The course requirements for an online high school degree, professional diploma or certificate, bachelor's or master's degree are usually the same as those for similar schools with campuses. You will have to take the same number of courses and fulfill any internships or practica required for your field. The main difference is that you can take the courses from any location with Internet access. The school will use video conferencing, online reading materials and Internet chats to provide your coursework and allow you to have discussions with classmates. Some classes might require that you be online at a specific time for classroom "webinars" or chats, but you can do the readings and homework at any time of day. You submit your coursework via email, and the instructor gives you feedback the same way.
Online degree programs give you enormous flexibility because you can take courses from home, travel mid-semester and fit coursework around a busy schedule. There is no commute and you do not have to be present at a specific place for classes. Online degree programs also offer higher education opportunities to those who live far away from colleges, or who want a special degree not offered close to home. The tuition is not usually lower than that at campus-based schools, but you can avoid the costs of gas or air travel, dormitory space, cafeteria food and student activity fees.
The primary disadvantage of online education is that it is not as highly respected as traditional education. Unless you provide proof that your online school is "real," a potential boss might assume that it is a diploma mill -- a company that sells fake degrees that don't require any work, or requiring so little work that the degree is meaningless. Another disadvantage of online learning is that you do not have the physical support usually available on a campus: there is no physical library or drop-in tutoring center, no bookstore that sells all the required texts. If you need lab experience or clinical hours for your degree, you might have to set it up yourself. It takes extra discipline and motivation to work alone, without face-to-face contact with your teacher or peers. Also remember that if the school is outside your time zone, the required chats and webinars might be at inconvenient times for you. Finally, the quality of an online education is directly related to the quality of your Internet access and computer hardware: if your computer or Internet connection fails, so does your access to school work.
Before enrolling in an online degree program, confirm that the program is accredited, which indicates that it meets certain standards and is not a diploma mill. Don't take the school's word for it. Go to the accrediting agency's website and confirm they accredit this school. Then go to the website of the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and make sure that the accrediting agency itself is recognized. Be sure to ask plenty of questions about how the degree program works.