Online Degrees in Nevada

The Nevada System of Higher Education has endured steep budget cuts of around 10 percent as the state struggles to fill a nearly $1 billion gap in its budget and its revenues. Although the recent cuts were not as steep as some lawmakers and educators feared, the specter of more cuts looms that could force the closure of college campuses.

Despite these troubles, the demand for college graduates is on the rise in the Silver State. According to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, the only way Nevada can diversify is gambling-dependent economy is by providing a better-educated workforce.

Get the 411 on Nevada Online Degrees

This provides an excellent opportunity for residents who want to upgrade their resumes or get additional training to be ready for that demand. Fortunately, there are a range of online degree programs in Nevada in the very areas where demand is expected to the greatest--for health care workers, teachers and managers.

Nevada online degree programs offer open enrollment courses, semester-based courses, and print-based distance learning courses and degrees.

Open-enrollment classes are courses in online degree programs in Nevada that you can take whenever you want and complete in anywhere from five weeks to six months. There is no fixed class schedule in these Nevada degree programs, and you work at you own pace. These classes can shorten the time it takes to earn your degree and help you get into classes that your schedule otherwise would not have accommodated.

Semester-based courses in online programs run on the same schedule as campus-based programs, often using the same professors who are teaching the campus-based class. In some cases, tests are taken at testing centers and the number of courses you can take each semester is limited.

Online Degree Programs in Nevada: Which Degree Levels Do They Offer?

Nevada online degrees are available in a range of degree levels, from certificates to doctoral degrees. For example, you could earn a master's degree in fields such as:

• Education
• Nursing
• Hospitality Administration

In addition, there are opportunities to supplement your classroom courses with online classes that can save you time as you work toward a diploma. Nevada colleges allow nursing degree candidates to take many prerequisite courses, such as chemistry, psychology and nutrition, online while also going to the classroom to earn a degree.

Which Benefits Can Nevada Degree Programs Offer You?

Nevada online degrees offer a distinct advantage for students who live great distances from the few urban areas in the Nevada where the schools are located. They are also attractive to students who are already holding down a job and can't be on campus to attend classroom-based courses.

Online degree programs in Nevada still allow students to interact with their classmates and their professors through online chats, forums and e-mail, and the state also manages an extensive interactive video network that allows students in remote areas to virtually meet face-to-face with their professors.

Which Jobs Are Available in Nevada Once You've Earned Your Degree?

Although Nevada has struggled during the recession, it's expected that there should be an increasing demand for skilled workers in many areas of Nevada's economy in coming years. Those needs are expected to include:

• Clean energy experts: Nevada is rich in sunshine, wind and geothermal resources, and as the demand for clean energy expands--particularly in the neighboring state of California--its expected Nevada will need experts in developing these resources and delivering clean energy to the power grid.
• Mining: Nevada leads the nation in gold production, and as mines open, expand, and reopen there should be an increased demand for workers with college degrees in geology, mineral exploration, and engineering.

Although Nevada is no longer the fastest-growing state in the country, it continues to attract new residents. According to the Department of Health and Human Resources, Nevada ranks low in number of registered nurses per 100,000 residents, but with the senior population expected to increase as more retirees move to the state, the demand for nurses is expected to grow as the state's health care industry expands to meet the increasing need for health care workers.

According to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, there is expected to be a 47 percent increase in the demand for health care workers with a college degree, and a 44 percent increase in CEOs and managers with college degrees. And the commission estimates the state will be hiring as many as 1,100 new primary and secondary educators each year, making degrees in education and health care among the best Nevada online degrees available