Online master's degree program graduates hundreds of adult learners

Online master's degree program graduates hundreds of adult learners

U.S. News and World Report ranked the University of Scranton among the top 10 Master's Universities in the North. The school recently graduated hundreds of online master's degree students in a large ceremony. It provided these learners - many of whom are education majors - with a completely web-based curriculum that they may now apply to future careers.

One graduate, Carly Beth Betzel, is a working mom and a military wife. Online education allowed her earn a degree around her family's schedule. With her master's in curriculum and instruction, she is now pursuing a career as a science teacher.

Betzel described the graduation ceremony as, "the perfect culmination of two years of self-discipline, hard work and time management."

Another former student, Roy Wright, earned his master's in educational administration, and plans to become a principal and then superintendent within five to 10 years. His online classmate, Michelle Efseaff, is now an adjunct faculty member at Porterville College, where she hopes to eventually be a staff member in the school's new teacher credential program.

Efseaff said, "all the work, all the learning, all the time spent on the computer came back full-force as I was walking to receive my diploma."

According to PayScale.com, a research company, median salaries for holders of master's degrees, range from $50,000 to $80,000 per year, depending on years of experience.

By Mark Danson