The division between an “online degree” and a “traditional degree” has never been more porous, and made-in-Canada online degrees are becoming increasingly popular to busy Canadians with full-time jobs. Wilfrid Laurier University offers a variety of online graduate and undergraduate degrees for students with the discipline and passion to pursue their education on their own terms. In today’s post, we look at the benefits of online study in Canada.
Online Degrees Earned From Wilfrid Laurier University Are the Same as Degrees Earned on Campus - and Employers think so too
A degree has value because it represents what you have achieved academically at a recognized institution. The format in which that degree was earned is irrelevant as long as it was earned. Students who prefer to study online today no longer have to pick through questionable offerings to find legitimate schools; the best all-around universities are now also the best online universities. Laurier has been established for over a century, earning recognition as a top traditional institution long before it became acclaimed as a leader in online study in Canada. Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Columbia, Cornell and Johns Hopkins are just a few of the top US schools offering e-learning.[ii] In most cases, degrees earned online from these schools (including Laurier) are indistinguishable from those earned on campus because the curriculum and work each requires is identical - even by employers. Completing a degree online or on-campus, requires discipline, time-management, motivation and a high degree of self-directed critical thinking. These are all skills that employers want but are difficult to develop.
Why Online Study Works for Today’s Students
The internet is a now a fact of life for most, whether you’re a millennial who’s never really known adult life without a constant connection to the web, or a Gen-Xer who’s been converted by the smartphone you started using for work. We’re accustomed to absorbing information from the web, and many jobs can be performed remotely. Therefore it’s not a surprise that many prefer to study online. Here are just a few of its conveniences and niche benefits.
Study at Your Own Pace
If you’re a night owl, attending an 8:30 a.m. class is not a welcome endeavour, and it’s even more difficult if you’ve just come off working a night shift to pay your way through school. Online study means you can work on your courses and homework whenever you’re most alert and ready to learn.
It also means you can spend more time with the modules; pause when you need to take a break; replay something you missed or wish to quote exactly; and revisit a critical idea when it comes time to study.
If you don’t have the time to manage a full course load, take one class at a time. You’re free to take the time you need to finish your program.
Learn from Home
The flexibility of location is as valuable as having a flexible schedule. If you’re far from campus; travelling; or raising young children at home, it may not be feasible to spend hours each day in a physical classroom. When you study online, that’s not a problem. You’re “on-campus” anywhere - whether you plug in and connect or download content in advance to work without a connection.
Hone Your Communication Skills
Learning to take a leadership role and express yourself persuasively can lead to big benefits in the work world. However, effective communication can take many different forms, and in an online world, the trickiest can sometimes be via email. In an online program, not only are you given opportunities to hone the same communication skills that are used in a traditional on-campus program, but you also have an opportunity to particularly sharpen your written skills. Through papers and discussion posts, you broaden your writing abilities through academic writing, but in engaging with your classmates and professors via email, you are also given the opportunity to practice the nuances of writing in a professional setting. An online program will help you to organize your ideas and present them with clarity, while being aware of your audience.
Contact us to find out more about the benefits of upgrading your education with online study while simultaneously putting in time working at a relevant position.
Read 10 Ways to Stay On Top of Your Online Classes and Laurier Ranked Number One in Maclean’s.
Sources
[i] http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/fake-degree-toronto-investigation-...
[ii] http://www.howtogetintograduateschool.com/masters/top-online-masters-deg...