Our top degree pages for different areas of study have been well-received so we thought it would be helpful to come up with a ranking of top online schools.

We spent many hours of research to find out the best online institutions in the nation. To evaluate them, we looked at the following factors:

• cost
• selection of online degrees
• programmatic accreditation
• special features
• reputation
• academic awards

Also, we made sure to only choose regionally accredited institutions, since regional accreditation offers the most benefits and is the most respected form of accreditation in the workforce and the higher education community.

We included sample degree costs to help you compare tuition rates. The degree costs are estimates based on tuition prices compiled in 2010. The costs do not include any transfer credits.

Continued…

What should be top priority on your list when choosing an online school? Is it the cost, the class size, the tech support? All those things are important, yes, but you can put them in the “ask later” box for now. First on your list: accreditation.

What is the big deal about accreditation? If you’re serious about your college education, you should know at least the basics about accreditation. Keep reading to find out what accreditation really is, why it’s so valuable, how it can save you money and kick-start your career, and which key questions to ask college administrators.

Continued…

A criminal justice degree allows individuals an in-depth knowledge of social science, criminal behavior, and the ability to control crime and delinquency. A criminal justice degree allows students the ability to develop a strong knowledge of crime, criminals, and the criminal justice system.

[Click here to browse our list of online criminal justice degrees]

Students pursuing a criminal justice degree combine an extensive knowledge of the law, sociology, political science, psychology, forensic science, public administration, urban studies, and philosophy. A criminal justice degree allows students the ability to identify the definitions, causes, and prevention of crime. A criminal justice degree also familiarizes students with legal processes and the treatment or rehabilitation of offenders. Students majoring in criminal justice receive an extensive educational background in legal and correctional systems within the United States. Students also learn the philosophy behind punishment and crime deterrence as well as the strict ethical code of behavior required of criminal justice agencies.

Continued…

Each year more and more people decide to get their degree online. And each year more and more types of degrees are offered. However, there are a handful of degrees that are most popular for those pursuing an online education. Below we’ve listed the ten most popular online degrees over the past few years. We hope this information is useful as you select which online degree you want to pursue.

Continued…

Learn about different degrees by clicking the links below.

Accounting
If you are detail-oriented and like to deal with numbers, an online accounting degree can help you turn your skills into a rewarding career, both financially and personally.

Business Administration
Business administration students learn a broad range of disciplines including finance, marketing, management, and human resources. These disciplines help you become a valuable asset for the top companies.

Business Information Systems
In a business information systems program, you learn about computer programs and business and also gain skills for analyzing and developing complex computer applications and programs. You can market yourself as a professional for any business or organization that needs help with computer systems.

Business Leadership
A business leadership degree is for you if you aspire to be a key leader in an organization. The degree combines the studies of human relations, social science, business, communication, law, and leadership to give you the skills to lead.

Business Sustainability
As an academic discipline, the study of sustainability tackles current organizational issues surrounding sustainability, while bridging the gap in our knowledge to how long term climate change impacts our planet and what impact that businesses and products have on the environment.

Communications
Thanks to advances in technology, the demand for skilled communications professionals has boomed in recent years. The internet, cable television, satellite radio and other new forms of communication have revolutionized the way information is conveyed.

Computer Science
If you have an aptitude with technology and great people skills, a career in working with computers could be excellent for you. With an online computer science degree, you’ll study different aspects of information technology, hardware, programming, software applications, and networking.

Criminal Justice
Criminal justice is a great field to study in if you want a career that protects and serves the public good. The field covers different areas including crime control, rehabilitation of offenders, and government systems to uphold the peace.

Graphics and Multimedia
Graphic designers and multimedia developers are at the vanguard of the latest online technologies, creating visual communications and interactive experiences for a variety of business, government and non-profit employers.

Health Administration
Health administration encompasses numerous specializations, including public health, disease prevention, long-term care and health informatics. Healthcare administrators plan and coordinate operations in hospitals, federal research facilities, insurance firms, clinics and home healthcare companies.

Hotel and Hospitality Management
Hotel and hospitality management focuses on how to run a hotel or other hospitality establishment. The area of hospitality management covers several different fields, so the degree earned depends largely on the area you wish to focus on after graduation.

Human Resources
Human resources professionals perform tasks such as interviewing, hiring staff, and handling employee’s relations. Also, they may have the responsibility to participate in strategic planning and policy making within an organization.

International Business
As the world has become more globally connected, degrees in the rapidly growing field of international business have become increasingly sought after. Modern companies need to rely on the assistance of knowledgeable professionals who understand the various facets of doing business overseas.

Management
A management degree can qualify you for many jobs in a wide variety of fields. Whether you get a job in retail, publishing or another corporate field, the degree can help you become a strong leader as well as a knowledgeable one.

Marketing
With the proliferation of new products and services and the increase of competitors in every industry, businesses and other organizations need strong marketing professionals to promote their products and services and stand out from the crowded marketplace.

Nursing
If you want to enter an industry with a lot of demand, consider enrolling in an online nursing degree program and becoming a nurse. Many hospitals and health care companies have a nurse shortage because there are not enough nurses in the workforce to meet the health care needs of their patients.

Operations Management
The operations management major covers the part of an organization concerned with development, deployment, and maintenance of processes that create and deliver products and services. As businesses continue to be pressured by eroding margins and increasing price pressure, there is a need for professionals in this field to optimize these processes.

Project Management
Project managers work in any industry or organization where complex processes require planning and evaluation. A project may be defined as any work with a beginning and end where the intention is to create a product.

Psychology
Psychology degrees are perfect for those who seek to better understand how people work and why they work that way or understand why people think the way they do and make the decisions they make.

Religion
As an academic discipline, religious studies seeks to understand how spiritual beliefs have shaped the politics, art and economics of societies around the world.

About the Degree

If you wish to find a good job in the law enforcement field, Liberty University offers a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree. This degree will give you the skills and knowledge to meet your career goals. The coursework can advance your career if you already have job experience in law enforcement.

Liberty University offers classes in a diverse set of topics in the criminal justice field. You will learn the differences between the organizational, procedural, and constitutional elements in the federal justice system and representative systems. Plus, you will understand how the justice system works including the various responses to different types of crime.

The courses will help you develop communication skills (oral and written) so that you can clearly communicate in professional settings. You will be taught how to lead and manage others. You can leverage those skills to further your career and earn promotions and certifications.

The degree requires 120 totals hours including 30 hours of upper-level courses. Also, you must take 30 hours through Liberty University including 24 hours of the major.

If you have finished classes at an accredited police academy, you may qualify to earn credit hours. Also, military experience may be eligible to college credit.

Liberty University’s Criminal Justice degree can help you land a job in the following areas: juvenile justice, counseling, probation and parole, and corrections.

About the School

Founded in 1971, Liberty University established itself as a distance education leader in 1985.

Today Liberty University has over 45,000 students enrolled in their online degree programs. With their flexible online setup, you can earn your degree at your own schedule and pace.

The school has been accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) for 25 years. They hold one of the highest retention and graduation rates among the online universities.

[Request information from Liberty University about their criminal justice program]

Business organizations these days need to have very knowledgeable and skilled people to achieve their goals and stand out from the rest. Executives with a master’s degree and proper work experience are better equipped to handle people and the different areas of the company.

Those who would like to improve on their skills particularly in managing people and in understanding their customers and competitors on a deeper level can pursue further studies in business intelligence. Saint Joseph’s University offers a Master of Science in Business Intelligence degree program that will help students in their future careers as top executives in their organizations. This can be completed online for the convenience of the busy working professionals.

Participants enrolled in this master degree program are expected to develop their ability to gather information and interpret them in relation to their customers, suppliers, competitors as well as help them improve their decision making skills for the good of the company. Two specializations are also available and these are on behavioral analysis and business intelligence.

Graduates of a master degree in business intelligence can work effectively in the IT industry as a manager or analyst and other high ranking positions. With the right background on technology, processes analysis and other relevant techniques, graduates can be sure to contribute greatly to their organizations.

Graduates of Saint Joseph’s University MS in Business Intelligence program can expect to have a well rounded knowledge on the latest technologies utilized by many organizations today and develop the skills in assessing workflow, analyzing data, maintaining effective operations and creating business models for forecasting business.

There are people who have a passion for gaining a deeper understanding of the behavior patterns of humans. This knowledge on human behavior can be applied to different areas of society not just in medical science but even in the business industry.

If this is the path you would like to pursue, you can enroll at St. Joseph’s University which offers a Master of Science in Business Intelligence with specialization on Behavioral Analysis. This master degree program can be completed entirely online ideal for those who want the convenience and flexibility of pursuing advanced studies.

Key courses involved in this program are the basic principles of behavior analysis, applied behavior analysis, consultation, behavioral development and clinical behavior analysis. The basic principles of behavior analysis focus on the concept of learning to include thinking, feeling and imagining while the subject applied behavioral analysis will help students better understand children with ADHD, ODD and CD8 and train parents and professionals to apply respondent based treatments. Students will also learn about writing behavioral objectives and gain an understanding on the legal or ethical issues involved in the treatment of children.

In addition, the consultation subject prepares students on how to go about this process such as in the juvenile justice system, school system, workplace and community settings. Specific topics covered in this subject are the ways to build a consulting relationship, identify problems during the interview process, functional analysis, standardized behavioral assessment, treatment plan design, implementation and evaluation.

Behavioral analysts today play a major role in helping authorities and agencies understand the ways of people including criminals and how to improve them moving forward.

In today’s job market, it is ideal for job hunters to be properly equipped with the right knowledge and skills that will make them attractive to potential employers. Having a Bachelor of Science in Professional and Liberal Studies degree will give you the edge among the other aspiring applicants.

If you would like to start a career right away after graduation from college, you can pursue your Bachelor of Science in Professional and Liberal Studies degree at St. Joseph’s University. This degree trains students in different areas such as in professional communication, organizational development and leadership to help them become effective in their future jobs. Other courses included are computer proficiency, personal finance management, moral philosophy and religious studies.

Students interested to enroll in this particular bachelor degree program can also choose the online method. The online format is flexible and convenient yet it still provides quality and interactive courses through interaction between students and instructors. The faculty members at the university are also professionals with extensive experience so you can be sure you’re getting the right education.

St. Joseph University is run by the Jesuits and has been a respected institution for more than 150 years now. The Jesuit education strives to develop in students the right moral and spiritual character, effective reasoning and communication skills and their sense of pride. Its online format covers not only the bachelor degree program but as well as the master and graduate certificate programs. The coursework offered in the bachelor program are meant to train students for fast growing jobs that they can immediately apply for right after graduation.

[Request information about this degree from Saint Joseph's University]

People with a degree in criminology have an important role to play in society. They can actually work in various areas such as in corporate and government security, in local, state and federal law enforcement, protective services, NGOs, U.S. customs and immigration and in homeland security. Those with a master degree can be sure to advance in their careers faster and hold higher positions in the organization they’re working for.

If you wish to attain a higher rank in your career, you can enroll in a Master of Science in Criminology degree program at Regis University. You can choose to attend the traditional classroom-based program or the online program whichever suits your current lifestyle. The busy professional would benefit more from an online learning format as you can work on your coursework at your own pace and time. You need not attend classes on campus and disrupt your work schedule.

Courses included in this master degree program are contemporary issues in criminology, ethical conduct and positions of power, contemporary crime policy, global culture and transnational collaboration in combating crime, criminal psychopathology as well as research analysis and application.

Through this program, students will learn to better understand how criminal behavior develops and how to confront such behavior to solve issues in the community and organizations. Skills in administration and resolving social issues are also taught to prepare participants as they hold more challenging tasks ahead.

Jobs in the field of criminology are among the most in demand today. Positions available are in the areas of corrections, counseling, criminal investigation, forensics, rehabilitation, private investigation, research and policy studies and law enforcement among many others.

[Request information about this degree from Regis University]