College partners with online education initiative to offer web-based programs

College partners with online education initiative to offer web-based programs

In an effort to accommodate the growing number of nontraditional students, many universities are launching online degree programs. These initiatives seek to make education as flexible as possible, in order to offer working adults a convenient alternative to traditional campus-based courses.

For example, the University of Essex partnered with Kaplan - an online education company - in 2007 to create Kaplan Open Learning. Through this initiative, a total of 24 students have been able to earn bachelor's degrees, which were celebrated at a recent graduation ceremony.

Victoria Blahyj-Murfitt, graduate of the business studies program and working mother of two, said that the best part of earning her degree "is that my children have been shouting my achievement from the rooftops and are openly so proud of me."

Included in Kaplan Open Learning's first graduating class are approximately eight employees in the public sector who work for councils, schools and an ambulance service. Through web-based education, these professionals have earned degrees that may potentially boost their earnings and advance their careers.

According to the Sloan Consortium, online education has been growing at a rate of 20 percent over the past few years.

By Mark Danson