Rachel Hanson, Contributing Writer
Online education is no longer the way of the future; it’s becoming the way of the present! As more students recognized the quality of online degree programs and started pursuing master’s, bachelor’s and more degrees online, the focus of higher education in America changed. Colleges and universities are spending just as much effort in moving their curriculum online as they’re spending on assuring quality library and health services to their traditional students on campus.
Why is the face of education changing? What do online degree programs offer that traditional university programs can not offer? The benefits are many, and each student might focus on a different aspect of how online education differs from the traditional college-going experience; however, one thing is clear: more and more people are completing online degrees. Whether for convenience, cost, lack of commute or any other reason, many people are finding the online option attractive enough to give it a try. The number of diplomas being earned online suggests that not only are many people trying it, but many people like it well enough to go all the way through to graduation.
In the past, there had been a lot of negative press concerning online universities who offer a diploma for sale without requiring any coursework. While these diploma mills do exist in smaller numbers, there are many more fully accredited online degree programs than there are degree mills who will give a diploma to anyone willing to give his Visa number. Among all of the universities offering online programs leading to bachelor’s and master’s degrees, there are accredited online schools, and even online schools who also exist in the ‘real’ world and have accreditation for non-online degree programs as well as their online options. For many people worried about the accountability of an online degree-granting university, this last option is the most desirable.
Many universities, both public and private, have implemented specific courses within degree programs as online courses. In these cases, an entire course is completed online from listening to the lectures on one’s laptop to taking the final exam, essentially through the internet on a website that logs you out if you exceed the allotted time for the exam. These single courses being offered online has been such a success at some schools that entire degree programs are being offered online as part of the university’s higher education programs.
The University of Illinois is a prime example of this; offering, at present, 34 online degree programs that are entirely encapsulated online. These degrees are both master’s and bachelor’s degrees and range from Bachelor of English to Master of Computer Science. Despite the extreme difference in these degree programs, their common ground is that they are offered 100% online.
For anyone the least bit reluctant to apply to an online university that is not attached to a non-online university, universities offering online programs such as the University of Illinois can be a prime option. All the perks of an online university are part of the degree program, and all of the old-world trust and accountability of the traditional academic university are also present. For many people, this combination of old and new is the only way to make attending online university seem productive and a bona fide educational experience.
Many traditional universities offer courses and certificates online, but so far only a handful of academic institutions offer full online degree programs in conjunction with their full-time traditional student education. Before applying to an online degree program, try your hand at the online education experience by following a single course in order to see what it’s like. This sort of trial should give the necessary confidence to enroll in an online university’s full-time degree program.