Category: References & Guides

[Video] FAQ: What are the benefits of online learning?

[Video] FAQ: What are the benefits of online learning?

ONLINE LEARNING BENEFITS

Online learning actually has a lot of benefits for students, but the most obvious one is that you can further your education from wherever you are, whenever it’s most convenient to you–while raising a family, working full-time or dealing with any circumstance that makes commuting to campus or being in class at a set time difficult or impossible.

But it’s more complex than that too. Let’s talk a bit more about the key benefits of online learning at UofL.

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WORK-LIFE-EDUCATION BALANCE

You really CAN have it all...

As mentioned, online learning allows you to work full-time, take care of your family and attend to all your other priorities while going back to school.

How’s that possible? Well, with almost all of our online programs offered through asynchronous courses–meaning there’s no set class time–you complete your coursework whenever it best fits your schedule, from wherever it’s most convenient to you.

Don’t sacrifice time with your family or friends to sit in a classroom when you’d otherwise be at dinner or attending your kid’s t-ball game. Don’t choose between going to class or wrapping up that big project at work. With online programs, you really can do it all.

Online learning offers the balance, flexibility and convenience you need to integrate education into your current work-life balance, juggling all your responsibilities and priorities while also earning a degree!

The best part–our faculty and staff get it. We’ve been offering education online at UofL for over 20 years. Our student support teams and instructors know how busy the average online student is, and they also know that even with the best laid plans, life happens. They’re always willing to work with you if anything unexpected comes up.

ACCELERATED TERMS

5- or 8- Week Courses

Traditional terms are 15 to 16 weeks long, and typically require a student to take two to three classes per semester to graduate in the standard amount of time (e.g., four years for bachelor’s degree, two years for master’s degree). While part-time options are available through a lot of online programs at UofL, allowing students to lighten their course load as needed, a lot of programs have also moved to offering accelerated courses. 

What’s an accelerated course? Well, taking place over either shorter 5- or 8- week terms, accelerated courses allow you to take just one course at a time but still complete your degree in the same speed as a standard 15 to 16 week program.

To break this down, in a traditional semester, you complete two to three classes over 15 to 16 weeks. With accelerated courses, you’ll still complete two to three courses a semester, but you’ll do just one course every 8 or 5 weeks.

This is another great benefit of online learning that allows you to better balance all the things you’re trying to accomplish, without extending your degree completion time!

REAL UOFL EDUCATION

Wherever You Are

Finally, here at UofL, there’s one other great benefit of online learning: you receive the SAME exceptional UofL education as on-campus students—from wherever is most convenient to you.

Our bachelor’s, master’s and certificate programs are based on the same standards, taught by the same faculty and strive for the same educational experience as our on-campus programs.

[Blog post: Read about our “Wherever You Are” campaign and how it reflects the benefits UofL delivers through online learning.]

You get flexibility and convenience without any sacrifice. You may earn it online, but it’s still a UofL degree. Plus, there’s no indication of whether you completed the degree online, on-campus or through a combination of the two. 

A degree from UofL is a degree from UofL, no matter how (or where!) you earn it.

GET STARTED TODAY!

Ready to take advantage of these great benefits?

If online learning seems like it would be a good fit for your life, take the next step with confidence at UofL. We offer more 40+ online bachelor’s, master’s and certificates across a variety of fields and industries, all designed to help you take the next step in you education with confidence and ease. Visit our site for more information and to get started today!

HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS?

We’re producing FAQ videos like this one on a regular basis to address some of the common questions we see from prospective online students. If there’s a question you’d like to have answered and/or see addressed in a future video, please comment below and let us know, or reach out to the online enrollment team at online@louisville.edu.

[Video: Check out our first FAQ video, which answers the question “What is online learning?”]

WHO IS MACY BUNN?

Featured in UofL’s new online programs FAQ video series, Macy Bunn is a Recruiter for online programs at UofL, part of our enrollment team. Macy’s dedicated to establishing connections and building relationships with prospective online UofL students.

[Blog: Find out more about Macy in our first FAQ blog post.]

[Video] FAQ: What is online learning?

[Video] FAQ: What is online learning?

DEFINING ONLINE LEARNING

In a purely Webster’s dictionary sort of definition, online learning is an alternative or non-traditional format for receiving formal education, delivered through the internet.

Here at the University of Louisville, we look at online learning like this: it’s a way to extend the renowned education opportunities UofL is known for beyond just the traditional college student.

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Through online programs, we are able to reach potential students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to make it to campus. This includes working professionals and anyone with multiple priorities, such as families at home or community responsibilities, who can’t set aside the time to sit in a physical classroom 2 or 3 times a week.

This also includes those outside the Louisville metro area who want to receive a UofL education but live too far to be here. Through a combination of online and on-campus classes, UofL actually educates students from 119 counties across Kentucky, 52 other states and territories, and various countries.

In other words, with online programs, anyone can become a UofL Cardinal–no matter where they are or what other priorities they’re juggling. We deliver online programs that provide the same esteemed education our university is known for, with the added flexibility and convenience of being able to complete your coursework from anywhere in the world, at any time of day.

Ultimately, the best way to define online learning is a way to extend our university to those outside our local communities and create educational opportunities for busy working adults who otherwise wouldn’t have the time or means to go back to school.

advance your future and career with an online program

SO, WHAT IS ONLINE LEARNING, REALLY?

ANSWER: Your best next step.

If online learning seems like it would be a good fit for your life, let us help you take the next step. UofL offers more 40+ online bachelor’s, master’s and certificates across a variety of fields and industries, all designed to help you take the next step in you education with confidence and ease. Visit our site for more information and to get started today!

HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS?

We’re producing FAQ videos like this one on a regular basis to address some of the common questions we see from prospective online students. If there’s a question you’d like to have answered and/or see addressed in a future video, please comment below and let us know, or reach out to the online enrollment team at online@louisville.edu.

[Infographic: We’re also creating resources to help you through the entire enrollment process. Check out our Transcript Retrieval Guide.]

WHO IS MACY BUNN?

Featured in UofL’s new online programs FAQ video series, Macy Bunn is a Recruiter for online programs at UofL, part of our enrollment team. Macy’s dedicated to establishing connections and building relationships with prospective online UofL students.

[Blog: Read a short note from our online enrollment team about how they’re helping students navigate decisions about the future during the current national pandemic.]

Macy travels throughout theMacy Bunn, UofL Online Programs Recruiter local community spreading the word about the online programs offered at UofL, and helping others understand what online learning is, what value it can bring to the lives of the adult learner or non-traditional student and assists those ready to take the next step in their education to find the right program for them. 

Macy’s goal with this FAQ series is to address common questions prospective students have and hesitations they feel about getting started in an online program—and encourage them to move forward with confidence.

Requesting Official Transcripts Online: How To [Infographic]

Requesting Official Transcripts Online: How To [Infographic]






So, you’ve decided to take the next step in your education. And after browsing the various program options available to you, you’ve found the one for you and submitted your application. (We know, we know… It’s never quite that simple.) Then, while attempting to capitalize on your forward momentum, you found yourself at a roadblock. Often times, the next step most online institutions will ask you to do is submit an official college transcript from all previously attended institutions.

And you may just find yourself asking… how do you go about that?

Infographic: Submitting an Online Request

Submitting an online request for college transcripts can often feel like a daunting or intimidating task, especially for anyone who has been out of school for years. All these questions may start popping up in your head…

Where do you go to submit your official transcript request? Where do you send transcripts after requesting them? How should you send transcripts to colleges you’re interested in?

The last thing we want is for you to loose momentum on a task that feels scary but can really be simple. Which is why we’re here to help. We created a “How To” infographic that empowers you to take on the task of requesting your transcripts without hesitation by taking you step-by-step through how to request transcripts from colleges.

Download the Transcript Retrieval Guide by filling out the form below.

Note: Our guide targets the future UofL student, but should be loosely applicable to all transcript requests… regardless of where you’ve chosen to continue your education.

Online Transcript Request: Step-by-Step

While transcripts can be requested online, in-person or by mail, the recommended method is to order transcripts online through the institution website.

Steps to request official college transcript(s) online:

  1. Search the web for “[Your School’s Name Here] transcript”
  2. Visit the Registrar’s or Transcript Order page found at the top of your search results*
  3. Submit the web request for your official transcripts
  4. Send college transcripts directly to the university you want to attend
  5. Repeat for all institutions you’ve attended in the past

* Don’t see a viable link in your results? Try adding “request” or “order” to your search terms!

This process should also be effective for high school transcript requests.

We’re Here to Help Request Your Transcripts (and More!)

As our guide states, every student’s journey is different. If you’re an adult student, you’re probably juggling a lot of other responsibilities. In light of that, tasks like transcript requests can often feel like a burden. But we don’t want it to; we’re here to help you feel excited as you take these steps, not overwhelmed.

UofL has designated enrollment counselors that are here to help you understand how to request your transcripts (and so much more!).

If you have questions or comments before/during/after you work through our guide, let us know! If you’re just now getting started determining which award-winning online UofL program is right for you, we’re here to help with that too. Comment below, call us at 1.800.871.8635 or shoot us an email at online@louisville.edu.

Whether your a future online Card or using our guide to get started at another higher education institution, best of luck on your upcoming education journey.






UofL Online Storytelling Team Strikes Gold!

UofL Online Storytelling Team Strikes Gold!

The story of Rachel McClain, first graduate of UofL’s Healthcare Leadership competency-based education (CBE) program, won first place in the national CBExchange Digital Storytelling contest. The video was produced by UofL Online marketing team led by Laura Dorman, marketing manager, in partnership with VideoBred Production, and with the contribution of Dr. Lee Bewley, BS OLL – Healthcare Leadership, CBE program director.

Watch the award-winning video now.

The Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN) is a group formed of colleges and universities working together to address shared challenges to designing, developing and scaling competency-based degree programs across the United States. C-BEN brings together educators and staff who work in competency-based education and witness the transformative and innovative nature of CBE on a daily basis. Many have seen first-hand the ways CBE impacts students’ lives—enabling them to fulfill lifetime goals and pursue new opportunities.

To help others see the power of CBE, C-BEN issued a call to share these success stories. The CBExchange Digital Storytelling contest evaluated short digital stories combining video, photography, music, animation, etc., that focused on the impact of CBE on students’ journey and opportunity for higher achievements. Winning first place, Rachel’s story stood out as the most powerful and well-presented.

Her success story also launched the “What’s Your Why?” video testimonial series, created by the UofL Online marketing team. This series aims to share inspirational student and faculty stories with potential UofL Online students, the online learners community-at-large, employers and beyond.

Read more about Rachel’s journey at uofl.me/cbengold.