Whether you are looking to develop new skills and pursue a fresh career path, or you are just looking for a bit of general self-improvement, an online degree can be a very effective way of achieving these goals.
Online degrees were once a punchline. They were expensive pieces of paper shipped from countries with much more lax enforcement of standards. On occasion, they were sometimes from countries and institutions that didn’t even exist!
In the pre-internet days, it wasn’t as easy to cross-check and verify information. Now, it takes just a short amount of time to Google an institution and check its credential. Today, most leading universities offer some form of distance learning course as alternatives to campus courses. This shift has meant that people who would otherwise have been unable to pursue a degree are now able to do so. Online degrees can be fit in with jobs and other commitments and are cheaper than traditional campus courses.
Online degrees have radically altered the way that we think about and delivereducation. They have proven that the internet can a powerful tool for learning and, therefore, a viable route to the massive economic and social benefits that stem from a well-educated society.
Accessibility
The biggest selling point of online degrees has always been that they are open to people who would otherwise be unable to study to pursue the subjects and careers of their choice. There are some degrees, nursing, for example, which will by necessity involve some degree of practical work in the field. However, the academic portion of the nursing training can be undertaken through a distance learning course and they can act as a supporting institution when you are applying for trainee positions. The fees for distance learning courses are often considerably lower than the campus equivalent.
Online degrees can also be studied either part-time or full-time. Part-time study means that students are able to fit their education in around other commitments such as work or childcare.
Spread of specialist knowledge
Some universities with an online component offer the full range of courses to online students. Others, for example, Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College — https://peabodyonline.vanderbilt.edu – have a more focused course selection. This means that colleges and online universities which have a particular specialty are able to share their expertise with a much wider audience. The ability for anyone to start learning subjects that previously had fairly stringent entry requirements has undeniably been a good thing for education as a whole.
Moving towards mass education
There are only so many people in the world who are qualified to teach the highest levels of their chosen field. There is also only so much space at the institutions where these masters of their field teach students. Clearly, not everyone can study under these people, but as we move towards an educational system that embraces remote viewing and distance learning, we may well see online students joining their campus counterparts in the classroom via internet broadcast.
Online degrees offer us a glimpse of what the future of education looks like. They have also made university educations viable for more people who would otherwise be unable to pursue their dreams and aspirations.
