The opportunities for online education continue to grow across all levels of academic programs. This is good news for students interested in the flexibility that online learning offers. It also means that more and more students are moving to online learning for all or part of their degree program.
A recent study by the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics shows that the various formats of online learning have been increasing.
- This includes blending online and campus learning (or what is known as hybrid learning) to nearly 18 percent of all students.
- The report also shows that 33 percent of all college students took at least one course online.
- And online-only offerings for college courses grew by 15 percent during the study’s time frame.
What’s interesting about this trend is that online learning is showing itself to be more effective for students across a number of metrics. The findings of a 2018 Learning House Inc. study, summarized in this Forbes article show that students are learning more and that online learning has the same or better outcomes in terms of job placement after graduation. A few notable findings:
- 85 percent of students surveyed felt like they got as good or better learning experience by taking online courses when compared to traditional campus-based courses.
- 37 percent of online students felt that the experience was superior to campus-based learning.
- Another interesting thing: Students that took California’s first-year law student exam after a year of online-only law school had a passing rate of 38 percent, compared to 17 percent for traditional in-person courses had a passing rate of 38 percent.
- And students graduating from an online-only program from Western Governors University exceeded the national employment rate after completing an online degree by 20 percent.
Online educational programs are positively impacting learning outcomes for a number of reasons including the fact that students can learn at their own pace, and that they have the chance to review material multiple times when it’s not understood. Online programs also usually feature more engaging multimedia content and offer constant and more regular assessment and feedback, which helps students stay on track.
Cybersecurity degrees online
Online cybersecurity degrees are offered at every post-secondary level including:
Online cybersecurity bachelor’s degree programs: In the cybersecurity field, a bachelor’s degree is often required for most entry-level work. There are a number of online bachelor’s degrees that allow students to hone the skills and expertise needed to work in the cybersecurity field.
Online IT degree: A degree isn’t just important because it helps the candidate to find a job. A degree is important because the job of an IT worker is complex. Learning the skills necessary to become an effective technician takes years of training and study.
Online cybersecurity certifications: Often these online certification programs take the form of additional coursework designed to impart specific skills. In the context of cybersecurity, often these certifications are designed for people that hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a closely-related field such as computer science or mathematics and are looking to switch careers into cybersecurity.
Online cybersecurity master’s degree: Today, a master’s degree is a great way to rapidly advance a career or to obtain a specific skill set or professional network. A master’s degree in cybersecurity prepares students to take on management roles or more advanced technical roles with the industry.
Online cybersecurity Ph.D. degrees: Increasingly, advanced degrees are driven by research, such as a Ph.D. in cybersecurity are becoming more common in the field. After completing a Ph.D., doctoral degree holders usually find jobs in academia and in research-oriented roles in the industry.
Online information security master’s degrees: Information security is a cornerstone of cybersecurity. Now, cybersecurity professionals interested in advancing their careers can pursue one of the many information security or information assurance master’s degrees online.
Looking for more information about cybersecurity programs? Check out our section on campus-based degree programs or our section with more specific resources.