The convenience of online courses constitutes a significant advantage. Students can literally take courses at home in their pajamas if they choose to do so. It eliminates time spent getting ready for class in the morning and driving to and from campus, allowing more time to study for examinations. In addition, online classes typically do not interfere with personal obligations. Traditional classes can cause scheduling conflicts for other activities like doctor appointments, taking the kids to school or family obligations. Online classes make schedule flexibility a reality.
Students who take online classes can save money on college expenses. Some colleges and universities offer lower tuition rates for online classes than they do for their traditional on-campus courses. Some schools do not require the purchase of textbooks for online courses either. Instead, they typically offer all of the required course material through the online material presented in the class. Students save additional money by not having to pay for room and board (if they live at home with their parents) or regular travel expenses to and from class.
Many schools that offer online courses do so in fields that rank among the most popular academic majors. They include business, information technology and computer science, counseling psychology, education and nursing. In addition to the most popular programs, many schools also offer highly specialized degrees in an online format as well. In some cases, these degrees only appear in an online course format.
Along with saving money on expenses, online classes allow you to continue to work a full-time job while attending school. The problem for many students who want to attend graduate school is that they have received their bachelor's degree and have begun working in their chosen career path. Giving up a career to go back to school not only costs you tuition money, but also income that you would have earned while working. For this reason, many universities offer online graduate degrees in a variety of fields which many students have found very convenient to fit in around their careers.