This guide contains:

Background on continuing education
Features to look for in continuing education programs
How to find the best continuing education program for you

This independent guide was written to help consumers understand continuing education programs, and how to help you find the best continuing education program for you. We do not offer any continuing eduction progrmams ourselves, so you can be confident that all of the information in this guide is independent and unbiased.

Background on continuing education
Continuing education can mean several different things: coursework that does or does not carry academic credit applicable toward a degree; courses, programs or organized learning experiences to enhance personal or professional goals; and courses required by certain professions to retain licensure (nurses, real estate brokers, etc.).

The good news for anyone interested in furthering their education for professional or personal reasons through continuing education courses is that there is a wide range of educational opportunities that can be found online. The number of available online continuing education programs continues to grow.

Continuing education programs are also improving their reputation for the quality of the educational experience, and several studies have come to the conclusion that there is no significant difference between online education and traditional classroom learning. There are currently more than a million people enrolled in online continuing education programs, and this number is expected to double or more in just the next few years.

The success and growth of continuing education programs is a result of not only the quality of the learning, but also the flexibility it offers students and faculty. Online continuing education classes give you tremendous freedom and flexibility to arrange coursework around your schedule, and you don't have to worry about rushing to class, making up missed classes, running out of gas, paying a babysitter, and other hassles. All activity related to the continuing education, including registration, ordering books, posting assignments, interacting with classmates, receiving feedback from instructors, etc. can be done completely online.

Features to look for in continuing education programs
There are literally thousands of organizations and learning institutions that offer continuing education classes. Some are for-profit private colleges, universities and trades schools, and some are state-funded public colleges and universities. Some of these are traditional colleges and universities with physical campuses who offer online continuing education as a natural extension of their traditional learning. Some,