Balancing a full-time job with the rigorous studies necessary to earn a master’s degree or Master of Business Administration (MBA) in marketing can be hard work. Choosing an online degree program can make it easier. Working adult students in online courses often enjoy the flexibility of studying whenever and wherever it’s convenient for them. They can also benefit by choosing schools where online graduate programs are designed for adult learners.
The Flexibility of Online Master’s in Marketing Programs
Working full-time can pose certain challenges when you decide to go back to school to earn your master’s degree in marketing. As a traditional student, you would have a harder time arranging a course schedule that meshes with your work schedule. If you have other responsibilities, like a family to take care of, your time is even more limited – and less flexible.
Flexibility is a main reason why so many working adult learners turn to online education. As a working adult, you can’t afford to just quit your job and devote the next two or more years of your life to full-time studying. As much as a master’s in marketing or MBA in marketing would help your career, taking this much time off would hurt it. Besides, you have bills to pay and possibly a family to support. If you’re going to succeed in both your career and your studies, you’ll need the convenience and flexibility found in online education.
Offering a flexible schedule is just one of the ways online education helps working adults and other nontraditional students earn their degrees, according to U.S. News & World Report. An online education also helps adult students overcome other obstacles that could stand in the way of attaining a higher education. These include the geographical distance to a desired school and stigma associated with being an older college student. Working adults who choose an online education can apply to any college anywhere, without having to move their families across the country (and leave their jobs). They can also blend in more with their peers when they study online.
Online Programs Designed for Working Adults
Some of the best online master’s in marketing degree programs are intended specifically for adult students. Baker College, for example, will only consider applicants age 21 and over for admission into its MBA in marketing program. Both South University and New England College have designed their online MBA in marketing curricula for working adult students. Tiffin University will consider candidates with a lower GPA, provided they have five years of work experience.
At some schools, a focus on working adult students may translate to a completely different teaching style, one that is directed to the self-directed and interactive ways adult learners process new information. At other schools, there may be more of a career focus, or a different level of institutional support.
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