Monika Mogilewski and a ringtailed lemur in the forested enclosure at the Myakka City Lemur Reserve{credit}Credit: Kate Chapman{/credit}

Contributor Charles Choi

After Monica Mogilewsky completed her baccalaureate thesis on the calls of the ring-tailed lemur, she worked for the Lemur Conservation Foundation in Myakka City, Florida, for nearly 10 years, eventually becoming its associate executive director. She wanted to earn a masters degree in biodiversity conservation and management during her time with the foundation, “but the nearest universities were at least two hours away, so earning my masters there wasn’t really a feasible option,” she recalled.

Instead, Mogilewsky did her entire masters via an online and distance learning programme with the University of London, graduating in 2009. “I wouldn’t have gained my masters any other way, and I think I got as good an education as I would in a traditional setting.” She is now a doctoral student at Portland State University studying conservation biology and ecology.

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are among the few areas experiencing a rapid surge in job opportunities. According to a 2011 study from the U.S. Department of Commerce, STEM job growth rose by 7.9 percent from 2000 to 2010, roughly three times more than other occupations during that time, and STEM workers commanded higher wages, earning 26 percent more than their non-STEM counterparts.

At the same time, educational opportunities are widening due to online learning. Online course enrolment has increased year on year for at least a decade, with the number of students taking at least one online course surpassing 6.7 million, or about a third of total enrolment in higher education, according to findings reported in 2013 from the Babson Survey Research Group. Continue reading →