Online Degree Programs Via Distance Learning

As a higher education educator, I have been curious about distance learning and online degree programs for several years. Having developed several distance learning online courses has given me an appreciation for online degree program and the value of distance learning.

For those who are wondering what distance learning is all about, it can best be described as an educational method allowing students and professors to conduct a learning experience while they are not in the same place; in other words not sitting together in classrooms. Instruction may include videos, audio, computer technology, CD or DVD, and by correspondence. As the phenomenon of distance learning has grown and developed, so has the opportunity for students to find distance learning online degree programs.

In 2007, the United States Department of Education conducted a survey of distance learning online degree programs to determine just how plentiful this form of postsecondary education had become. This study involved 66% of the 4,160 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institution in the country who offered distance learning online degree programs. The results of this study seem quite astonishing.

The study found that 65% of the postsecondary institutions reported they offered distance learning or distance education online postsecondary credit and not-for-credit courses. This calculated to 12.2 million enrollments or students in distance education or distance learning online postsecondary degree courses. Further analysis of the data indicated there were approximately 11, 200 college-level online degree programs that could be completed via distance education or distance learning. One can only speculate about how these distance learning online degree program figures have exploded in the 3 years since the study was completed - probably exponentially.

If you are interested in online degree programs via distance learning and online postsecondary degree programs, you are not alone. Many persons today do not have the capacity to complete a traditional brick and mortar online degree program. The availability of distance learning online degree programs has opened up the possibility of earning a postsecondary degree to many who had been shut out before. If you are wondering how to find out about where you can find information on distance learning online postsecondary degree programs, you can Google these key word phrases: 1) distance education,2) distance learning, 3) online degrees, and 4)postsecondary online degrees.

These kinds of Google searches will bring up many results. Most of them will be marketing from different colleges and universities who offer distacne learning online degrees programs or online degree courses. You should probably narrow your search down to colleges and universities who offer online degree programs in the field or fields of interest to you. Before you make a commitment to a distance learning online degree program, be sure the college or university you are selecting is accredited by one of the 6 regional accreditation programs in the country. This will ensure your degree is credible when you look for employment opportunities.