The career outlook for college graduates this year has not looked as good in a decade, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ annual outlook survey. On a year-over-year basis, American organizations in the public and private sectors plan to hire 16.6 percent more college grads in 2019 and wage growth for this workforce segment is expected to continue at the reported rate of 14.4 percent.
College degrees are a requirement for most entry-level skilled positions. Furthermore, professionals with a Master’s degree are statistically (according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) more likely to enjoy a high employment rate, being reabsorbed into the workforce, even if they’ve been let go in a mass layoff.
Accordingly, high school graduates in South Florida have every motivation to pursue university degrees, since it can elevate the status and income of working professionals.
But what about prospective students who are already in the workforce? At Florida National University we understand that not everyone will be able to fight traffic to arrive at a class at 6 or 7 p.m. a few times per week after work, much less adjust their work schedule to take traditional day classes. FNU recognizes the challenges that a traditional college education can impose on individuals who are already part of the American workforce.
The Advantages of Self-Paced Online College
There was a time when students were expected to go off to college and stay there four years before weighing their options with regard to graduate school; to a great extent, this was part of the American Dream. What is happening these days in South Florida and other major metropolitan areas is that individuals and their families have more demands and greater responsibilities, where their purchasing power, especially for homes and the like, isn’t balanced. Trying to make enough money to meet basic needs, as well as balance work and home life is hard enough, without adding academic obligations on top of it.
To this effect, FNU’s many online education degree programs give students options to learn at their own speed. Self-paced online degree programs are perfect not only for working professionals but also for individuals whose family obligations prevent them from pursuing traditional university courses.
The self-paced model of learning is neither new nor exclusive to online education. Classroom research dating back to 1963 shows that self-paced learning tends to be more effective for adult students, but not so much for children. Now that we are in the e-learning era, completing a curriculum at a pace that students can control is more effective for working adults returning to college.
Online College Top Benefits
Of the many advantages of self-paced online college, the following stand out:
- Today, more and more people have taken classes online as part of their coursework or for their whole degree, which is validating the online degree.
- Work and family obligations are easier to manage. You do not have to worry about missing class if you need to look after a sick relative. Should you feel exhausted and need time to rest, you will be able to do so!
- Naturally, students can work at a pace that they feel comfortable with; no need to rush or cram for a test. Topics that you truly enjoy or that you feel deserve more attention can be learned thoroughly.
- Advanced students whose work experience gives them greater insight into their fields of study will be able to advance at a faster pace. This is often the case with students who choose FNU’s online Master in Business Administration program.
- With online college, students feel more comfortable developing their own studying style.
- Students feel more at ease and gain greater self-confidence when they complete courses.
- Commuting time and costs are eliminated. You save on gas and do not have to put up with gridlock on the 95, Palmetto or Dolphin Expressway.
- Students with disabilities have less physical challenges and obstacles to overcome.
- Students who feel initially challenged by the online education platform can take more time to master it. You can also set aside time to conduct research to help you understand topics that you feel stuck in.
Is Online College Right For You?
Some of the best candidates for self-paced online college learning are those who have clear career goals. Let’s say a law office clerk working in Hialeah wants to land a better job at a prestigious business litigation firm in the Brickell district; one way for this clerk to boost their resume would be to obtain their Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies from FNU. This particular degree program is fully online and can be completed on a self-paced basis. Once this e-learning student gets around to choosing her electives, she will be able to select courses, such as Contracts and Business Entities, Introduction to Torts and Business Law. For the upper level electives, they may want to choose Business Organizations, Intellectual Property and Legal Research. Completion of these courses will be up to the individual’s work and family schedule. To learn more about this program, contact one of our advisers today.
Other programs that are 100% online include the Registered Nurse to Master’s in Nursing (MSN) and Master’s in Nursing with a concentration towards a Nurse Educator or Nurse Leadership/Management. Our Master’s degree in nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
Online College Programs Offered at FNU
FNU is a college that focuses on providing students with convenience, anytime and anywhere. Students who feel that some of their courses should be taken offline and others in the classroom can take advantage of our campus locations in Hialeah and southwest Miami.
Naturally, most working professionals prefer online programs, such as our popular Master’s in Business Administration, a degree that is always known to be in demand among South Florida companies. The 36-credit MBA program offered by FNU starts at multiple times throughout the year and can be completed in just 12 months.
Students whose schedules are hectic to the point that they cannot attend classes in the evening are the best candidates for self-paced learning. FNU is a proud member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, thus you can rest assured that our MBA curriculum has been formulated to meet the demands of today’s competitive business world.
If you don’t have the kind of work-life schedule that lets you study on a daily basis, self-paced online degree programs are for you. Many FNU online students started off with traditional college programs and returned to online programs once they started working; if this is your case, contact one of our admissions counselors to discuss your options.
FNU offers more than just online education; we are a fully accredited degree-granting institution that offers scholarships, financial aid and tuition incentives.
Completing college coursework at your own speed can broaden your career horizons and help you reach your maximum potential. When you are ready to consider a self-paced online degree program in your life, be sure to contact FNU.
