UMaine expands its online education offering

UMaine expands its online education offering

The number of online courses offered by the University of Maine has grown from just 12 in 1997 to 277 this year, as students attracted by their flexibility flock to take advantage of this convenient education option.

"Students are really voting when registering [for online classes]. They're voting for usefulness, time, convenience and flexibility," says James Toner, director of UMaine's Distance Education program, quoted by Maine Campus, the university's newspaper.

He also stresses the economic and environmental benefits that accrue when individuals are able to take classes from home rather than having to drive to a far-away campus.

The source specifies that UMaine's Distance and Online Education program is based on collaboration between the Division of Lifelong Learning and the Department of Information Technologies, and is open to students statewide.

Along with a recent announcement of online education expansion at the University of Connecticut, adult learners looking to boost their skills to gain a competitive edge in fast growing employment fields, such as healthcare or technology, have more options than ever.