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© Ed Yourdon

Earlier potential employers used to frown if you mentioned the fact that you had an online degree. But with the passing of time that's not the case anymore. A recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), revealed that online degrees are gaining in popularity by the day and employers also are open to the idea if you have an online degree.

More than 85% employers interviewed said that they would hire someone with an online degree and that's it's looked at more favorably than it was five years ago. They also mentioned that if two people were applying for the same job and one of them had an online degree it wouldn't make any difference in hiring.

Online degrees are generally preferred for entry level jobs. For mid level managers or specialists the percentage is 56%.

© Carlos Fenollosa

Teachers who want to be eligible for raises and promotions can benefit from obtaining an online masters degree in teaching or education. Officials from Western Governors University (WGU) have announced a new online masters degree in curriculum and instruction that teaches educators how to design, implement, and evaluate methods of learning.

Curriculum development, instruction, and research fundamentals are core aspects of the lesson plan for this degree. Officials expect that students enrolling in this program will spend approximately 20 hours/wk on coursework. To make the degree accessible to more people, the school is also launching a competitive scholarship program. To qualify for the scholarship, students must already have a bachelor's degree and a valid teaching credential. Tuition assistance will be given as $500 per six-month term, which can be renewed for multiple semesters.