Online Degree, Online Courses and Distance Learning in The United States

Online learning, also called distance education, lets students take a U.S. course or degree without moving to the United States. EducationUSA, the U.S. Department of State's advising network, notes that U.S. institutions offer full online degree programmes at undergraduate and graduate level as well as individual courses. Online study is now common inside the country too: according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in fall 2021 some 9.4 million students, 61 percent of all undergraduates, took at least one distance education course, and 4.4 million studied only at a distance. At graduate level, 1.8 million students took at least one online course and 1.3 million studied exclusively online.

This directory lists eight providers of online and distance learning in the United States, from fully online universities to campus-based universities and specialist schools with online courses.

Types of online programmes

• Full online degrees: bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes taught entirely online, often designed for working adults; Walden University lists 13 online undergraduate programmes and more than 40 master's programmes
• Online degrees from campus universities: Georgia Tech's Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMSCS) delivers all required courses asynchronously; students can take one course per semester and up to six years to finish
• Low-residency programmes: part-time blended programmes that are mostly online but require occasional attendance on campus
• Professional certificates and single courses: short courses for career development, such as the 10-week individual courses in visual effects and game art that Gnomon in Los Angeles offers on campus and online
• MOOCs: massive open online courses, usually free, which in most cases do not give academic credit; a certificate of completion or credit usually costs a small fee

Accreditation and recognition

Accreditation matters more online than anywhere else, because unaccredited "degree mills" also sell degrees on the internet. In the United States, institutions are accredited by independent accrediting bodies recognised by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). University of Phoenix, for example, states that it has held institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1978. Before enrolling, EducationUSA suggests asking whether the university is accredited, how long it has run the programme, how long students take to finish it, what jobs graduates find and whether the qualification will be recognised in the student's home country or by employers.

Admission and visas

Admission requirements are set by each institution and are usually similar to those of the campus programme: previous qualifications, transcripts and, for students whose first language is not English, proof of English proficiency. A student visa is not needed for a fully online programme; in fact, EducationUSA states that students taking full-time online programmes are not eligible for U.S. student visas. When a low-residency programme requires short periods in the United States, a student visa is needed for those stays. Students on a campus degree who also take online courses should check with the Designated School Official (DSO) at their university that their visa status is not affected.

Costs

Online study saves the costs of travel, housing and time off work, but EducationUSA warns that the academic fees may be the same as for the campus programme. Fees are set by each institution, so the programme's own tuition page is the reference. The budget should also include any residential periods on campus, learning materials, and the shipping fees and import duties on materials sent from the United States.

How to choose

• Accreditation: institutional accreditation by a recognised accreditor, and programme accreditation for regulated fields such as nursing or teaching
• Recognition at home: whether employers or the education authorities in the student's country accept the degree
• Format: asynchronous courses that fit any time zone, or live online classes at fixed U.S. times
• Residency: whether any on-campus periods are required, and whether they need a visa
• Total cost and pace: tuition per credit or per course, and the maximum time allowed to finish

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a U.S. student visa for an online degree?

No. According to EducationUSA, students taking full-time online programmes are not eligible for U.S. student visas. A visa is only needed if a low-residency programme requires short stays in the United States.

Are online degrees from U.S. universities accredited?

Many are, but not all. Check that the institution is accredited by an accreditor recognised by the U.S. Department of Education or CHEA, and that the degree will be recognised in your own country.

Is studying online cheaper than studying on campus?

It saves travel and housing costs, but tuition can be the same as for the campus programme, according to EducationUSA. Compare the fees listed by each institution.

Do free online courses (MOOCs) give credit?

In most cases no. MOOCs are usually free, and a certificate of completion or credit, where offered, costs a small fee.