In today’s competitive business world, it’s worth looking into every little thing you can do to give yourself an edge. Often that something is furthering your education and getting higher or other qualifications. Unfortunately, if you’re highly committed to your career, it’s also likely that you don’t have the time to attend college or university to get this further education. Until now that is….
Enter the world of online degrees and certifications, AKA distance learning. The Internet has revolutionized the way we do things and education is no exception. Today many of the world’s finest education institutions have made some of their most popular degree courses available online. There are also a growing number of e-learning centers. Many of these are approved by various colleges and universities to offer their courses, or accredited by education boards to provide training. However, fake institutions offering fake degrees also abound, and ensuring you don’t get caught by one is important.
Online degrees and certifications are now available for levels, from bachelor to doctoral degrees, diplomas, and trade certifications. For those who didn’t finish high school, there is now the opportunity to complete it online and earn an online high school diploma. In other words, the world is literally at your feet, or fingertips, when it comes to education. Distance is no barrier; you can now live in the remotest part of the country or on the other side of the world and, so long as you have Internet access and a suitable device, you can earn a degree or certification from some of the most prestigious institutions in the world.
Is Online Learning Better?
Studies indicate that many people are more productive when it comes to studying at home. Obviously it does take a certain amount of discipline to ignore the many distractions, and not everyone can do this. If you can, there’s no reason you can’t complete your higher education completely online without stepping foot inside a college or university if you don’t want to.
Another advantage of online study is that most courses allow you to enroll when convenient, and complete the course work at your own pace. However, in some courses there are time limits; a unit or module must be completed within a specified time frame from the date you enroll and first open the course. Make sure you check when you enroll because if you don’t comply with any time limits you’ll likely forfeit the course, and your money.
Distance learning has also become far more normal for some professions where certificate holders must retake certain courses and resit exams on a regular basis in order to retain their certification. A notable example is the fire services. Doing the qualifying coursework online allows these professionals to continue working whilst completing the mandatory units in their own time, when they have time. Online Fire Officer 1 classes and similar, available through authorized e-learning centers, are a good example of these types of classes.