Alternative Learning: Online Colleges
Online colleges have become a popular alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar schools in recent years. Busy working professionals can get their associate's, bachelor's, master's, or Ph.D. from home, participating in classroom work whatever time of day or night is most convenient for them.
Other People Are Reading
-
History
-
While schools like the University of Maryland University College have been around in the traditional college format since 1947, they today offer both in-person and completely online degree programs. While online schools were originally discredited as diploma mills, they are now respected as legitimate ways to complete one's education.
Significance
-
According to All Online Schools, e-learning is endorsed by the US government. US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan stated, "We must take advantage of this historic opportunity to use American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to bring broadband access and online learning to more communities."
-
Types
-
There are many strictly online universities, as well as many offering both online and traditional classes. Nearly 200 online universities listed on the eLearners.com website, including the University of Phoenix, Abilene Christian University, American Pacific University, The University of Maryland University College, Boston University and many more.
Features
-
The degree programs offered online is vast, ranging from business to liberal arts. California Coast University offers a bachelor of science degree in business administration, business marketing, criminal justice, health care administration, management, and psychology, as well as masters degrees related to business, education and psychology.
Benefits
-
Online colleges are an attractive option to those who are too busy to quit work to go to school, those who don't want to attend traditional classes, and military members and their families. Online colleges allow students to take classes on their time, let people obtain degrees and certificates they may not have been able to get otherwise, and continue their education no matter where in the country or world they may live.
-
