Business professionals and new students alike are taking greater advantage every year of the wealth of opportunities that online education can provide. According to EdTech Magazine, in 2012, 65 percent of college students took at least one class online and 15 percent graduated without ever setting foot on campus. These numbers have dramatically increased, translating into more than 3 million remote students and a correlated drop of well over 1 million enrollments on campus in a recent report of 2016 US higher education statistics.
But an online – sometimes called “distance” – format provides more than just a catchy figure. By all accounts, this is not just a fad, but will remain and even expand in years to come. It has never been a better time to advance your career with a tailored online degree that is perfect for you and your lofty goals.
Distance learning is easily accessible to anyone, and coursework can be tackled at any time of the day and any day of the week. No longer do students need to pay for expensive housing and meal plans, and you can do away with the rigid class schedule as well. Online liberal arts degree programs are cropping up at universities all over the country, and offer courses that can place you into interactive discussions with students in small Hawaiian towns, hip New Yorkers, and expats living all around the world. The connectivity you can enjoy and the experiences you will share starting or returning to school as an online student is limitless.
Online programs offer new students the same great experience and invaluable knowledge that is essential in today’s highly competitive world, at a fraction of the cost – both financially and in requisite time-consuming efforts that accompany physically attending class such as the dreaded commute. The path will not be easy, certainly. This has formed the bulk of criticism in years past, the idea that online education is a joke. This no longer holds, however. You have innumerable accredited online degree programs out there to choose from. These programs have risen to meet the challenge, offering courses that are just as mentally taxing and thought-provoking as a traditional brick and mortar format. Often, an online program will include more discussion participation among students than its aging counterpart, promoting subject mastery in a far more stimulating manner. At the end of it all, you will proudly earn the same degree that a traditionally enrolled student will achieve, without any caveats or footnotes to degrade your hard work. Online degrees carry the exact same weight as one earned in a classroom setting, without the added headache. Why put yourself through all that extra planning and expense when you can work at your own schedule in the comfort of your own home?
This versatile format is also a fantastic way for business professionals to earn advanced and complementary degrees that will propel them forward in the workplace. MBA and other master’s level offerings, advanced certificate programs, or an initial or secondary bachelor’s degree in relation to your field of expertise can provide the edge you need. Education shatters barriers, allowing you to earn that promotion you have hungered for, or the extra latitude to take on extra assignments, earning valuable bonuses.
Higher education attained remotely is an exciting and rapidly expanding way to achieve your personal and professional dreams. Whether you have always wanted to go to college or are considering pursuing a professional degree program to bolster your resume, an online program may be the perfect choice to fit your hectic schedule. Life has a funny way of derailing goals, but your education doesn’t have to suffer.
