| In today's competitive job market, higher education has | | | | become available in the spring semester. |
| become a requirement among many employers. In | | | | Students who wish to pursue degrees in liberal arts, |
| fact, many individuals who have experience in their | | | | elementary teacher education, history, psychology, |
| fields now feel the need to obtain college degrees in | | | | social studies education and special education will be |
| order to remain valuable. | | | | able to take advantage of the college's new online |
| However, very few working adults can afford to halt | | | | options. Steve Dunnivant, the school's associate dean |
| their careers in order to participate in traditional, | | | | of e-learning, said the new programs are intended to |
| campus-based degree programs. As a result, many | | | | provide "full degree pathways to students in [their] |
| individuals are taking advantage of the offerings of | | | | service area and beyond" that are "more accessible" |
| online universities to obtain an associates degree while | | | | to working adults. |
| they continue to work. | | | | In the future, the college plans to add associates |
| Accredited online colleges, including the University of | | | | programs in accounting, business administration, |
| Phoenix and Kaplan University, offer a wide variety of | | | | business teacher education, computer science, |
| associates programs that can help working adults and | | | | economics for business, network services technology, |
| students alike enhance their qualifications without | | | | fire science technology as well as an advanced |
| sacrificing their career development. Due to a rise in | | | | technical certificate in magnetic resonance imaging to |
| popularity of convenient online degree programs, many | | | | its fully online offerings. |
| community colleges nationwide have developed hybrid | | | | Some community colleges and universities are also |
| and wholly online associates programs that cater to | | | | partnering to help online associates degree candidates |
| busy students. | | | | transfer their credits to more easily earn an online |
| Gulf Coast Community College, for example, has | | | | bachelors degree. For example, Midway College and |
| added more than 1,000 online courses over the past | | | | Highland Community College have recently announced |
| year to meet an increase demand for online education, | | | | they will collaborate their course offerings to allow |
| Foster Folly News reports. The Panama City, | | | | associates degree holders to move directly into an |
| Florida-based school has announced it now offers six | | | | online bachelors program. |
| fully online associate degree programs, which will | | | | |