In this report, author Patti Shank builds upon the 2011 report and analyzes which advanced degrees really impact the salaries of eLearning professionals and which degree programs eLearning Guild members recommend. It provides valuable insights into the skills and degrees that hiring managers look for when filling staff positions. The initial report, eLearning Degrees and Credentials: Needs of the eLearning Professional, discussed the programs that 501 Guild members were attending, had completed, or were considering, including how respondents chose and assessed the value of their programs. This follow-up report analyzes the much wider consequences of that data and takes it further with interviews of academic program faculty members, corporate managers, practitioners, and others in order to consider implications for the field as a whole.
The report begins with a synopsis of the earlier report to provide context. Then author Patti Shank looks at job forecasts and needs, how much a Master’s or Doctorate degree matters to hiring managers, ratings for different Master’s programs, and what you can expect in terms of skill outcomes. The report also includes useful appendices, including one that lists some ID graduate programs and another showing a simple cost/benefit analysis for getting a graduate degree.