralegal, where legal research and writing would be part of your day to day life, consider earning your associate's degree in paralegal studies online.According to the Department of Labor, an associate's degree is the most common program for entry into the paralegal profession.
Click Here to Find Paralegal Studies Programs
Value of Online Study: In today's high-tech world, an online paralegal studies program could help teach students how to work from remote locations. This can be a valuable asset for employers looking to hire virtual assistants, paralegals who work for firms away from offices.
According to the American Bar Association, virtual assistants serve as independent contractors and provide various paralegal services while online.
"Online paralegal programs can get you started doing (independent) contract work before you're done with school," Babb says. "You can hit the ground running and make money with your knowledge. And it doesn't require five to 10 years of experience."
Online Degree #4 - Medical Assisting
Thinking about ways to enter the booming health care industry?Earning an associate's degree in medical assisting can qualify you for entry-level positions in this fast-growing profession. Medical assistants are among the fastest growing of all health care occupations.
Nearly 164,000 new workers will be hired between 2008 and 2018, says the Department of Labor.
Click Here to Find Medical Assisting Programs
Value of Online Study: An associate's degree in medical assisting is a valuable online degree option for people who want scheduling flexibility as they prepare to enter the health care profession.
Some portions of the degree work must be completed in a clinical setting (face-to-face work with actual patients), but online courses provide students an opportunity to generally pick and choose when they want to study.
"The value is that you are able to go to school while you are still working," Babb says.
Online Degree #5 - Human Resource Management
If you already have a bachelor's degree and professional experience in the field of human resources (HR), moving into a senior-level position might be your next logical step.A master's degree program provides study in specialized areas such as labor relations and personnel management, according to the Department of Labor. Prospective labor relations specialists, for example, take courses in labor law, collective bargaining, and labor economics.
Click Here to Find Human Resource Management Programs
Value of Online Study: Human resources professionals are being required to become more familiar with changing technologies, computer systems, and digital communications in order to provide services to their companies, the Department of Labor reports.
An online degree program can help familiarize degree students with the kind of technology they will need in their HR careers.
"The biggest change in human resources management right now has been the migration of workers into the telecommunications environment," Babb says. "It's important to have experience of working with people who are not in the same room as you."
If there's one thing we love to do in this age of the Internet, it's communicating. With everything from Twitter and Facebook to chat rooms and blogs blasting us every minute of every day, a degree in communications seems relevant.
Are you thinking about putting your love for computers to the test by earning a degree in computer science? 
Do you have a great bedside manner and a hankering to help those in need? Pursuing a nursing degree could be your calling. With an unemployment rate of 4 percent for recent grads and only 1.9 percent for experienced grads - according to the "Hard Times" report - it's probably safe to say that employers are quite fond of this degree. 
Maybe you're already working on the hospital floor as a registered nurse, but aren't sure if it's the right path for you. Perhaps you could see yourself working on the other side of the health care realm instead in a more administrative role.
If you're in a business-related career now, you might have a lot of valuable insight and knowledge about the way your company's different departments work together. Why not put that knowledge to good use helping organizations connect with their employees in their human resources department? 
Have you realized that you enjoy the analytical aspect of your career as a personal financial advisor more than the client-facing side? Perhaps a career as a market research analyst would make a lot more sense for you. 
Some say love makes the world go round, but business leaders usually say it's money. And that's one reason a degree in finance will be in high demand well into the future, says Nicole Williams, LinkedIn's career expert and the author of "Girl on Top: Your Guide to Turning Dating Rules into Career Success."
If you're into tech, a degree in computer science could be a good call, says Williams. It will be in high demand from employers, resulting in high pay, she says.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that in today's world, marketing is crucial to the success of any business. And that's why Williams says this degree is a good bet for the future.
Like crunching numbers? This degree might be for you. And if it is, consider yourself lucky, because Zimenoff says employers will seek accounting majors in 2014 and far beyond.
Want a degree in what Williams describes as one of the hottest industries going forward? Try a bachelor's in health care management, which Williams says will likely offer opportunities in many different jobs and clear roads to advancement.
Here's a versatile degree that gives you a broad range of knowledge that will fit into virtually any industry, says Zimenoff. But she warns that although this degree will remain a good, practical choice in the future, graduates will have to distinguish themselves from others with the same degree.