In recent years, one of the most interesting online education trends has been the emergence of degree programs in specialized, often surprising, disciplines. While areas such as nursing, business and data analytics continue to be fertile fields for online programs, prospective students are starting to see online programs in disciplines that, at first glance, might not seem suited for such learning.
In a story last year about online education trends, U.S. News and World Report editor Jordan Friedman mentioned the work of 2U, a company that partners with universities to launch online graduate degrees. At the time, 2U was implementing an online doctoral program in occupational therapy with New York University as well as collaborating with the Syracuse University College of Law on a partially online J.D. program.
“As online learning continues to attract career changers, some experts say more degrees offered online … will focus on specialized areas — such as a bachelor’s in real estate or marketing rather than business administration.”
In 2016, Friedman posted an interesting slideshow, 10 Surprising Degrees You Can Earn Online, that highlighted online programs options that prospective students might be surprised to see. These included programs in such diverse fields as athletic training, fine arts, fire science, turf grass science, dental hygiene and more.
As colleges and universities get more and more creative and adventurous with their online education offerings, they need to apply similar creativity and tools to the recruitment of their online student population. It stands to reason that those who wish to be educated online certainly are investigating potential programs online.
Schools need to have the ability to respond to their needs.
Capture Higher Ed offers marketing automation specifically designed for higher education, allowing schools to track prospective students on their website and connect with them one-one-one through trigger displays, emails, text messages and more. The software, Capture Behavioral Engagement (CBE), has tracked more than 25 million visitors from around the world on our partner’s websites.
Check out this short video to get a better idea of how CBE can enhance your graduate, professional studies and online recruitment.
By Kevin Hyde, Senior Content Writer, Capture Higher Ed
