Continuing education is also sometimes known as “adult education” as it is generally intended for adult learners and goes beyond the traditional scope of basic literacy courses and undergraduate education. It is also sometimes referred to as “lifelong learning” as it is premised on the principle that learning opportunities abound and are open for all ages, all forms and all channels so long as the individual is open to the idea and has the means to pursue it.

There are different forms of continuing education – one where the individual takes classes or courses to complete an unfinished degree or program, another is where he or she embarks on pursuing a new line of interest and thus prepares for it by signing up for the course. This is a relatively newer trend and is done with personal enrichment goals in mind.

Generally for professional advancement especially in fields that require licenses or certifications such as nursing, medicine and law, continuing education means going for further training and keeping oneself abreast of new developments in the field. This is achieved either by doing independent studies or going to traditional universities and venues that offer advanced courses. Continuing education in the latter context can then be pursued in different ways, even a combination of ways – the individual may attend seminars or conventions that provide certification or credits, distance learning via interactive media, study networks or traditional lectures and classroom settings.

An online degree on the other hand is basically as the name implies – it is education pursued or completed via the electronic media, harnessed on the wide world of the Internet. An online degree can be attained either for undergraduate courses or for graduate programs. Online degree programs have exploded in the last decade or so with the Internet becoming more popular and providing alternative options for people who are looking for flexibility and availability in completing their education. This provides a convenient and sometimes quicker access to a degree as online degree courses are programmed so that the individual takes all the required courses through the computer, using the Internet as a link to the teachers as well as the other students. The length of the courses are also shorter than that of traditional, physical schools so that a degree can usually be completed in as little as a year’s time. As long as the online institution is properly accredited by the relevant education board, an online degree is virtually the same as one that can be acquired from a physical campus.