Students interested in the social sciences or humanities can pursue online degrees in English, history, international relations and beyond.
About 11
percent of online undergraduates and 10 percent of online graduate
students pursue degrees in the social sciences, criminal justice and
law, according to a 2014 study.
He spent a few years watching with jealousy as his friends went on to earn master's degrees, feeling like he couldn't follow in their footsteps due to his frequent moves with the military. Then, in 2013, he realized he could pursue a master's in international relations online – and anywhere – through American University. Whether the degree led to a promotion afterward was irrelevant.
"I studied it because I had a true intellectual curiosity in it," says Oliver, who plans to graduate in May of 2015. "Maybe it's my bias. I come from a family of academics and that’s the tradition I came from – that education for its own sake is important."
[Understand how to compare online, on-campus graduate programs.]
Online degrees aren’t only for adults looking to switch careers and move into fields like business or nursing. Working professionals who daydream of developing their intellectual side also have options. With the growth of online offerings, adults can choose from subjects such as international relations, creative writing, history, liberal studies and English. In some cases these online courses may lead to jobs; in others, they may simply lead to inspiration.
"Students of all ages are coming back to school to take a course they had always wanted to
take but never had the time, such as literature or courses about stocks and investments," Susan Aldridge, president of Drexel University Online, wrote in an email.
In a 2014 study by Aslanian Market Research and the Learning House, a company that helps colleges and universities develop and deliver online degree programs, about 11 percent of online undergraduates surveyed and 10 percent of online graduate students surveyed pursued degrees in the social sciences, criminal justice and law. About 9 percent of online undergraduates and 7 percent of graduate students reported seeking degrees in the arts and humanities.
While those figures are substantial, they are overshadowed by the number of students pursuing more career-oriented fields.
"Nationally, the greatest proportion of courses offered online are in business, education, health care and computer science," says Aldridge. "Courses in the humanities are offered online, however there aren’t as many complete humanities degree programs offered online."
While students interested in pursuing online degrees in the arts, humanities and social sciences may have to work harder to find the right program, they still have plenty of options to choose from, experts say.
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At Arizona State University, for example, students can get an online undergraduate degree in art history, English, film, history and women and gender studies, among other subjects. The options are more limited at the graduate level, but students can still earn advanced degrees online in subjects such as American media and popular culture, English, sociology and liberal studies.
Students may find fewer non-career oriented online degrees at the graduate level, because traditional, on-ground master's programs in the social sciences and humanities involve close working relationships between students and advisers that can be a challenge to replicate online, says Paul C. LePore, associate dean for students for ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
At Texas Tech University, students can earn online degrees in human development and family studies as well as in technical communication and rhetoric, says Melanie Hart, vice provost of online and distance education programs. Students can also earn a graduate certificate in book history and digital humanities – a program that appeals to librarians and archivists, she says.
There are also online options for aspiring writers. At Southern New Hampshire University and the University of Texas—El Paso, for example, students can pursue online master's degrees in creative writing.
Pennsylvania resident Patrick Leyden is one of the many students who decided to pursue an unconventional online degree, earning his master's in creativity and innovation from Drexel University's education school in 2014.
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He says the degree taught him how creativity can allow businesses and employees to thrive – knowledge he puts to use every day in his role as a project manager in the trade show industry.
"When I would tell people I was getting my online master's degree they would say, 'MBA?' and I would say, 'Not exactly,'" says Leyden. Even though people sometimes seem perplexed by the degree, he says if anything, it's a great conversation-starter.
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