Quick Highlights:
- Flexible college programs are essential for non-traditional students, offering online courses, evening classes, and credit for work/life experience.
- Programs tailored for non-traditional students allow them to balance education with professional and personal duties while studying.
- Some of the most popular majors for working adults include business administration, information technology, psychology, education, and healthcare administration.
- Check for accreditation, flexible course structures, faculty support, and student reviews to ensure program suitability.
Table of contents
If you are a non-traditional student, it’s important to find the best majors for working adults before going back to school. With asynchronous courses and online degrees for non-traditional students, you can pursue your college degree while still managing your work and family responsibilities.
To get started, you should search for college programs with flexible scheduling. You may also want to enroll at a college that accepts work experience credits. In addition, you should try to find flexible college majors for adults, so you can have an easier time in school.
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Defining Flexibility in College Programs
Non-traditional students might be adult learners, working parents, or other types of returning students. Because these students are returning to college after a break, they need evening classes, online bachelor’s degrees, and other forms of flexible courses. They have outside responsibilities, like taking care of their children or working at a full-time job, so they can’t drop everything and move across the country to go to school.
Because of this, returning students need asynchronous courses and college programs with flexible scheduling. While flexible course structures can vary from one college to another, this type of program often involves online coursework. Unlike brick-and-mortar colleges, a flexible program doesn’t require students to show up and sit in class at a set time. Instead, college students can complete the coursework on their schedule.
Some programs are designed to be especially flexible through asynchronous courses. These types of courses don’t require you to complete each class at a set time. Instead, you are allowed to work your way through the coursework on your own schedule.
Among other flexible learning options for adult learners, you can also find part-time options, generous credit transfer policies, and evening classes. While evening classes make it easier to have a day job, generous transfer policies allow you to bring along more college credits. Some colleges will even allow you to use work and life experience for your college credits.
Finally, the best majors for working adults will also offer part-time options. When you work at a full-time job and have to take care of a family, it is often impossible to go to school on a full-time basis. By offering part-time degrees, colleges can make a university education more accessible to adult learners.
Most Flexible College Majors
After making the decision to go back to school, it’s important to find the best online degrees for non-traditional students. Some of the most flexible college majors for adults include:
- business administration
- information technology
- psychology
Healthcare and education are also popular options, so don’t forget to check out these programs for working adults.
Business Administration
One of the most flexible college majors for adults is business administration. There are many different online and hybrid courses you can take that will make getting a degree easier. In addition, many adults who have business experience can use their experience to get college credits.
Through business administration flexible degree programs, you can take the first step toward a rewarding career. The median annual wage of someone who has a business degree is $65,000 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This amount can vary based on the field you work in and your professional experience.
Information Technology
Information technology is a broad field, so there are many different types of careers you can pursue in this industry. Because this degree focuses heavily on computers, it is one of the best majors for working adults. Information technology coursework easily translates into online classes, so this field also has some of the best online degrees for non-traditional students.
Among other information technology degrees for adults, you can pursue a degree in computer science, data science, and computer programming. The amount you earn will vary widely based on the degree you pursue and the type of career you want. For example, a machine learning engineer earns an average salary of $166,572 per year according to Indeed. Meanwhile, a computer programmer brings in an average wage of $60,824.
The entire field of information technology is incredibly in demand right now, so this is a good field to pursue if you want to access a lot of job opportunities. From 2022 to 2032, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the field of computer and information research scientists to grow by 23%. This is much faster than average, so you can expect plenty of opportunities for new jobs and promotions.
Psychology
If you want one of the best college programs with flexible scheduling and asynchronous courses, check out a psychology degree. Psychology is particularly popular among accelerated programs because of how the courses are structured. With mathematics and engineering, each course builds on the last course you took. Because they have to be taken sequentially, you can’t take all of your classes at the same time.
This is not the case when you take psychology programs for working adults. After your first few courses, the remaining classes have very few prerequisites. This makes it incredibly easy to speed up the pace of your program. You can also find many online courses and evening classes through this flexible major.
Once you have completed a psychology degree, you can get a job in many different fields. Some students decide to pursue advanced degrees so that they can become counselors or psychologists. You can also use your bachelor’s degree for jobs in psychology research, school admissions departments, and human resources.
Education
If you are looking for flexible college majors for adults, education is an excellent field to check out. Many programs offer part-time degrees and evening classes, so you can easily plan your degree around your family’s schedule.
Plus, there are many different roles in education. While you can get an education major to become a teacher, you can also work in school administration. With experience and the right degree, you can even become a school counselor. If you do pursue a teaching career, you will need to get a teaching certification as well as a degree in education.
Once you have completed your bachelor’s degree, you can get hired in many different positions. If you work as an elementary school teacher, you can expect an average salary of $63,680 per year based on figures from the BLS. Meanwhile, an education administrator earns a median wage of $88,460 each year.
Healthcare Administration
If you’re searching for the best majors for working adults, healthcare administration is worth checking out. Because people always need to go to the doctor, this field is incredibly stable. Plus, there is a growing need for healthcare professionals.
In this industry, you can get a job as an ambulatory care director, chief nursing officer, medical director, or nursing home administrator. As an entry-level hospital administrator, you can expect to earn an average salary of $46,471 per year according to salary.com.
One of the best things about this major is how flexible it is. You can complete your coursework online or through evening classes. As a result, you can keep your day job while you pursue your education.
Evaluating Programs for Flexibility
The best majors for working adults know how to engage adult learners and provide them with flexible learning options. As you look for the right school, you need to find a college that has the degree you want. In addition, you should look for some of the following factors in online degrees for non-traditional students.
- Accreditation: If your school isn’t accredited, then your degree isn’t worth anything to a potential employer. While a national accreditation is a good start, you ideally want to find a school that is regionally accredited. Because regional accreditation is harder to get, it is viewed as better and more academically rigorous.
- Program Structure: Next, you should look at the asynchronous courses and online classes at the school. You should understand how flexible the program is because you will need to meet all of the course’s deadlines and homework requirements to get your degree.
- Academic Calendar: One way to learn about a program’s flexibility is by checking the academic calendar. If school starts at a set time each quarter, the college probably doesn’t offer asynchronous courses.
- Faculty Support: Even though you are pursuing online degrees for non-traditional students, you will still need help from time to time. Because of this, you should make sure that faculty members are available via email or phone. When you need help, you need to know that there will be someone at the other end of the line.
When looking at programs, you can verify the degree’s flexibility in a few different ways. Other than checking the university’s website, you can read through alumni feedback. The school’s reviews on Google and social media may also include information about how flexible it is.
If you are still unsure, reach out to the school’s admissions department. They can give you more input about what to expect from your educational experience.
Learn More About the Best Online Degrees for Non-Traditional Students
If you are searching for the best majors for working adults, there are many options to choose from. By finding college programs with flexible scheduling and asynchronous courses, you can make your college experience as easy as possible. Thanks to flexible college majors for adults, you can reduce the time it takes to achieve your personal and professional goals.