Benefits of an Online IT Degree
In many disciplines, getting a degree through online education is more feasible each year and degrees in Information Technology (IT) are no exception. The Distance Education Enrollment Report 2017 showed over 6 million students enrolled in post-secondary online education in the 2015 fall semester. Nearly 15% of those online scholars took all of their courses online! The number of students opting for a fully online course selection is growing as more accredited institutions offer fully-online degrees.
Is an Online IT Degree the Right Choice for You?
Before deciding on a course of study and whether or not to pursue a fully online education, it's important to understand some terms. Make sure to read our article on the Return on Investment (ROI) of a college degree to learn more about the unexpected factors that can influence ROI when it comes to a career.
Passionate interest informs successful career choices, but even if you know what you want to study, with all your heart, it's great to know what the data shows about your decision. If you want to pursue an online IT degree, take the time to do a little research and find the program that offers the optimal combination of access, strong job prospects and (of course) earning potential.
Where to Research Your Online IT Degree
We'll present our current findings below, but the world of online education is evolving rapidly, so make sure to do your own research to verify your conclusions with current data!
Look for salary and education data from Payscale and consult the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the National Center for Eductaion Statistics (NCES), and the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) for the data that affects your specific case. Armed with current data from these sources, you can be confident in making the right choice.
Distance Degree Reputation
In the past, when distance education was considered ineffective and low-class, degree reputation was more of a concern, but even ivy-league institutions provide online courses in many disciplines. Degree reputation need not be the chief factor in your decision to learn online.
Investigate thoroughly, instead of making what seem like obvious assumptions! It may seem like a discipline like IT is a natural fit for online-only education, but taking some courses in-residence may offer some unexpected benefits, too. Practice and lab-work with unfamiliar enterprise-grade equipment is only possible on-site, in some cases. What is best depends on the nature and concentration of your degree program.
What to Expect From an Online IT Degree
Complex info-technologies rapidly become part of everyday life and this trend has led to a growing reliance on IT professionals. IT careers are flourishing in segments of the industry that did not even exist 10 years ago!
For those already working in IT, an online degree program can be helpful for continuing an education, advancing a career or pursuing different IT employment options. Online IT programs typically cover IT basics, programming, systems administration, network architecture, databases and ethics. Students can learn specific skills such as IT project management, Local Area Network management, information security management and technology, and LINUX or MS Windows. Some hands-on lab work is usually required. Graduates can qualify for jobs such as software developer, database administrator, information security analyst and computer programmer.
Vital Statistics:
- Number of schools offering an online IT degree, 2015-16: 103
- Early career median salary, 2016: $53,000
- Projected total job openings, 2016-26: 220,100
- Average projected job growth rate, 2016-26: 17.51%
- Job titles aligned with this degree program, 2015-16: 9
Source: Online Degrees