The many benefits of online learning at Ulster

More and more students are opting for online learning because of the flexibility and freedom it offers.  By 2025, the online learning market will be worth $350 billion and climbing, as people continue to embrace the idea of flexible, part-time study options. 

Whether you’re interested in taking your career to the next level, switching careers or simply wanting to dive back into academia, there are several benefits of online learning that traditional on-campus learning can’t match. 

Below we outline the four biggest benefits of online education, so that the question ‘why study online?’ instead becomes ‘why not?’

1. Study flexibly and manage your own time

The main benefit of online learning is its flexibility. Balancing work-life commitments can be difficult and sometimes it’s not feasible to study on campus or commute to class.  

Students with families, difficult work commitments or even health issues will benefit from the flexibility of our distance learning courses. 

If you choose to study a Masters online, you can set your own pace and study style. You’ll be able to balance your studies alongside your existing commitments, while also gaining a career-enhancing qualification. 

Get excellent student support along the way

Students frequently express high satisfaction for the comprehensive student support services they are offered throughout their online learning journey, including disability support. What they’re saying:

“I have monthly calls with my student success advisor and continue to find these meetings invaluable. They have helped me adjust to the online learning environment, manage my time better and prepare for upcoming assignments.

– Oteri Kueberuwa, online Health Psychology MSc student

“Very supportive”, “efficient” and “quick to respond”. 

– Chloe Cross, online Health Psychology MSc student 

“Very well joined up”. 

– Kim Wagner, online Health Psychology MSc student, on disability support.

2. Shape your own learning environment

Being able to choose where you study is also one of the many benefits of online learning. You can tailor your work environment to what works best for you.  

Shaping your own learning environment can have tangible benefits on learning outcomes. Research suggests that students who learn at home tend to spend more time learning and score higher on a test than students who learn in school.  

Do you find it easier to concentrate at home? Would you like to catch up on a lecture while sitting in a café? Both options work well through a distance learning model. 

3. Boost your career prospects

Most employers generally do not distinguish between online and on-campus degrees, tending instead to focus on the university’s reputation.  

At Ulster University, our online Masters courses are of the exact same standard as our on-campus offerings, providing students with equally respected qualifications and support to make distance learning as beneficial and easy as possible. 

Studying online also has several other advantages for working professionals. As an online Masters student, you do not need to take a career break, meaning that you can gain valuable work experience while also earning a respected qualification. In addition, many employers admire the dedication needed to successfully complete a degree alongside other commitments.

4. Improve your critical thinking skills

Another of the many benefits of online learning is its ability to improve critical thinking skills. Through a distance learning course, you’ll have access to all learning materials, such as discussion boards, virtual lectures and readings.  

Being successful in an online Masters or degree programme will allow you to demonstrate your self-motivation and ability to work independently. 

This self-sufficiency, as well as being important to achieving your academic goals, is also a great way to demonstrate to employers that you are driven and able to tackle challenges on your own. 

Here at Ulster University, our distance learning and online courses are specifically designed to complement your work and improve your professional skills.

Explore our online Masters courses 

If you’re interested in gaining more lucrative career options while studying online, Ulster University’s online Masters programmes could be the perfect next step. 

Our Masters courses will give you the skills needed to take your career to the next level. Plus, you’ll have the freedom to study part-time, whenever and wherever you want – no career break needed.