Online Degrees in Web Development

There are plenty of campus-based and online Web development degrees to choose from at associate, bachelor's and master's levels. However, these courses are often general degrees in say, computing, computer science or computer information systems that offer a specialization in Web development. O*NET OnLine says that 20 percent of those employed in Web development have associate degrees, 43 percent bachelor's degrees and 27 percent have some college experience but no degree.

Naturally, the course content of online Web development degrees is likely to differ between programs. However, a typical curriculum is likely to cover the following:

1. E-commerce: Internet marketing and selling both to consumers and other businesses, including order processing, payment and fulfillment.
2. Web architecture: how the Web is designed and interconnected, including the different protocols that are used to achieve particular goals.
3. Web application development: how to design, code, script and integrate Web and other applications.
4. Database infrastructure: building the back-office functionality of a site.
5. Web security: an increasingly hot topic, developers learn security techniques and strategies for websites.
6. Innovation: how to differentiate a site through the creative application of new and emerging technologies.
7. Continuous learning: how to stay abreast of developments in the theory of Web development, and in the technologies that could enable future creativity.
8. Interaction with computers: the skills necessary to use computers to fulfill goals.

According to O*NET OnLine, Web developers need to be knowledgeable about computers and electronics, have good communication skills, understand customer needs, and be skilled in design principles and techniques.

Successful Web developers should also be skilled in the following areas:

1. Programming --being able to write many sorts of computer applications
2. Critical thinking --using reason to differentiate between good and bad ways to solve a problem or reach a conclusion
3. Operations analysis --matching products with an objective to create a solution
4. Active listening--taking the time and deploying the necessary conversational skills to understand an issue fully before addressing it

Unfortunately, the BLS' May 2010 figures do not break out salary figures for Web developers, lumping them in with computer network architects and information security analysts. Members of the group collectively earn mean annual wages of $79,370.

Another online source of salary data, PayScale.com, suggests that the national average salary scale for Web developers started off at $32,574 and went up to $73,529 as of June 2011. Of course, it may well be that many of those earning at the bottom end are those who lack degrees.

Websites are so ubiquitous now that opportunities are likely to be found almost everywhere: in the public and private sectors; in big and small organizations; in virtually all industries; and across the United States and beyond.

• Salaries: Salaries for Web developers range from $32,574 to $73,529, PayScale.com reports
• Education: According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 43 percent of Web developers have a bachelor's degree
• Skills: Web developers must be able to blend creative and analytical skills