by Alfred Nylund

Created on: November 17, 2006   Last Updated: September 25, 2010

Many traditional colleges and universities now offer virtual schools within the traditional on-campus framework.

New methods of teaching students in interactive ways are constantly evolving as a result of the increased demand for internet-based courses and programs that offer college degrees from home.

The most reliable of these virtual schools do indeed tend to be offshoots of traditional institutions of higher learning. One such example of a cutting edge virtual school is Pennsylvania State University's "World Campus" (www.worldcampus.psu.edu). This particular program is innovative in the ways by which a Distance Learning student can interact with other non-traditional students as well as their on-campus counterparts.

Gone are the days of snail mail tests and quizzes, or lectures on cassette tape! Through sophisticated new programs utilizing internet technology, community forums, real time discussions and telephone interviews, students can work from home and still have the traditional in-class experience. Best of all, the degree earned is identical to those awarded to on-campus students.

A similar program exists at Boston University, called the Executive Bachelor's Degree Completion Program (www.budegree.info/index.htm), in which an adult student who has earned at least 64 credits toward his or her Bachelor's degree can complete their degree-granting program entire online. Again, the Distance Learning student has full and complete access to all the same resources that a tradition, on-campus student does, and receives the same degree.

Another interesting development in the field of internet education is the Virtual School of Business offered by UMass Amherst's Isenberg School of Management (www.isenberg.umass.edu/undergrad/Online_Degree_Prog ram/). Admission to the tradition Isenberg School is highly selective and widely respected by employers, and the virtual counterpart is no different. A Distance Learning student who graduates with a degree from this Virtual Business School commands the respect and salary that he or she deserves when entering the business world.

The field of virtual schools available on the internet today is vast, and in order to find the right program, one has to be sure to consider an institution's reputation, the quality of the Distance Learning experience offered, and the availability of one's preferred area of study.

Good luck finding the right Virtual School for you!

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