Online Degrees in Alabama (AL)

The state is looking ahead to an emerging economy in which job skills and technical training are paramount. Higher education is the key to preparing Alabamans for careers in this new economy. The Alabama Commission on Higher Education's plan for 2009-2014 asserts the state's commitment to college education: "Investments in Alabama colleges and universities are returned many times over in contributions to the state's economic, social and cultural development." College education, the plan declares, "promotes innovation and helps attract, retain and grow business and industry" in Alabama.

Alabama's investment in higher learning focuses on:

• Increasing graduation rates at two-year and four-year colleges and universities.
• Improving secondary education so freshman students arrive at college prepared and ready to learn.
• Attracting students to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, in an effort to meet employer demand in high tech, biotechnology, aeronautics and other engineering specialties. AMSTEC (Alabama Mathematics, Science, Technology and Engineering Coalition) leads efforts to support college students majoring in these disciplines.
• Improving access to college by boosting financial aid resources. See ACHE Financial Aid programs for more information on college fellowships, scholarships, grants and loans.

Broad access to college is the key to Alabama's economic prospects, according to the State Report Card on Higher Education. This 2008 National Center for Public Policy report estimated, for example, that total annual personal income in the state would be $8 billion higher if all ethnic groups had the same educational attainment rates as non-minority students.

Online education plays a central role in the Alabama Commission on Higher Education's plan to boost educational attainment in the state. ACHE's vision statement commits to "provid[ing] access and increased educational attainment to citizens of the state using a variety of delivery systems." The ACHE report calls out online programs as a means of making college accessible to all Alabamans: "The state's higher education system provides access to students across the state, particularly with increased course and program offerings online."

In addition to Alabama online degrees, ACHE sponsors virtual library programs to make library databases available to all Alabamans.

Alabama's job market has been on the rebound since 2010, according to the 2011 University of Alabama Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) report. CBER predicts that about 13,000 jobs will be added in the state in 2011. In a 2010 report by Moody's cited by The Economist, several Alabama cities ranked near the top in potential job growth: Huntsville, #1; Auburn-Opelika, second; Columbus, seventh; and Mobile, 12th.

High-skill, high-earning careers are driving growth in these regions, offsetting significant manufacturing job loss elsewhere in the state. Huntsville earns its spot at the top of the list, for example, due to its expanding defense and aerospace sectors. Huntsville is also home to the nation's second largest research and technology office park, with 285 companies including Hudson Alpha Institute, a genome research complex, and Aegis Technologies, a geospatial modeling developer. College graduates in science, engineering and management can find high-paying jobs in Huntsville without the high cost of living of other high tech centers; the cost of living index places Huntsville at a low 92, below the national average of 100.

Across the state, Alabama's economy is diversifying from its traditional manufacturing base, attracting business in high-growth sectors like biotechnology, aerospace and defense. Other strong areas of opportunity for Alabama college degree holders include energy conservation, education, robotics and health care.

• Biotechnology: According to the Biotechnology Association of Alabama, over 90 biotech companies are headquartered or located in the state. Biochemists and biophysicists in Alabama earned an average salary of $60,620 in 2010, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Nationwide employment growth for biochemists and biophysicists is estimated to hit 37 percent in the 2008-2018 decade, making these life sciences specialties two of the fastest growing careers in the U.S.
• Aerospace: Alabama has a strong aerospace industry, with companies like Lockheed Martin, Boeing and other U.S. space and defense research companies. Alabama aerospace engineers earned $113,630 in 2010, according to the BLS.
• Education: Education jobs in Alabama should see 14 percent growth between 2004 and 2014, according to the CBER report. Postsecondary teaching and administration careers are behind Auburn's second-place economic growth ranking. Alabama's high school teachers earned an average wage of $48,390 in 2010.

Alabama's economic fortunes are turning, creating new opportunity for educated professionals. Online degrees in Alabama offer an entry point into the state's new knowledge economy. With programs that cater to busy mid-career adults, online degrees are helping Alabamans retool their skill sets for tomorrow's job market.