Today’s students truly do have more options available to them than ever before if they are willing to invest the time and effort into their studies, there are few limits to the level of education you can receive, even if it has been years since you last attended a university or community college. Even those colleges and universities that do not offer full fledged degree programs exclusively through online learning mediums are beginning to offer many courses online for students with busy schedules and lifestyles. This means that you now have the opportunity to combine distance or online learning with a few night or weekend courses in order to complete your degree even if you have a full time day job and family that needs to see you at home on occasion.

Even if a degree is not something you are necessarily seeking you might be amazed at the wide array of courses that are available for those interested in increasing their depth of knowledge on different issues from the comfort of their own homes. I know that the idea of self-directed online learning opportunities appeal to me on many levels. These opportunities however, are not necessarily a good idea for everyone. We all learn in different manners and some of us learn best by actually being in the classroom and hearing what has to be said or from hands on experience. This type of learning is not necessarily possible when it comes to distance learning in an email or bulletin board type of environment, which is how many Internet classrooms operate.

Online learning is also not a good idea for those who aren’t perfectly willing, able, and capable of holding themselves responsible for their learning. Face it, for some of us it is much easier to get up and go to a classroom than it is to force ourselves to log on and pay attention at home. We all have areas in which our discipline is well in hand and others where we seem to have no discipline whatsoever. If you can’t hold yourself on task or have difficulties not being distracted by the many other novel things there are to do online you might be best served through an actual classroom experience rather than a distance learning environment like those of online classes.

This is not meant to discourage you from distance learning or online classrooms. In fact, I think these are by far the best option for many working professionals who are seeking to advance their careers, knowledge, and/or earning potential. You will not need to feel as though you are choosing between the future needs of yourself and your family and the limited time you have with your family already. You can schedule around your family time and make the sacrifice when it comes to sleep.

With online classes it doesn’t matter if you are in your pajamas or in a suit and tie you can still do the work you need to do online and no one will be the wiser. You also might find that you can squeeze your education into your lunch hour, particularly if you can type and chew at the same time. The truth is that online classes offer superior flexibility to those hoping to further their education. Whether you are hoping to earn a degree or simply wish to broaden your horizons by taking a few online classes, you just might find that the possibilities are limitless once you begin taking these courses from home.

Argosy University will make available both on-campus and online
courses that might be able to permit dislocated students to
progress in their academic careers during this semester of
disruption. Students at a university forced to close by
Hurricane Katrina may register at any of Argosy University’s 13
campuses across the nation for courses, on a space-available
basis, for the fall terms.

Argosy University will waive tuition for dislocated students
who have already registered and paid tuition at their home
institution for the fall 2005 semester. If dislocated students
have not yet paid their tuition at their home institution, they
will be assessed the lesser of the current published tuition and
fees at the home institution, or Argosy University’s published
tuition and fees, as determined by the Argosy University campus
president.

“Argosy University acted today by offering educational
assistance to college students impacted by Hurricane Katrina,”
says Dr. Gregory O’Brien, president of Argosy University.
“Argosy University is concerned for the well-being of these
students, and this initiative is our way of reaching out with
compassion and benevolence to those affected. We pledge to do
all that we can to assist college students in the Gulf Coast
region to continue their education and continue in their lives.”

According to the American Council on Education, more than 30
colleges and universities in the Gulf Coast region have been
severely damaged by the hurricane, and possibly 100,000 students
have been displaced from their schools.

Argosy University offers doctoral, masters, and undergraduate
degree programs in psychology, counseling, education, business,
information technology, and organizational leadership. Doctoral
degree programs in clinical psychology (accredited by the
American Psychological Association), are available at several
Argosy University’s campuses. Argosy University will assist
dislocated Ph.D. and Psy.D. students on an individual basis.
Select associate’s degree programs in several health sciences
fields are available at Argosy University/Twin Cities, located
in Eagan, MN.

Argosy University has campuses in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas,
Honolulu, Orange County (Santa Ana, CA), Phoenix, San Francisco
Bay Area (Port Richmond, CA), Sarasota, Schaumburg (IL),
Seattle, Tampa, Twin Cities (Eagan, MN), and Washington DC
(Arlington, VA).

Students seeking information about Argosy University’s
initiative can visit the university’s website (www.argosyu.edu)
or call National Admissions Information at 1-800-377-0617.

With 13 campuses across the nation, Argosy University
(www.argosyu.edu) offers undergraduate, graduate, and
postgraduate degrees in the disciplines of business, education,
health sciences, and psychology and behavioral sciences. Argosy
University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and
is a member of the North Central Association (NCA) (30 North
LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602, 1.312.263.0456,
www.ncahlc.org). The parent company of Argosy University,
Education Management Corporation (www.edmc.com), is among the
largest providers of private post-secondary education in North
America, based on student enrollment and revenue. Student
enrollment exceeded 66,000 as of fall 2004. EDMC has 71 primary
campus locations in 24 states and two Canadian provinces. EDMC’s
education institutions offer a broad range of academic programs
concentrated in the media arts, design, fashion, culinary arts,
behavioral sciences, health sciences, education, information
technology, legal studies, and business fields, culminating in
the award of associate’s through doctoral degrees. EDMC has
provided career-oriented education for over 40 years. ###

Many online degree programs at the graduate level are focused on furthering business or information technology skills. Both disciplines lend themselves quite well to distance learning methodologies, and provide adequate learning vehicles for the motivated student. As with any graduate degree-program, the challenges facing the student are significantly greater than those facing undergraduate students. Some schools have expanded program offerings to include nursing, educational, and even law-enforcement disciplines. One California law school allows students to pursue a law degree completely through online technology.

Acceptance into graduate-level online degree programs is on par with the entrance requirements of traditional schools, at least for the most part. Some schools have waived the requirement to submit results from a graduate entrance exam (the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is the most widely used), and this may diminish the reputability of the school and program. Still, the relaxed entrance requirements can provide more students with the opportunity to pursue graduate-level studies, many of whom might not have such an opportunity in the past.

Regardless of which program and venue is selected, a graduate student can expect to face a tremendous workload and extreme strains on time and effort, certainly far more than those found in undergraduate coursework. Most graduate programs are designed to teach theory versus tangible skills, development of research techniques, critical thinking and problem solving abilities, and mastery of discipline-related literature. The difference between online and traditional degree programs at the graduate level diminishes greatly because of these goals, and a typical student can expect to spend a great amount of time reading, researching, and preparation of advanced written assignments.

Graduate level programs rarely allow for the transfer of outside credits or substitution of classes with comparable coursework or student experience. Most schools, online or traditional, require that a specific amount of graduate credits are earned at the degree-issuing school. By most accounts, this requirement varies from 60-80%, depending on the specific school.

Online students face a greater challenge in the pursuit of their graduate degree in that they lose the live interaction and debate (to some degree) found in traditional classroom environments. Many schools offering online degree programs have met this deficiency by creating more interactive forums and establishing online learning teams that are essential to the completion of complex projects. If you are seeking a graduate degree.