Tuesday, May 29, 2007

The Online Continuing Education Program

As more and more adults seek to further their education and careers, colleges and universities find great value in offering online continuing education programs. The busy life of the working adult, which likely includes balancing a family, makes it difficult to attend daily classes requiring traditional lectures or lab hours. The courses in an online continuing education program allow the working student to keep their busy schedule and not have to worry about other schedules that may clash.




In recent years, the number of colleges and universities offering online continuing education programs has exploded, making the availability of accredited and reputable programs quite plentiful. In some cases, students are able to design their own degree program. Mostly, it is the cost of the program that attracts many. With no housing costs/meal programs to worry about, online continuing education programs are much less costly than a traditional college curriculum.

An online continuing education program not only provides the convenience that allows the student to not have to worry about keeping up with a college�s schedule for the semester, it means the door to education is only one internet connection away! This does away with the expenses of travel time and/or relocation on the part of the student and means classes can be attended wherever there is an internet connection. This can also be of benefit to those who are not comfortable in a classroom setting, those who require extra time due to language challenges or even those who require a faster pace than can be offered in a traditional daily curriculum.

Many online continuing education programs having no set times for their courses. This allows the student the benefit of flexibility, attending classes in the hours available to them and completing assignments at their own pace. For the adult who has not been in an educational program for some time, it is very helpful to be able to control the learning environment. Working when there is time and where they are comfortable- on the assignments they have time for- is a very attractive option for the student who is balancing a career as well as family life.

With the attractive merits of availability, flexibility and cost, working adults also are drawn to the fact that this type of program will not interrupt their career should they decide to return to college. There will be no need to quit, take time off or ask for a reduction of hours. In fact, it may even help to further a person in their career if the coursework they choose complements their current occupation. The majority of working adults who return to college do so for this reason.


No comments:

Post a Comment