Jan 28, 2017 11:52 AM EST By Eleanor Bright, UniversityHerald Reporter

Online master's degree programs have gained popularity in the past four years. Michigan State University in Detroit is among the top ten schools in the US that offer online master's degree program. It ranked 8 among all universities with the best online master's degree programs for college of education.

Aside from online programs in college of education, MSU also offers Master of Arts in Educational Technology, Master of Arts in Teaching and Curriculum, and Master of Arts in Special Education. MSU excels in all these fields, according to College of Education, Michigan State University. In addition, the university was also at the top rank for the College of Criminal Justice and the College of Nursing.

Getting high ranking has become important as there are so many schools to choose from where online master's degree is concerned. Schools that get ranked are those with excellent curriculum as well as excellent teachers.

The teachers of MSU offer teacher-student engagement and interaction and these two factors have been considered as the reason why the school is fast becoming a leader in online education. In other institutions of learning, less time and support are given to students In MSU, faculty members teaching online classes are always available to answer questions and to assist students in their lessons, according to The State News

The rising popularity of online master's degree program will result to several new trends in the field of teaching and learning. Non-traditional credentials might replace traditional ones. Instead of a diploma, a certificate of program completion might be enough. Real time data will be considered and not just test scores. Teachers will check log in times as well as participation. Artificial intelligence will be put into use. Computers might be used to replace a teacher in situations where it will have better outcomes, according to US News Higher Education.

With online master's degree programs available, 2017 will also bring students opportunities to attain higher level of learning.

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