In recent years, the rise of online education has sparked a sea change in the education world, with experts heralding the death of diplomas and organized classroom learning as the only sources Americans can use to further their professional goals. As a result, those who enroll in online courses can now choose from course catalogs and advance their earning power through low-cost alternatives.
For example, taking a class in Java Programming Fundamentals may be exactly what aspiring IT professionals need to confidently apply for top-level positions, though these may be out of reach for those who don't continue their studies until they are able to achieve Oracle certification.
Java Programming Fundamentals can help those who are familiar with basic programming languages start down this career path, however, as the class details how Java 2 Platform software can be used to build and run Java applications, applets and servlets.
In these courses, Oracle certified instructors will also teach interested individuals how to build a basic user interface and handle simple user input. While Oracle stresses that the course is meant to be more of an overview than a comprehensive crash course, those who find they have an affinity for Java could soon be on their way to increasing their earning power.
Those who are completely new to Java can use other online education resources to bolster their skills before enrolling in this type of class. Oracle recommends that aspiring IT professionals with no coding experience use its online resources such as the New-to-Java Programming Center as one way these individuals can further their abilities.
According to the career information website Payscale.com, for instance, those who work their way up to become senior software engineers or senior software architects could earn an average salary of more than $90,000 annually through full-time positions.