Online Universities Continue to Add Certification Courses

Earlier this year, the unemployment rate reached 10 percent - the highest it has been since the early 1980's. As job opportunities become scarcer and more competitive, employers have found it necessary to be more selective in their hiring. In order to stand out from other applicants and have access to specialized positions, many people have decided to go back to school to earn accredited certifications in their field of choice. There are numerous online colleges and universities that offer courses that allow students to earn certificates in fields such as education, business and healthcare.

Online education can be a cost-effective option for students who might find it difficult to afford the rising costs of on-campus tuition. Certificate courses may be particularly attractive to busy students as they can usually be completed in a shorter amount of time compared to bachelors and masters degree programs.

Some of the most popular certifications are in the field of business. Many online colleges offer certificates in business management, lean six-sigma methodologies, financial planning and project management.

Lean six-sigma is a business management strategy that is based on cost reduction techniques. Many corporations use this type of methodology to improve efficiency and remove faults from business and manufacturing processes.

Students can achieve different levels of six-sigma certification including a black belt or a green belt. "The importance of six-sigma has increased manifold in the last two decades and is set to increase even more in the coming years as more and more businesses realize its benefits," says SixSigmaOnline.org. "Six-sigma is anticipated to maintain its dominance over all other existing quality improvement techniques because it is flexible and can be altered to suit the requirements of new businesses that might come up in the near future," the source further adds.

Purdue University has recently announced that they will begin offering online six-sigma certification courses to meet the growing need.

"It combines two popular and respected methodologies for improving processes and profits, and at the same time addresses requests for online delivery of instruction," said Vicki Maris, the school's director of professional development programs.

Meanwhile, officials at the University of California Berkeley Extension have recently announced that they have also added several certificate courses to their spring 2010 curriculum. "Created to meet the evolving demands for education and training in a changing economy, thirteen new and updated programs join UC Berkeley Extension's growing list of widely respected professional certificates and specialized programs of study," the schools representatives stated. Prospective online students will have access to certifications in project risk management, project quality management and finance.

Another expansive industry in the U.S. is the healthcare field. A total of 10 of the 20 fastest growing occupations in the country are healthcare related. Most all of these positions require some sort of certification, and many online universities offer certificates in the fields of nursing, psychology, nutrition and fitness.

Education constitutes yet another job market sector that continues to grow in the U.S. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment for primary and secondary school teachers is projected to grow by between 12 and 15 percent over the next seven years, creating approximately 479,000 new teaching positions during that time.

All public school teachers and many private school educators are required to be certified prior to applying to positions in the field.

As the job market has become more demanding, many people have decided to improve their background by receiving specialized certifications. There are hundreds of online colleges and universities that offer such programs.