Linfield’s online education program is expanding to support the growing enrollment of online college programs.The program offers adults the opportunity to earn bachelor’s degrees and certificates online.

Enrollment in online programs has increased by 832 percent since 2001, to more than two million students in 2009, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Linfield College’s Adult Degree Program supports this trend, offering five accredited online degrees and three accredited online certificate programs. These programs are designed for the growing number of students seeking to earn a degree or certificate at a later stage in life, while demanding the flexibility to balance work, family and education.

Although classes are entirely online, Linfield still emphasizes professor-to-student and student-to-student interaction. Through online group discussions, message boards and emails, communication and social interaction are keys to learning and earning an online degree at Linfield.

“In my experience as a professor of online courses, I have found that students openly share thoughts and opinions online more readily than they do in person, often making relationships richer,” says Kimberly Steele, who teaches online marketing courses at Linfield.

“As the world is increasingly going global, the ability to interact with others in a virtual space is invaluable,” she says.

“As a professor in an online environment, it is our role to help students to discern the issues, clarify the problems, find the bottom-line thesis and then give the student the opportunity to respond,” says William Millar, department chair of religious studies at Linfield College.

“Courses may be designed to gain experiences through online reading and writing, but I encourage my students to always contact me with questions,” he says.

Linfield College has developed a Guide to Online College to present a comprehensive and detailed picture of what online learning is and what to expect in an online college environment.

Learn more about the Linfield College Adult Degree Program and the experiences of past and present students on the Online Education Blog, recently recognized as one of the top 40 adult education blogs.