Overview of Online Programs
A bachelor's degree, baccalaureate degree, or undergraduate degree is a degree usually consisting of 120 credits or semester hours. It prepares students for a particular occupation or enables them to go on to pursue higher education such as a master's degree.
Online Learning
An online degree is something new to the field of academia, and has only attained prominence over the course of the last several years as internet use becomes widespread at all levels of society. Such a degree program enables students to 'attend' all of their classes from their own homes or places of business or even from a public access internet computer (such as is found in a public library) for students who do not themselves have access to the internet. Virtual classrooms, available through schools' Web sites typically feature the following:
- Lectures or lessons
- Assignments and projects
- Instructional aids and simulations
- Discussion forums
- Class chat rooms
- Group collaboration tools
This type of arrangement is especially convenient for students who are employed and/or have family commitments, as they are not required to live on or near a college campus. Another convenience is that most live online classes tend to be scheduled during evening or weekend hours, as it is presumed that the majority of students will be working full-time.
Common Coursework
Just like in a traditional bachelor's program at a brick and mortar college or university, the online bachelor's degree requires that a student complete a certain number of 'core' courses in general knowledge subjects such as:
- Natural Sciences and Mathematics
- Social Sciences
- Communications
- Humanities (includes literature, art, and music)
Coursework will also be required in a major subject area - the difference being that an online student typically selects a degree program before enrolling, whereas a student at a traditional college or university tends to enroll in the school first and may take a year or two before declaring a major.
Program Options
There are a wide variety of programs available online these days, in most of the subjects you could study at a traditional college or university. There are, of course, exceptions, as certain subjects (studio art, theater, and music, amongst others) cannot be taught without hands-on experience. You can, however, find a number of online degree programs in such popular subject areas as:
- English
- Communications
- History
- Humanities
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Computer Science
- Criminal Justice
- Business
A number of other areas of study could offer online learning at the bachelor's level, such as engineering technology, allied health fields, teacher education and the life sciences. These bachelor's programs may include online coursework, but due to the nature of the occupations they prepare students for, on-site residencies, labs, internships or clinical experiences are usually required.
Source: http://education-portal.com/articles/All_About_Online_Bachelor%27s_Degree_Programs.html
