What is a Virtual University?

A virtual university provides students with a higher education from the comfort of their home using the Internet to connect to a virtual classroom. A virtual classroom provides students with a way to connect with other students and a classroom instructor to complete a degree of their choice in a distance learning environment.

• Virtual universities can either offer only virtual courses or they may also offer traditional face-to-face courses as well. Some colleges and universities offer programs that combine face-to-face teaching with virtual learning to give students both educational formats.

• Virtual universities are often referred to as distance learning universities. College degrees are available to students who complete the course load of the degree they are pursuing. All work is able to be submitted online without leaving the comforts of home.

• Virtual classrooms are used by virtual universities as a way for distance learning students to connect with classmates and the instructor of the course. In a virtual classroom all of the classroom materials are available in digital format for the students to easily access.

• Course instructors who teach in virtual universities are available for students to contact if they have a problem that needs to be discussed. Phone numbers and email addresses are exchanged at the beginning of each course so that the students and instructors can contact each other if needed throughout the duration of the course.

• A degree obtained through a virtual university is the same as a degree achieve through a typical face-to-face college setting. Students who receive a degree through a virtual university are just as qualified to work in their field of study as students who attend classes in a traditional college setting.