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Finding College Courses on the Web

© Roxianne Moore

The last few weeks, I've been discussing self-directed learning and some of the pitfalls associated with distance education. This week, I'd like to take a look at some distance education programs, including a couple that offer graduate degrees. I'll also list some great places to find writing courses online for those more interested in improving their craft than in earning a degree.

University of Phoenix

The University of Phoenix is probably one of the best known, or at least best advertised, schools offering distance education programs for adults. Courses are offered online, making a computer absolutely necessary, not a problem for anyone reading this. A variety of bachelors and masters degrees are supported, as well as a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership.

In the Online program communication is many-to-many rather than one-to-one. Each class shares its own group mailbox, which serves as an "electronic classroom."

With 61,000 students, the University of Phoenix claims to be the largest private accredited university for working adults. If getting a degree is important to you, but you can't take time off work for full-time study, this might be a great choice. The only drawback is that they don't have writing programs, focusing on technology, business, health care and education.

University of Wisconsin

the Learning Innovations program at The University of Wisconsin lists a number of English and Journalism correspondence courses. Since this is a university-based program, you can receive credit for your courses, but the cost is also higher. The courses I examined ran about $126 a credit. You may also take continuing education courses such as "Article Writing for Fun and Profit" for a lower cost ($130), but you'll receive only CEUs (continuing education units) instead of college credit.

Other Programs and Courses

DIAL at the New School for Social Research offers distance education in a number of subjects, including this comprehensive Writing Program. They're also offering a Masters degree, which is not as easy to find as online Bachelors degree programs.

the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth CyberEd is a Web-based distance education program with a wide variety of courses. Once again, writing courses are few and far between, although "How to Find a Creative Job" looked promising. You apparently can't earn a degree, so this would be more of a continuing education option.

Writing Courses Online

• Inkspot lists a number of online and offline courses for writers.

• Writers on the Net offer an extensive list of writing classes, most running eight to ten weeks. At $190 for an eight-week course, they're not exactly cheap, but they're less expensive than a credit-course at your local university. I've taken Judith Bowen's "How to Write and Sell a Contemporary Romance," and it was well worth the money.