Are you interested in starting or advancing your education?
If you currently have a job or are raising a family, you may not have the time or a flexible schedule to attend on-campus classes, which is why online career education is a popular alternative.
Online education is often offered through a school’s online learning program, but other educational institutions provide its own online programs. With the vast amount of online career education options, you will have no problem finding the right program for you.
Typically, online education courses involve learning course material from an online instructor. Online courses offer you great flexibility so that you do not have to worry about commuting to school, planning your work or parenting schedule around classes, or stressing about missing a class. With online courses, you are in control of your education, giving you the confidence that you need to thrive in your studies.
Learn About Online Degree and Certificate Programs
When most people hear about online career education programs, they worry that they are not accredited or that the curriculum is different. However, online programs mirror their on-campus counterparts, and they use the same information and course materials to teach you the knowledge and skills that you will need to pursue your current career path.
With the popularity of online education, there is a wide variety of online degree and certificate programs available. Online education includes programs for the following majors: humanities, fine arts, business and finance, technology, health and medicine, education and teaching, and law and criminal justice, to name a few.
Also, almost any degree level is available through an online college, including associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and even doctoral degrees. If you are pursuing a professional career, the chances are high that you will need to obtain some level of a degree. With online career education, earning a degree has never been easier or quicker.
What are the advantages of online education?
Although online education is a popular career path, it is not right for everyone, and you may be better suited to enrolling in on-campus courses. However, there are many advantages to online education that campus courses do not offer, such as flexible schedules and a more relaxed educational environment.
Classrooms can be an intimidating environment for some students to learn, especially if they are shy about interacting with instructors. With online education, you can learn the same material without the intimidation of the classroom. You will also be able to learn how to communicate through an online medium to learn and understand the course material.
When considering online courses, it is essential that you know that the online curriculum is often fast-paced, which means that you will need to manage your time to get the best results out of the course. If this is not a skill you do well, enrolling in an online education course may help you learn time management, which you will need to know when you enter the workforce.
What are the best free online education resources?
Now that you have decided to enroll in an online career education course, you may be wondering how you can go about finding and comparing classes. If you are looking to enroll in a free course, the easiest way to find legitimate courses is online. Through the internet, there are a vast array of free classes that you can take from the comfort of your home. Some of these courses can be completed in three months or less.
If you are interested in computers, Harvard offers a free computer science program which teaches students the basics, which includes thinking algorithmically to solve programming problems. You will also learn popular programming languages like CSS, HTML, and PHP. While this class is free to enroll, you will need to pay a $90 fee to receive a verified certificate from Harvard.
The University of Washington offers a course in public speaking that is designed to help you become an effective and confident public speaker. In this ten-week course, you will learn how to deliver basic arguments, presentations, and complex arguments. By the end of the course, you will be ready to put your public speaking skills to the test.
Lastly, another free online course is the Law for Entrepreneur and Management class offered through MIT. Through this course, you will learn legal issues that corporations face by learning the basics of business law. You will also learn about international trade, intellectual property, and business disputes and bankruptcy. This course can be completed in a week or less.
Do I need to enroll in an online course that is accredited?
To receive any credible representation upon completing an online course, you must make sure that the course is accredited from the U.S. Department of Education or the nonprofit Council for Higher Education Accreditation, also known as CHEA.
When a course is accredited, an outside authority ensures that the school or degree program meets the necessary standards. Therefore, when searching for an online education course, you must make sure that the college or university is accredited.
When you are browsing for online schools, you must make sure that the school you choose has both institutional and programmatic accreditation. Both are necessary, since institutional accreditation applies to the overall college or university, while the programmatic accreditation focuses on the specific degrees, departments or schools. Since not every college or university has programmatic accreditation, you must verify its status before you apply.
How to find the right online career education program for you
If you do not know where to start your search, it can be challenging to find the right online education program for you. Since online career education courses can be costly, you will need to make sure that you only take classes that cater to your career training. Also, the program you choose should be based on your interest. When you find a program that interests you, the chances are high that you will complete and graduate from the program.