* The institution offering the course: Reputable accredited universities and colleges will offer online courses that are fully equivalent to their in-person counterparts and count towards a degree. However, online courses from unaccredited institutions or those with poor reputations may not be accepted by other colleges or universities.
* The institution you're applying to: Even if the online course comes from an accredited institution, the college or university you're applying to might not accept it for credit, or might only accept it under specific circumstances. They may have restrictions on the type of online courses they accept, the provider, or the number of online credits they allow within a degree program.
* The nature of the course: Some courses might be primarily online but still require significant in-person components (labs, proctored exams, etc.). These might be considered partially online and might or might not meet full-time requirements depending on the institution's policies.
* Full-time status definition: "Full-time" is defined differently by various institutions. It's usually based on the number of credit hours taken within a semester or term. An online student taking the equivalent of a full-time course load would generally be considered a full-time student.
In short, while many accredited universities offer fully online degree programs and individual courses that are considered equivalent to in-person classes, you must check with the specific college or university you're interested in to determine their acceptance policies for online courses and their definition of full-time enrollment. Don't assume online courses will automatically be accepted; always confirm directly with the institution.