Oklahoma sees increase in online degree programs

Oklahoma sees increase in online degree programs

Nontraditional students have benefited from the increase in distance learning programs offered by state schools. In the past few years, enrollment in online courses has increased dramatically at Oklahoma State University (OSU) and the University of Oklahoma (OU), NewsOK reports.

Officials at OU told the news source that due to advances in technology and an increasingly diverse student population, many more students are choosing to take online courses.

The flexibility and convenience of online learning benefits students who want to earn a degree without disrupting their life. Web-based programs offer a quality education that is often more affordable than traditional brick-and-mortar institutions. For example, three of OSU's online business degree programs were rated as top 10 in the country by a national review team.

"I'm just so happy that we're able to serve the students better, because students' needs are way different than they were 25 years ago," Marilyn Kletke told the news source.

Distance learning programs at online universities may be particularly attractive to adults who would like to acquire new skills but do not have the time to do so in a conventional setting.

Approximately 4.6 million students were enrolled in at least one online course during the 2008 academic year, according to a 2009 survey by the Sloan Consortium.

By Mark Danson