1. What kind of course can I take in an online university?

Online universities offer a many programs in varied fields of study such as Business, Criminal Justice, Education, Engineering, Graphic Design, Healthcare, Human Services, Legal, Liberal Arts, and Technology. Almost anything course that a traditional university offers can be found in an online university except for masters and PhD programs which have more limited options.

2. Won’t the quality of education I get be affected if enroll in an online university instead of a traditional one?

Not necessarily. This depends on your learning style because if you can’t learn in an independent setting it might be affected. However if your concern is that the education online universities offer might be inferior then there is no basis for this. In fact Thomas Rusell, author of The No-Significant-Difference Phenomenon, has collated results from over 300 researches that suggest that there is no significant difference between in-class and distance learning.

3. Who will teach me in an online university?

Depending on the set-up of that online university professors can hold virtual classes for certain topics. But as a whole online universities usual hold the student responsible for their own education. This means that the university gives you the prepared materials you will need to study and you will need to teach yourself from that. However, the university faculty will of course be available for consultation to help you along with your studies.

4. How fast does it take to get an online degree?

The time it takes to complete a program in an online university is around 2 to 3 years. However this depends on each university’s policy as to how many credits a student is allowed to take each year. This also depends on how many units the student decides to take each year.

5. Will I ever meet my professors and classmates face-to-face?

This varies in each online university. Some universities never require their students to make a personal appearance while some require their students to appear at least once at the beginning of the semester and at the end of the semester. Others hold virtual classes on line using video cameras while others have actual classes periodically (once a month or at the end of the semester for review).

6. How much does an online education cost?

Again this depends on the online university you choose to attend. It is best to contact the online university’s admissions office or at least check out their website to get the actual figures. Usually though an online education costs much less than getting a traditional education due to the other expenses often associated with getting a four-year degree such as living costs.