State university now offers fully-online degree program

State university now offers fully-online degree program

Adults who have existing careers or families, but still wish to earn a degree, may benefit from enrolling in an online university. Taking classes online provides students with the freedom to create their own flexible schedule and access coursework at their convenience.

Web-based higher learning programs, such as the one offered at Washington State University (WSU), give learners the opportunity to receive a degree from a major university without leaving the convenience of home, reports Campus Technology.

This fall will be the first semester freshmen are accepted into WSU's fully-online degree program. Previously, web-based courses were reserved for adult students completing a degree. The new policy will accept nontraditional students who have never taken college courses into the program.

"There are many people who never got started on a college degree who need the flexibility we offer and are willing to put in the hard work to earn their degree from [Washington State U]," Muriel Oaks, dean for the Center for Distance and Professional Education, told the news source.

Undergraduate degree offerings include accounting, management and operations, criminal justice, human development, humanities and social sciences. WSU's online graduate programs include certificates in bioethics and molecular biosciences, as well as masters degrees in professional science and early childhood leadership.

According to a 2009 survey from the Sloan Consortium, nearly 4 million students are taking web-based courses and earning online college degrees.

By Mark Danson