Online education is a type of educational instruction that is delivered via the internet to students using their home computers. During the last decade, online degrees and courses have become popular alternative for a wide range of nontraditional students, include those who want to continue working full-time or raising families. Most of the time, online degree programs and courses are offered via the host school's online learning platform, although some are delivered using alternative technologies. Although there are subtle dissimilarities, the main difference between online and traditional learning is the fact that online education liberates the student from the usual trappings of on-campus degree programs — including driving to school, planning their schedule around classes, and being physically present for each sequence of their coursework.
If this sounds drastic, it really isn't. The truth is, the education methods and materials provided in online degree programs are often the same as those provided for on-campus programs. According to Robert Monroe, Director of the Online Hybrid MBA at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, the best online education programs actually mirror their on-campus equivalent.