Ambition, baby: Four perfect online degree programs for new parents

Now that you're a parent and you've accomplished what will most likely be the biggest change of your life, you can roll that momentum into another: going back to school. Sure, you've got more day-to-day responsibilities, but with the cost of day care, staying home makes more sense right now than your job that you weren't oh-so-sad to let go. Although your new baby will take up a portion of your time, you'll have two things you didn't have before: a baby who sleeps according to some sort of a schedule and chunks of free time while your baby is sleeping.

Raise your child while earning your degree

These four degree programs offer the flexibility you'll need in the next few years before you get all a-flutter about kindergarten. Even better, you can leverage your work-from-home experience and portfolio into advancement back at the office or grow your at-home job whenever you're ready.

2009 salaries from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics unless otherwise noted

1. Software engineering

With an online bachelor's degree in computer software engineering and a few choice vendor certifications, you may be able to find work using computer programming languages to write specific applications from home either on a freelance basis or in a telecommuting position. Jobs prospects for computer software engineers who write applications are considered excellent by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), who projects these jobs to increase 34 percent between 2008 and 2018.

Mean salary of application software engineers: $74,690

2. Medical transcription

In an online one-year certificate program or a two-year associate degree program in medical transcription, you'll learn all the terminology, anatomy, medical law and more that you'll need to become a Registered Medical Transcriptionist. This career could allow you to work from home transcribing and editing medical files. The BLS predicts 11 percent more medical transcription jobs between 2008 and 2018 with the best opportunities for certified transcriptionists.

Mean salary of medical transcriptionists: $33,350

3. Early childhood education

If you really enjoyed learning about your baby as he or she developed and have a knack for child care, you can continue your learning with an online associate or bachelor's degree in early childhood education. The best day care providers are knowledgeable about how young children learn. What better way to help supplement your own child's learning than to provide care for his or her peer group in your own home--and get paid to do it! The BLS notes that self-employment in child care services is among the best in the economy.

Mean salary of child care center administrators: $37,270

4. Entrepreneurship

You have a golden opportunity to turn whatever your passion is into a home-based business, but you wouldn't want to be one of those businesses that failed just because you decided to fly by the seat of your pants instead of learn a few tricks about what it takes for a business to succeed. Online certificate, associate or bachelor's degrees in entrepreneurship can give you the accounting, law, resource management and marketing know-how for your dream business to succeed.

Mean salary of an entrepreneur: Varies, though the BLS reports that managers of companies made $85,980 in 2008

Sticking to the baby's schedule

Whichever degree program you choose, online degrees offer a few advantages for new parents:

• Flexible start dates. Unlike traditional schools that start degree programs on one day in the spring or fall, many online schools have rolling admission and start dates so that you don't have to wait half a year to get started on your degree.
• Alternative scheduling. Some online degrees are formatted so you take one class at a time for several weeks instead of juggling multiple classes with multiple deadlines for fifteen weeks or more.
• Accelerated degree programs. Some degree programs offer accelerated options that allow you to fast-track your education. This may come in handy so that you can finish more of your program before Junior needs more daily stimulation from you.
• 24-hour options. Your baby's schedule might not fit into a traditional campus schedule, but it will fit into an online one. Now that you're going to be up at all hours, you might find comforting knowing that some online schools offer academic support 24 hours a day.

Right now--before Junior is mobile--is the perfect time attend school online and pursue a degree program that will allow you to create the perfect schedule for the both of you and allow you to sock away some of your new earnings long for Junior's college tuition.

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