Online and Distance Learning

In this section you can find out about program types, e.g., Associate Degrees, Bachelor's Degrees and graduate degrees. This section should be of use to you whether you are thinking of studying online or on-campus.

The programs that people take vary according to many things, including: needs, interests, qualifications and experience.

So the type of program that you take may depend on what you want it for and also on the qualifications that you already have.  You may just want to obtain some technical skills by taking a short course, and you may not need any previous qualifications to do that. But clearly, if you want to take a masters degree, you will most likely need to have a bachelor degree first.

And the mode of study you take, i.e., on-campus, distance or online, depends on your lifestyle as well as location.  Most adult learners nowadays would rather choose taking an online college degree than going on-campus for their masters or other degree program. It gives them the flexibility they need.

If you know the type of program that you want, then you can use the navigation bar on the left to find out more about the subject that you want to take and find links to suitable schools, or you can use the search boxes on this page.

The program types considered here

Broadly speaking programs can be divided into pre-university, undergraduate and graduate programs.  But within these broad categories, there are further divisions.  Click on the links below to learn more about the types of program dealt with here.  A brief description of each is included below.

• Preparation for College, i.e., entrance requirements and college/university preparatory programs;
• Certificate Programs, i.e., programs that provide the specific skills required in the workplace;
• Associate Programs, i.e., programs that usually provide the specific skills required in the workplace. There are four different types of associate degree - some of these can count towards bachelor degrees;
• Bachelor Programs, programs that lead to a bachelor's degree - which is often the entry level qualification for professional careers;
• Masters Degrees, i.e., graduate degree programs that usually build on bachelors degrees;
• Doctorate Programs, i.e., programs that usually build on masters degree programs and lead to the ultimate academic qualification - a PhD or professional doctorate;

List of schools and programs - all types