The Value of Short-Term Online Coursework

Online learning isn't all about degrees. You're just a click away from thousands of valuable short-term online courses.

Choose an online course guide and choose the "non-degree" option. You'll see a huge variety of course options, from accounting to zoology, and from Army ROTC to woodworking.

Some online classes can enrich your life, while others can be a fast track to enriching your bank account. Here's a brief look at some of the most prominent course groupings:

Business: Take a single course to fill a knowledge gap, such as international marketing or quantitative analyses. Or take a valuable certificate program that can boost your salary at work, with topics such as database administration, or marketing management. The "make your own schedule" convenience of online makes it easier to squeeze in career-critical learning while keeping your current job.

Foreign Languages: The expanding global marketplace makes multilingual skills more and more valuable. Learn languages on your own time. Web technology such as audio and videoconferencing are a great enhancement for work on pronunciation. Meanwhile the digital dictionary is at your fingertips. Expert teachers in dozens of languages such as Chinese, Arabic and Russian, are far more accessible online than they are in most parts of the US.

Information Technology: Get up to speed fast on popular applications. Choose subjects like web site development or desktop support. Get hands-on instruction in programming, from Java to Perl, from Visual Basic to C++.

Also available are dozens of computer certification offerings, from Cisco to Microsoft, from Oracle to Linux.

Learning online is a great way to get knowledge you can put to use immediately, and see a return from fast.