The Ever-Evolving World of Online Education

There are some degrees that are almost as old as education itself, but as society continues to change and new technology moves to the forefront, so does the type of degree options available. Old courses are refreshed and updated with new content, while new courses and degrees are introduced to keep up with the latest trends. Along with new ways to help students further their education from wherever they are in the world, online degrees also continue to improve and evolve. Here are some of the degree programs that have been newly introduced, as well as older programs that are available online for the first time.

Online Degrees

Agricultural Education & Communication

A fully online degree in Agricultural Education and Communication has been made available to prepare students for entry into agribusiness and communication. The program is aimed at students interested in positions in these fields related to human resource development, training, political interests, and public relations. As such, the program covers core leadership and communication skills along with topics such as teamwork, digital media, content development, and presentation development. 

Entomology & Nematology

Fully online degrees in Entomology and Nematology are also available at some learning institutions for students interested in the fascinating world of insects and nematodes. This degree can prepare them for careers in academia, private industry, government, and more. Students enrolling in this degree program online can choose to specialize in Biological Science of Insects or Urban Pest Management. Depending on this choice, the course topics may include ecology, animal behavior, physiology, evolution, conservation, etc. 

Biomedical Sciences

Online degree programs in Biomedical Sciences are becoming available to help students strengthen their academic records for entrance into health professions, including medicine, dentistry, optometry, physician assistant, and pharmacy. 

Biomanufacturing and Bioprocessing

Online master of science degrees in Biomanufacturing and Bioprocessing are now available to meet the needs of this evolving industrial industry. The degree is designed to help the next generation of life science professionals and those already working in the sector operate effectively. 

Engineering Leadership

Online master of business administration degrees in Engineering Leadership have been made available for individuals working within engineering settings who want to move into senior leadership positions. In addition to including core modules from the master of business administration degree program, this degree also features additional engineering-focused modules such as Safety-Critical Systems, Engineering Sustainability, and more. This makes the degree useful for people in the engineering sector and helps them broaden their business skill set. 

Culture, Technology and Environment

One of the new online degrees introduced to address contemporary issues is the Bachelor of Arts in Culture, Technology, and Environment. This degree seeks to educate students on using humanistic approaches to tackle an array of urgent issues. These include equitable and diverse global citizenship, climate change, environmental justice, and various ethical questions about the use of technology. 

Global Security

The evolving nature of global conflicts has resulted in new online degrees in global security. These interdisciplinary programs link serious ideas with practical case studies to train students to engage critically with global conflict and international security. They generally feature courses such as War, Conflict and Security, Future of War, Understanding Conflict and War, Comparative Studies of Conflict, and Global Politics of Security. 

Engineering

While engineering degrees are already available that are 100% online, some universities have been adding new concentrations to these programs for students to focus on. These include autonomy, which examines current and future engineers' challenges when working with autonomous systems; the Internet of Things, which focuses on the analysis and design of interrelated systems; and robotics, which focuses on the various applications of robotics in manufacturing. In addition, Strategy and Defense Engineering is a new concentration that focuses on social science and engineering knowledge needed for the analysis, design, and execution of technologies to protect strategic interests.  

Online Certificates

Along with new online degree programs, there is also a wealth of new certificate programs relevant to various emerging industries. For example, the legalization of cannabis in certain countries and states has resulted in the availability of new programs such as Cannabis Healthcare & Medicine, Cannabis Agriculture & Horticulture, The Business of Cannabis, Cannabis Compliance & Risk Management, and Cannabis Product Development & Design. The COVID-19 pandemic also saw a rise in interest in viruses and vaccines, resulting in new courses on virology and vaccinology. Finally, the prevalence of AI has seen new professional certificates, such as the Spark AR Developer Certificate from Meta, being introduced. 

Conclusion

Online degree programs lower the barrier to entry into higher education and help to enhance the career prospects of people who might otherwise not have been able to continue their studies. As technology becomes more widespread and accessible, it will continue to drive new degree programs to be fully online. As the needs of students and the job market continue to change, more flexible, accessible, and industry-relevant online degree options will become available in response. In addition to the degrees listed above, numerous other options might become available soon, so keeping an eye open for new updates on this front is always beneficial.