Online Biology Degrees

If you've ever had a fascination with nature and how the world works, a career as a biologist could be your calling. An online biology degree can provide the career training for a number of interesting careers, or it can serve as your stepping stone to more specialized degrees. The life sciences, as biology is sometimes called, is both captivating and rewarding, and can lead to a very exciting career.

Facts about Biology Degree Holders. In 2004, biology scientists held 77,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Biology degree programs teach the core components of biology (the name means "the science of life") and often provide the basis for later specialization in a particular area of biology. In 2007, the starting salary for professionals with bachelor''s degrees in biology was $35,042, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. The median earnings for professionals with advanced biology degrees ranged from about $55,000 to $74,000. No degree can guarantee a particular job or salary, but those with biology degrees will benefit from growing opportunities in non-research jobs through 2016, according to the BLS.

What to Expect from a Biology Degree Program

Biology degree programs focus on living organisms and how they interact with their environments. In this respect they are distinct from biochemistry programs, which focus more on the chemical components of life. Biology courses cover a broad range of topics. In many degree programs, these include:

• Cell biology
• Plant biology
• Animal physiology
• Anatomy

Bachelor's degree programs in biology often require coursework in related disciplines, such as mathematics, chemistry, physics, and computer science. Master''s degree and PhD programs often emphasize a subfield of biology, like botany or marine biology. Universities offer a wide range of specialized biology degrees. A biology degree of some kind is generally necessary for a career in the life sciences. The degree can provide the foundation you need for other careers such as medicine, nursing, bioengineering, or biochemistry. These career paths can lead to very lucrative jobs in very high-demand fields.

Biology Degree Online

Because of the widespread usage of personal computers and the Internet in the home these days, getting your biology degree online has never been easier. Online schools offer you flexibility in scheduling; you have time to work and/or raise a family while getting the same career training you could get at a regular college or university. The future is bright for biologists. Training in the life sciences is urgently needed in many fascinating research areas, from finding cures for diseases to solving the problems caused by global warming.

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Online Geography Degrees

With the growth of online colleges and universities, geography degrees online have gained immense importance. Geography degrees online can be earned by anyone, a student or experienced professionals.

A good number of colleges and universities offer online courses in geography.Geography is the science of place and space, according to the Association of National Geographers.  Physical geographers study patterns of landmasses, watersheds, ecologies, and soils.  Human geographers study how humans interact with their environments. There are plenty of online geography degrees that will allow you to earn a degree while working full-time. Careers for geography majors include cartographers, who earn an average of $46,080 per year.  

Job Options:

• Photogrammetrist
• Surveying technician
• Cartographer
• Map analyst
• Soil conservationist
• Map curator

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Online History Degrees

Most historians focus on a either a specific place (country or region), a specific time period (middle ages, renaissance, industrial revolution), or a specific field (social, political, intellectual, cultural, or diplomatic history). Some research and analyze data, and others help to preserve historical sites, buildings, artifacts, or archival materials.

In order to research history, historians use any type of material they can, including

•      Films
•      Governments
•      Institutional records
•      Interviews
•      Letters
•      Newspapers and other periodicals
•      Personal diaries
•      Photographs

Students of history can often wear a variety of different hats in their careers. For example, a historian working at a museum or an archivist might interpret collections, research objects, write and edit reports or other publications, review historical source materials, as well as educate others.Most historians teach at colleges or universities, and therefore they must learn to balance their teaching with writing, researching, publishing, consulting, and administrative responsibilities. Historians may also prefer to pursue teaching at the pre-collegiate level, either as one aspect of a general curriculum in primary school or as their only subject at the high school level. For teaching at in middle or high schools, you traditionally need to study education, as well as obtain a teaching certificate in history.

History Degrees and Career Training

Becoming a postsecondary teacher at most colleges and universities requires a PhD. Community colleges, however, usually only require instructors to have master''s degrees. Some historians-in-training attend archeological field schools where they learn how to excavate and preserve historical sites. Bachelor''s degrees can get you started in the field by leading to a position as a research assistant, and during this time you can gain important work experience, or even take on an internship or volunteer at a museum or historical society. Employers almost always value work experience, and it may lead to a higher starting salary.

Career Prospects for Historians

As of 2006, 3,400 historians worked in the United States, and that number of jobs for historians is expected to grow by 8 percent by 2016, which is almost equal to the national average for all occupations. Public interest has grown recently in preserving and restoring historical sites, which has led to growing job opportunities within historical preservation societies. Wages for historians have been rising 3 percent annually, going up to $50,790 in 2007.Local governments employ the most historians, followed by the federal executive branch, management, scientific, and technical consulting services, state governments, and scientific research and development services. The top paying industries for historians are, in order (mean annual wages):

•      The federal executive branch ($80,280)
•      Management, scientific, and technical consulting services ($69,400)
•      Architectural, engineering, and related services ($65,760)
•      Colleges, universities, and professional schools ($53,280)
•      Museums, historical sites, and similar institutions ($51,070)

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Online Art Degrees

Professional artists don''t always have it easy, but they do have the daily reward of doing what they love. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that about 62 percent of artists are self-employed, and competition for salaried jobs and freelance assignments is intense. However, employment for those skilled in fine arts and crafts is expected to grow faster than the average for all other occupations and a variety of exciting career options are available.

Degrees and Career Training for Art Director Positions

If you enjoy working with others, display leadership, and have creative vision, consider becoming an art director. Art directors work for newspapers, periodicals, and other forms of digital media, including the movie industry. They oversee creative design and layout and decide which images and artwork will be used. Art directors usually begin their careers as entry-level artists. A bachelor''s degree in art is usually required, either from a college, university or an independent school of art and design. Online career training in studio design, art history, and art direction can provide essential information to aspiring fine art and craft professionals. Sometimes art directors also earn a degree in art administration, which emphasizes project management and finance. According to the BLS, the median salary for art directors was $72,320, in 2007.

Degrees and Career Training for Craft Artists

If working with paper, wood, metal, glass, ceramics, and/or textiles appeals to you, becoming a craft artist may be a good career choice. Craft artists create a variety of handmade objects for sale and display, either in galleries, museums, or their own studios. Although not all crafts artists earn degrees, and many craft artists supplement their income from other jobs, training is necessary. Online coursework from an independent school of art and design or a college or university can provide vital career training for this field. In 2007, BLS records show that craft artists earned on average, $26,200.

Degrees and Career Training for Fine Artists

Fine artists enjoy careers as painters, sculptors, or illustrators, and display their work in galleries, museums, corporate collections, homes, and in the case of illustrators, books and textbooks. Many fine artists teach classes as a way to subsidize their income, which was a median of $42,070 in 2007, according to the BLS. Various universities and colleges offer Bachelor of Arts degrees and advanced degrees in fine art with online components. Independent art and design schools also offer many online classes, which supplement studio work. Studio training includes painting, illustrating, sketching, sculpting, restoring, and printmaking. Successful completion of academic training will facilitate the development of your portfolio, showcasing your best work for potential employers and clients.

Degrees and Career Training for Multi-Media Artists and Animators

Multi-media and animation careers are increasingly popular. If you are as comfortable with computers as you are with art, this career path provides an excellent fit. Multi-media and animation artists create special effects as well as storyboards, which present scenes similar to that of a comic strip, for the motion picture, video, and advertising industries. The BLS reports that the median wage for multi-media artists was $54,550 in 2007. Most multi-media artists have a bachelor''s degree. Many online programs offer multi-media and animation classes in drawing, color, character, design, and computer applications. If you truly dream of becoming an artist, don''t let anything stand in your way. Get the career training you need to succeed. An online education program can enable you to take the first step today.

Design is a creative playing field involving professionals from many sorts of careers. Chefs, graphic designers, interior designers, architects, painters, and fashion designers are all included in the broad spectrum of design expertise. Professionals who succeed in the field of design are typically talented in their art form and, also, have some applicable education or training that helps apply their talent to the working world of design. Ideal for working parents or mid-career changers, earning a degree from an online university is perfect for nontraditional students, particularly in the art field. Your talent demands formal classroom training, and an online art degree is a great way to do it--plus the industry is booming. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of artists and related workers is projected to increase by 16 percent through 2016; that''s faster than the national average for all occupations over the coming decade. Art degree coursework varies with your intended major. However, most programs feature a unique mixture of liberal arts classes and art-focused training aimed at your desired profession. Common working titles for those earning this degree include fine artist, graphic or commercial artist, art or museum curator, or creative director. And the salary is competitive. The BLS reports that graphic designers earned a median salary of $41,280 in 2007.

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Online Sports Degrees

Imagine if your love for sports was central to your career. It is not only professional athletes who can turn their sports passion into careers. Sports represent a multibillion-dollar industry with a wide variety of employment opportunities, including management, marketing, and supervisory positions. Possible careers for sports management majors include: promotion and development directors for sports teams and school athletic programs, front desk workers at sports fields, coaches and scouts, sports officials, public relations specialists, athletic directors, and sports information directors. Careers in sports management require business and marketing aptitude, the ability to communicate and negotiate well, and a willingness to work long hours; a love of sports comes in handy as well. Competition for positions is often intense, but those who excel in accredited sports management degree programs often find the most success.

Sports Management Degree Programs

Depending on your career goals, you can earn your sports management degree at the bachelor's, master's, or doctoral level. Those with backgrounds in business, marketing, or law often enter graduate degree programs in sports management. Many of these people become top-level sports supervisors, marketers, or agents. Sports management degree programs often include courses in sports business management, athletic management, accounting, and marketing. The courses you take should reflect the job you hope to enter in the field. For instance, if you want to become an athletic director, in addition to earning a degree in sports management or related field, you will likely need a degree in education or education administration. Many sports management programs can be earned online. Online education is an extremely convenient way to secure valuable career training.

Sports Management Jobs and Earnings Potential

Many people would love to turn sports into careers. For this reason, many sports management jobs attract high numbers of applicants, making competition high. But between anticipated retirements and a continued large presence of, and interest in, sports in our communities, the next decade should see the creation of many sports-related jobs. For those just entering the field, internships provide excellent opportunities to make contacts and gain relevant experience. Internships can be found in team offices and school athletic departments. Volunteering as a coach or official for a local athletic team is another good way to break in. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job opportunities and salaries vary widely, depending on the area of sports management. For public relations specialists, the BLS anticipates an 18 percent increase in jobs from 2006 to 2016, representing 43,000 additional positions. Median earnings for public relations specialists were $49,800 in 2007. For all education administrators, including athletic directors, there is an expected 12 percent increase in employees. High school administrators earned a 2007 median salary of $80,580, while college level administrators had a median salary of $75,780. Coaches and scouts earned a median of $27,840 annually in 2007, according to the BLS, with the highest salaries going for coaches at colleges, universities, and professional schools.

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Online Agriculture Degrees

Online Agriculture Schools offer programs of study in animal care, crop management, and turfgrass sciences. Busy professionals who want to further their education, change their careers, or study for reasons of personal interest will find it easy to study and gain a degree in Agriculture studies without ever stepping into a classroom.

Online Agriculture degree programs are sometimes completely available through online sources. Degree programs at diploma, associate, bachelor, and master levels are all offered by Online Agriculture Schools. Teaching Agriculture courses incorporates interactive Internet, video, tele-course, audio-conference, and computer assisted instruction. One-year diplomas in agribusiness management are presented entirely through Online Agriculture studies. This diploma prepares students for entry-level positions in production, wholesale, and retail. Professional development in dairy science includes

Online Agriculture courses using interactive educational tools. Diplomas and certificates can be awarded upon successful completion of introductory classes. Diplomas and certificates are also valuable for those who wish to follow basic courses with advanced training that will allow them to enter the fields of management, livestock nutrition, livestock reproduction, education, and veterinary sciences. Some Online Agriculture studies enable students to complete studies for a bachelor degree in Agriculture through online studies. The Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture allows for more advanced employment. Online Agriculture master degree programs in agribusiness provide professionals with knowledge and skills to contend with today''s progressively more complex food and agricultural economy.

Online Agriculture master''s degree programs build on the liberal arts foundation of the bachelor''s degree with concentrations in animal science that include extensive study of mathematics, statistics, and computer science; agricultural, biological, and physical sciences; and of business and economics. Often some periods of on-campus attendance are required for completion of the master''s degree program. Master''s degree students in advanced Agriculture studies have the opportunity to specialize in Online Master of Science degrees. Choices make it possible to emphasize areas of study to achieve status as agricultural professionals, practitioners, and educators. Programs may emphasize practical, professional, and technical skills involved in crop management, soil and water management, integrated pest management, animal husbandry, animal nutrition, and livestock breeding. Master's degree students of Online Agriculture will be required to demonstrate their ability to write reports of laboratory work, field studies, or library research to complete the degree program.

Additionally, Online Agriculture programs are offered in turfgrasses. Students can focus on sod production, landscape management, golf courses, cemeteries, athletic fields, public parks, school grounds, and other public and private surfaces. Successful completion in these Online Agriculture programs can earn a certificate in professional turfgrass management and related subjects.

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Online Library Science Degrees

As it stands, Library Science of the modern age has moved far beyond the Dewey Decimal System. Today, many individuals with a Library Science degrees work with the public, or  behind the scenes in technical support, acquisitions or administration. While librarians traditionally have worked with printed resources, today they work with a number of non-print materials such as CDs, the Internet, and computerized databases are just as signifigant.

On average an individual with a Library Science degree earns $42,000.00 - $60,00.00.

Career opportunites include: 

• Elementary and secondary schools
• Colleges and universities
• Local government, i.e. public libraries

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