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Choosing a high-tech degree program

The first step toward a technology degree is to find an accredited school.

The next is to decide whether you’re interested in specific courses for a specific career.

If you’re taking courses toward a degree down the road, you should speak with an adviser to make sure the courses are geared toward your marketability in the work force and are likely to fit into other technology degree plans so you don’t lose credits.

Short-term certification

You don’t have to earn a degree to qualify for some technical jobs.

A number of colleges and technical schools offer two- to 15-week certification programs that can be done online or in the classroom. Examples include automotive technology, Web applications and Web site development, and health care technologies such as electrocardiography and phlebotomy.

Associate degrees

Most associate degrees in applied science require 60 hours of college credit. Talk with an adviser when selecting a degree plan to determine how military courses you have taken may transfer toward the degree.

Applied science fields cover technical careers in everything from sciences to communications, health and information technology. Some associate-degree programs have initial prerequisites such as math, English and computer literacy. In some cases, students can test out of these.

Otherwise, technical courses are degree-specific. As for their value in the work force, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, associate-degree holders earn about $1.6 million over a lifetime. The top salaries are in engineering and computer science, while the fastest-growing technical careers are in health sciences.

Bachelor’s degrees

Four-year programs involve the greatest investment in time and money and have the biggest payoff — more than $2 million over a lifetime, or about $23,000 a year more than workers without a degree.

Technical careers generally require Bachelor of Science degrees. Students are generally required to complete basic courses and about 12 hours in technology courses specific to the field.