The idea of getting a full-fledged degree without ever having to leave the comfort of your own home might sound too good to be true. However, due to the rising influence of the internet, a highly competitive job market, and the demanding nature of people’s lives, more and more adults are choosing to get their degrees online. Here are just a few of the reasons why the popularity of online courses just keeps growing.

Convenience

For adults with full-time careers and busy lives, getting a degree online isn’t just the convenient option. Sometimes it’s the only option. For adults trying to pursue a new degree, change careers, or advance their career by pursuing an advanced degree like a doctorate of education, having the option of taking classes online makes it possible for them to take the next step toward their goals without it hindering their daily lives. Not having to plan around night classes, specifically-timed lectures, or commute times takes half the stress out of going back to school, especially for parents or adults working more than one job.

Lower Costs

In addition to being a flexible option, online degrees often cost a lot less money than the traditional on-campus experience. Even with online classes whose cost is comparable to traditional classes, students working from home tend to save money through ditching commuting costs and textbook costs, working instead mostly with free online materials. Certain schools and programs, like Suffolk University as well as Maryville’s online bachelor degree programs, accept credits from free online courses that open to the public.

A Realistic Approach to Learning and Study

For modern students, whether college-age or adult, the reality of studying has changed. Technology has allowed students to be able to study anywhere, anytime, and completely at their own pace. Because of this, the idea of being able to take classes at home has become a no-brainer. Textbooks have been largely replaced by digital texts, and interactive web forums and exercises have taken the place of in-class group activities.

In short, the traditional sense of the classroom has expanded beyond one or two rooms reserved for learning to wherever students have access to the Internet. With many American workplaces switching to a remote working model, many American universities have followed suit. Studies have shown that students work better on their own terms, and need to be allowed the flexibility of studying in places outside of the traditional dorm room or classroom.

Wide Array of Courses

Many online degrees offer a much wider range of courses than their traditional counterparts. Online courses are often where professors are allowed to explore their specific passions in a test environment. They also take from the open-sourced model of education that has become increasingly popular in recent years through platforms like the Great Courses and EdX.

Since online courses are less defined by traditional core requirements, students are exposed to a much broader range of topics and disciplines and have more freedom to mix and match. From history to politics to nursing to information technology, online courses cover nearly every subject of interest to a curious student looking to mix up his or her course load.