Though in a year the same may not be true, for now one of the biggest reasons for taking any on-line class is health safety. Admittedly, there is a trade-off between healthy safety and cybersecurity risks but, for most, the risk is worth taking. Not only that, competition forces schools to provide a minimum level of security.
The next big reason for taking an SEO class on-line is that the student has the opportunity to experience first-hand navigating a school’s program and observing how well optimized its website is. Since the purpose for Search Engine Optimization is to improve technique and quality that increase traffic to a website, a student could not ask for a more apropos opportunity than to take the class itself on-line.
As one would expect, all programs are not created equally. Student time spent researching programs will be well spent because a program is likely to be found that allows a student to customize parts of the curriculum, depending on what the SEO needs are. A student is not forced to settle for a curriculum that is not entirely applicable to his/her objectives. An added benefit is the student will not have to move on or near a campus.
As for on-line admission standards and tuition costs, there is not likely to be a significant difference. The one area an on-line class may open a door is background checks. An academic institution may be reluctant to admit a student on campus who has an arrest for larceny or assault while an on-line enrollment may pose less of a threat and, therefore, improve chances for admission. Cyber-crime arrests, on the other hand, are unlikely to open any doors.
Convenience is perhaps the biggest benefit of on-line classes. The benefit is ambivalent in that, first, it saves working students commuting efforts and expenses from work or home to campus. Second, on-line classes provide flexibility when the school work is actually done – a big help to students in the studying/life balance.
Shy students as well as those who are post-secondary students for the first time may find posting an electronic question visible to all less intimidating than raising one’s hand in a classroom. Too, the same question posted by another student can eliminate the need to contact the instructor.