For several people, continuing education gives people an opportunity to achieve their aspirations, update their knowledge and acquire degrees that they may have missed earlier on in their life. Continuing education is commonly available through a division or a school of continuing education. In the United States, community colleges also offer these non-credit courses. This means enrolling in non-credit-granting classes, for individual as well as non-professional growth. Continuing education requires part-time enrollment in college or university credit-granting lessons. General continuing education has the same implications as adult learning.

These distance education programs usually pertain to subjects such as literacy, English verbal communication skills, and curriculums such as occupational training or GED training. The syllabus has been composed so that is directed towards mature learners, specifically students who are already past the usual undergraduate college or university age.

Usually, a continuing education student has completed basic schooling or some form of formal education. Continuing education is designed primarily for those wishing to pursue further studies relevant to their professions. It enables professionals to procure a new license, as well as continue to uphold it, as required by their profession. People who may have discontinued their education are able to pursue their studies through various continuing education programs.

The objective of continuing education courses is to encourage professionals to further their education and keep abreast of latest developments in their field. Apart from institutes, a few standard colleges also offer some of these courses. The need for a licensed education arises because governing bodies in numerous fields, such as law and medicine, have made it compulsory for professionals to hold licenses.

Further Your Education With A Distance Learning Degree There comes a point in some people’s lives where they feel a need to supplement their education, either to further their current career or to move into a completely new field all together.

While distance education is not for everyone, it has certainly stood the test of time. The following is a brief timeline of events related to distance education.

• 1840 – Isaac Pitman begins teaching shorthand by correspondence in the UK.
• 1858 – The University of London creates its External Program.
• 1883 – New York State authorizes the Chautauqua Institute to award degrees earned via correspondence.
• 1891 – The Colliery Engineer School of Mines renames itself International Correspondence Schools.
• 1892 – The University of Chicago starts administering the first university courses by mail.
• 1906 – The Calvert School of Baltimore becomes the first primary school in the United States to offer correspondence courses.
• 1916 – The National University Continuing Education Association is created in the United States.
• 1921 – Pennsylvania State College begins broadcasting courses on the radio.
• 1933 – The University of Iowa begins broadcasting courses on television.
• 1950 – The Ford Foundation begins offering grants to create and develop educational programs for television broadcasting.
• 1967 – The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is created.
• 1970 – Walden University is established.
• 1974 – California State University offers a Masters degree via correspondence.
• 1982 – The National University Teleconferencing Network is established.
• 1984 – The personal computer is named “man of the year” by Time Magazine.

With the advent of the personal computer and the development of the internet, distance education has evolved into an extremely important element of modern education. Most every university in North America offers courses online, while an entire cottage industry has formed around the concept of online education. There are countless online courses available to members of the general public. The wonderful thing about online education is that there are no borders, and prospective students worldwide now have access to the same opportunities. Online learning has the ability to make the world a better place. In some ways, it already has.