How are on-campus education and online education different?

Students admitted to The University of North Carolina's online programs learn the same material and benefit from the same high-quality educational experience as campus-based students. Online classes are designed and taught by the same faculty who teach classes in on-campus programs.  When you graduate from a UNC institution, no distinction is made between online or on-campus credits.  Your degree is from UNC. 

Online and campus experiences are not identical. Students certainly benefit from being immersed in the rich learning environment available on campus. But online learning provides ample opportunities for students to interact with instructors and fellow students and has the advantage of being flexible and convenient. Many students prefer online learning, citing, among other things, a greater willingness to express their views to instructors and classmates.

Your online classmates will generally be like you—people with job and family responsibilities who seek the many benefits of higher education. Faculty members who teach online students frequently praise the high motivation, keen interest, and excellent study habits of "non-traditional" students.

Online classes are not "canned" or "cookie cutter" experiences. Each online course reflects the teaching perspective of the faculty member who designed it and teaches it, and employs technology and learning experiences appropriate to the course content. As instructors transform their classroom courses for the online environment, they often make content revisions they susequently incorporate into their on-campus classes.

On-campus or online, The University of North Carolina is dedicated to maintaining the academic excellence for which it has been known for more than two centuries.