Newstricky| Now that you’ve determined that it’s time to take that baccalaureate in business administration up a notch to a master’s degree in health administration, you are probably wondering how best to accomplish this. Should you take traditional on-campus courses, or should you pursue your degree online? There are advantages and disadvantages to both so it’s a matter of which approach suits you best.
Perhaps you will find the answers you seek by looking at a few great reasons to study for the graduate degree you are interested in pursuing, an Executive Masters in Health Administration. In fact, as you begin to understand the advantages of studying online, you probably won’t be interested in on-campus classes after all.
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Protection Against the Surge of Omicron
After suffering the stress of more than two years of a global pandemic, online degrees are sounding better and better all the time. Even though there was hope during the summer and autumn of 2021 that the long-awaited vaccines would stop the spread of Covid-19, new variants keep emerging, causing new restrictions, which everyone hoped would be a thing of the past by this point in time.
Perhaps seeking a degree in any area of healthcare has made you hyper-aware of the need for preventative measures, notwithstanding that the Omicron variant is found to be the most contagious to date. One of the really great reasons to study online for anExecutive Master’s in Health Administration from a triple award winning university like uOttawa’s Telfer is that you can get a quality education without being potentially infected in an enclosed space.
Study at Your Own Pace
One very important consideration is the fact that very few students have the luxury of leaving their jobs to study full time on campus. Most grad students continue working throughout graduate school so being able to study at your own pace and at times most convenient to your schedule is a plus.
While some master’s programs can be completed immediately following a baccalaureate degree, an EMHA is most often a bit different. Some universities require at least five to seven years of work experience in a career related to administration. Therefore, having worked your way up the corporate ladder, it’s not something you can simply step away from to attend an on-campus program before earning a degree that places you on an executive level.
Less Expensive in Several Ways
Sometimes the cost of tuition is lower when taking classes online but that is not the only way in which the cost of graduate school can be lower. Consider for just a moment the cost of fuel needed to travel back and forth to classes as well as maintenance and upkeep on your vehicle.
Also, you may be interested in a master’s program at a university that is far enough from your home to make it impossible to attend classes on campus. This would necessitate moving to a new location and in today’s economy, that could set you back several thousands of dollars. In addition, it would leave you unable to continue working your current job throughout. If you have a family, it might not be financially realistic to relocate either.
When studying from home you would not need to travel to classes, saving a considerable amount of money. Also, you would not need to eat lunch at the cafeteria or local coffee shop because your kitchen is just a few steps away from your home office and PC. Eating out is not cheap in any respect of the word!
Immediate Access to Research and Resources
Another situation many students are affected by is not having the ability to stop a lecture midstream to locate research or find data pertinent to what is being presented. Some students find it easier to research immediately as questions arise rather than waiting until the lecture is completed to find the answers they sought.
When studying online, most lectures are videos which can be paused long enough to locate information. Yes, some lectures are held via teleconferencing platforms such as Zoom, but those are not usually an everyday routine. The purpose of studying online, after all, is to allow students the freedom to set their own hours and study at their own pace.
Greater Exposure to Job Opportunities
Some graduates say that they found studying online the best thing that could have happened in terms of finding potential employers. Many universities do have career days where prospective employers present job openings and career possibilities available, but these give students limited access to the key speakers.
Students have said that many of their job prospects came about naturally while searching for information online related to their studies. There are also times when grad students post their theses online where potential employers can search for job candidates knowledgeable in certain areas.
Bear in mind that you will already be sitting at your computer so there will always be that temptation to do a bit of job searching along the way. As you get closer to graduation, you will find that job searches take up much of your online time.
Employer Acceptance of Distance Learning
There was a time in the early years of distance learning when some employers were leery of online degrees. However, as time went on and more and more well-respected universities began offering online degrees, major employers began to willingly accept online graduate degrees.
It is, after all, the age of technology and there are few industries that don’t rely on the very technology they once feared. If you are at all worried that major employers in the healthcare industry will look unfavorably at an online degree, remember, those days are long over.
In fact, most employers now embrace online degrees because they understand the need to rely on tech-savvy professionals. When it comes to a career in Executive Health Administration, technology is a key focus, so an online degree gives you an advantage that just might tip the scales in your favor.
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