Online Colleges

Guide to Online Colleges and Education

In-depth reference information for prospective students

Also known as distance learning or e-learning, online education is seeing rapid growth. With the number of US students taking online college courses now estimated at over two million, a student's choices for where to earn a degree have grown tremendously. Over the past decade new online-only schools have been established and many existing on-campus colleges are introducing online programs. Online students also have the choices of full-time or part-time studies, of when and where to complete coursework, and of blending online and on-campus classes.

To help prospective students navigate these choices, BrainTrack's Online College Guide offers a series of original articles researched and written by BrainTrack staff. The articles address critical questions about online colleges which are not readily answered on most college information sites, such as:

• What is taking an online course really like?
• What sort of internet and computer technology would I be using?
• How do hiring companies view and value people with degrees from online colleges?
• Will my online course credits be transferable?
• How can I make the most of my online studies?

Several initial articles, part of an ongoing research effort, speak to these these topics, including:

The Technology of Online Learning

VLEs: About Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs). Students typically interact with VLEs through standard web browsers, to receive and submit assignments, chat with faculty and other students, and listen to lectures. The article describes the leading VLEs, shows screen images of several, and lists schools using each.

Job Prospects for Grads with Online Degrees and Certifications

Recruiters Say: Recruiters' Opinions Of Online Degrees. Excerpts from interviews with professional recruiters specializing in a variety of industries. From the ongoing BrainTrack Interview Series of discussions with a range of experts and thought leaders in the education and career planning fields.

Online Student Experiences

From interviews with current and recent online college students.

Online Teacher Experiences

Views of Online Instructors. The article, based on interviews with faculty members currently teaching online college courses, includes tips for both online students and teachers.

Accreditation and Online Degrees

Accreditation can impact the value of an online degree and the ability to transfer credits to other schools.

Online Schools Accepting Students Globally

These large and well-regarded online schools are known for accepting students from a range of countries. The ability to serve students from all over the world is one of the advantages of online schools.

A Selection of Notable Online Colleges

Schools below offer online programs across a wide variety of subjects and degrees. For listings of online schools by career area, please see the individual occupation profiles within BrainTrack's Career Guide.

School	Popular Program Categories
A.T. Still University of Health Sciences	Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Medicine Nutrition And Exercise Therapy Therapy And Counseling
AIU Online	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Design Education And Teaching Media Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Security And Law Enforcement
American Sentinel University	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Leisure Medical Administration Nursing And Emergency Medicine
Angley College Online	Business And Management Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Nursing And Emergency Medicine Office And Administration
Argosy University Online	Education And Teaching Medical Support And Technology Religion And Philosophy Therapy And Counseling
Ashford University	Business And Management Conservation And Resource Management Education And Teaching Family And Social Work Leisure Liberal Arts Media Medical Administration Medicine Nutrition And Exercise Therapy (More)
Ashworth College	Animal Science And Care Basic Skills Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Conservation And Resource Management Construction Trades Cooking And Culinary Arts Design Education And Teaching Engineering Technician (More)
Baker College Online	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Design Engineering Technician Media Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Security And Law Enforcement Therapy And Counseling
Berkeley College - Online	Business And Management Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Security And Law Enforcement
Bethel University	Business And Management Education And Teaching Liberal Arts Media Medical Administration Nursing And Emergency Medicine Office And Administration Religion And Philosophy Therapy And Counseling
Boston University - Online	Business And Management Liberal Arts Security And Law Enforcement Therapy And Counseling
Brookline College	Business And Management Law Media Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Nursing And Emergency Medicine Security And Law Enforcement
Bryan College	Law Nutrition And Exercise Therapy Therapy And Counseling
California State University, Monterey Bay	Business And Management
California State University, Northridge	Education And Teaching
Capella University	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Education And Teaching Family And Social Work Law Leisure Media Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Medicine (More)
Central Pennsylvania College	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Law Medical Administration Security And Law Enforcement
Chamberlain College of Nursing	Nursing And Emergency Medicine
Champlain College	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Engineering Technician
Clayton College of Natural Health	Animal Science And Care Medicine Nutrition And Exercise Therapy
Coleman University	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Design Media Science
Colorado Technical University Online	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Construction Trades Education And Teaching Engineering Technician Law Liberal Arts Medical Administration Nursing And Emergency Medicine Office And Administration (More)
Creighton University Online	Computer Science And Engineering Liberal Arts Therapy And Counseling
DeVry University Online	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Education And Teaching Engineering Technician Leisure Medical Administration
Eastern Kentucky University	Engineering Technician Security And Law Enforcement
Everest University Online	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Law Security And Law Enforcement
Florida Tech University Online	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Liberal Arts Medical Administration Security And Law Enforcement
Golden Gate University Online	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Family And Social Work
Gonzaga University Online	Business And Management
Grand Canyon University	Business And Management Education And Teaching Family And Social Work Liberal Arts Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Nursing And Emergency Medicine Nutrition And Exercise Therapy Religion And Philosophy Security And Law Enforcement (More)
Grantham University	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Engineering Engineering Technician Liberal Arts Security And Law Enforcement
Harrison College	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Liberal Arts Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Nursing And Emergency Medicine Office And Administration Security And Law Enforcement Therapy And Counseling
Herzing College	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Design Engineering Technician Law Media Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Nursing And Emergency Medicine Office And Administration (More)
Herzing University Online	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Design Law Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Security And Law Enforcement
ICS Canada	Animal Science And Care Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Conservation And Resource Management Construction Trades Cooking And Culinary Arts Design Education And Teaching Engineering Engineering Technician (More)
ITT Technical Institute	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Construction Trades Design Engineering Technician Medical Administration Security And Law Enforcement
Independence University	Business And Management Family And Social Work Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Medicine Nursing And Emergency Medicine Therapy And Counseling
International Academy of Design & Technology Online	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Design Leisure
Jacksonville University Online	Nursing And Emergency Medicine
Jack Welch Management Institute at Chancellor University	Business And Management
Jones International University	Business And Management Design Education And Teaching Medical Administration
Kaplan University	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Design Education And Teaching Engineering Technician Family And Social Work Hospitality Law Liberal Arts Media (More)
Keiser University eCampus Online	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Education And Teaching Law Liberal Arts Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Security And Law Enforcement
Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University - Online	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Family And Social Work
Lancaster Bible College & Graduate School	Religion And Philosophy
Lesley University Online	Business And Management Education And Teaching
Lincoln College of Technology	Beauty And Cosmetology Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Cooking And Culinary Arts Engineering Technician Mechanics And Repair Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Security And Law Enforcement Therapy And Counseling
Loyola University New Orleans Online	Nursing And Emergency Medicine
Minnesota School of Business	Beauty And Cosmetology Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Design Law Media Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Music Nutrition And Exercise Therapy (More)
New England College	Business And Management Family And Social Work Medical Administration Real Estate And Construction Management
New England Institute of Technology	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Construction Trades Design Engineering Engineering Technician Leisure Mechanics And Repair Media Medical Administration (More)
Northeastern University Online	Business And Management Medical Administration
Norwich University	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Engineering Family And Social Work Liberal Arts Nursing And Emergency Medicine
Penn Foster Career School	Animal Science And Care Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Conservation And Resource Management Construction Trades Cooking And Culinary Arts Design Education And Teaching Engineering Technician Family And Social Work (More)
Penn Foster College	Business And Management Design Education And Teaching Engineering Engineering Technician Family And Social Work Hospitality Law Mechanics And Repair Medical Support And Technology (More)
Penn Foster High School	Basic Skills
South University	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Family And Social Work Law Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Nursing And Emergency Medicine Security And Law Enforcement Therapy And Counseling
St. Joseph's University	Business And Management Education And Teaching Medical Administration Security And Law Enforcement Therapy And Counseling
Sterling College Online	Business And Management Religion And Philosophy
Stratford Career Institute	Basic Skills Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Conservation And Resource Management Construction Trades Cooking And Culinary Arts Design Education And Teaching Engineering Technician Family And Social Work (More)
Strayer University Online	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Design Education And Teaching Family And Social Work Hospitality Law Liberal Arts Media Medical Administration (More)
TUI University	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Education And Teaching Family And Social Work Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Medicine Nutrition And Exercise Therapy Security And Law Enforcement
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Design Family And Social Work Hospitality Media Photography And Commercial Art
The Chicago School	Therapy And Counseling
The Edinburgh Business School	Business And Management
The George Washington University - Online	Education And Teaching Law Medical Administration
The University of Liverpool	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Law Medical Support And Technology Medicine
University of Cincinnati	Basic Skills Business And Management Education And Teaching Engineering Technician Family And Social Work Liberal Arts Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Medicine Nursing And Emergency Medicine (More)
University of Notre Dame	Business And Management Liberal Arts
University of Oxford Online	Archaeology Art History Computing Data Analysis Economics English Literature History Human Rights Law Nanotechnology Pediatric Infectious Diseases (More)
University of Phoenix Online	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Education And Teaching Family And Social Work Hospitality Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Nursing And Emergency Medicine Security And Law Enforcement Therapy And Counseling
University of Southern Queensland Online	Arts Business Education Engineering English language Sciences Surveying
Utica College	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Medical Administration Nutrition And Exercise Therapy Security And Law Enforcement Therapy And Counseling
Vanderbilt University Online	Nursing And Emergency Medicine
Villanova University Professional Certificate Online Programs	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Engineering Technician
Virginia College Online	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Law Medical Administration Office And Administration Security And Law Enforcement
Walden University	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Education And Teaching Engineering Family And Social Work Liberal Arts Media Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology Medicine (More)
Westwood College	Business And Management Computer Science And Engineering Design Engineering Technician Family And Social Work Law Leisure Media Medical Administration Medical Support And Technology (More)

Online Colleges

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