Embarking on any kind of education online entails doing the most research as possible. After all, despite its slowly rising popularity, taking online certification courses is still nothing short of treading unfamiliar grounds for many promising professionals.
If you yourself are still new to this kind of education, you would certainly benefit in gaining as much information about it as possible. Any kind of knowledge you gain could prove to be useful in influencing your decision and might even help give you the edge once you start to go ahead with your chosen online course. With that said, we’ve taken the liberty to compile this information into the seven general facts about online certification courses below. We hope that they’ll prove to be beneficial to your future endeavor in advancing your career.
1. A growing number of students all over the world are now relying on online courses to advance their education.
This is probably one of the tell-tale signs that this educational system is only ever bound to become the norm in the future. The number of students, in fact, is already in the millions, and it’s only expected to grow in the future. Students taking online certification courses in India alone is enough to attest this point.A lot of people tend to be hesitant about trying out new things but this fact would certainly prove to be enough to convince even the most uncertain to give online certification courses a try. Closely related to this fact is the unquestionable quality of these courses. In fact, most schools that offer them assert that these courses are no different (if not better) than the regular, campus courses they have available.
2. Flexibility is the primary advantage that online certification courses offer
If you’re a professional that’s worried about juggling work and school life to keep your career path stable, know that online certification courses might just give you the breather that you need. A distance learning Masters degree, for instance, would offer you the unprecedented advantage of getting to study anywhere and anytime you want. This is part of the reason why graduate students are among the most frequent and numerous patrons of online education.
The variety of courses offered is also worth highlighting to cater to professionals needing specific skills and knowledge in their respective fields. Some accelerated courses are even offered for companies that mean to teach their employees the necessary skills in a short period of time. The technology field is one of the most active fields that offer these kinds of courses, considering the rapid developments that are being made in it. Again, this belies the obvious versatility that online courses have Other benefits include:
- Less costly tuition fees.
- A completely different learning experience.
It’s also very convenient for adult learners who work full-time but have an ambition to upgrade their skills or earn a new certification. For example, accountants usually work more than 40 hours per week and there’s not so much time for studying. However, there are a lot of certifications and licenses every accountant dreams of getting. For example, a CPA is more achievable, thanks to online courses that were created to guide you through the CPA exam preparation (check some of the best options on BeatTheCPA) and leave you more time for a work-life balance.
3. The options of courses you can take are very broad.
Related to flexibility is the ability and freedom to study what you want. Gone are the days when online courses are few for schools and universities are slowly beginning to offer just as much online courses as their on-campus selections. Nowadays, there are now literally thousands of courses you can choose from
It’s not only technology and computer science that’s getting their share of online education courses. Much like any normal university you can now expect to take online courses in other major fields like health, education, engineering, vocational courses, and more. Online graduate studies are particularly plentiful in the business and education fields.
What’s certain is that, with the rising prevalence of online education, there’s no longer any reason for schools and universities to offer only a limited number of degrees. This is also made possible by the fact that the said learning institutions have already adapted to this kind of learning setup and are only improving them with the passage of time
4. You can always choose to concentrate on your studies while taking an online course.
Many people have this ready assumption that most professionals who are taking an online course are only doing so because it allows them to also work simultaneously. While this is true and is one of the main benefits of the field, it’s not always the case.
In fact, statistics show that a lot of distance learning students aren’t employed while taking their chosen courses. This is applicable to both undergraduates and graduate students. Holding jobs while studying, therefore, isn’t particularly a priority and most students prefer to concentrate on their studies before looking for and maintaining a job.
5. Some companies are already making online degrees a specific credential when hiring possible employees.
This is true for certain jobs that require a certain form of training that only students that took part in a unique online education setting can receive. Most of the time, this is the case in courses in computer science and information technology, for instance. This is why it’s vital for anyone looking to take up an online course to be mindful of this fact and opportunity.
It wouldn’t hurt to research about what certifications the company you’re meaning to apply to is looking for. If you’re already hired, you can expect your company to take care of this for you.
6. Online certification courses cater excellently to people with disabilities.
A lot of students that have a particular disability that makes it hard or impossible for them to attend classes on-campus regularly benefit a lot from online courses. From limited mobility to specific sensory disabilities, students that have them are more likely to enroll in an online course.
This is one aspect that proves online education is able to provide a favorable alternative and, more importantly, solutions to prevailing problems that people have
7. The salaries of graduates of online courses are vastly varying.
The annual salaries of online course graduates range from $25,000 to $150,000. This is based on surveys conducted on professionals who have finished an online course and acquired their target certifications. This fact only highlights that online courses are no different from courses that you take on-campus.
Again, this only proves that the online course you take is crucial if you want to achieve the salary that you are aiming for. This is especially true for people who are taking them for the sole purpose of increasing their pay and advancing their career. This is the usual reason why people take online courses, to begin with.
Conclusion:
Based on the facts above, it’s safe to say that online certification courses and online education, in general, has a very promising future. In fact, it wouldn’t be a surprise if it becoming the norm is a sealed deal already. The excellent online Master programs India and others being offered in other prestigious schools and universities in the world are a sure sign that this is bound to happen. The only veritable question is when
