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Can I Finish my Bachelor's Degree Online?

Contributing Editor
B.A.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Susan A. Kemppainen has been a freelance writer and researcher for nearly 10 years, following a career in healthcare developing and coordinated continuing clinical education programs for physicians, nurses, and ancillary staff. She also has significant experience working with students and administration in a university setting.
Founder/Senior Editor
B.A., M.Div.
Jeremy Alder has spent over a decade researching and writing about higher education to provided students with the information they need to achieve their goals. He has significant personal experience with career transitions, working as a freelance writer and editor, non-profit director, community organizer, preacher, teacher, retail manager, and carpenter prior to founding College Consensus. Homeschooled from the second grade, Jeremy is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (B.A., Philosophy) and Duke University Divinity School (M.Div.). He currently lives in North Carolina with his wife, five kids, and a Labradoodle named Hank.

You would be surprised by how many people are in a situation to ask this question. There are many reasons why you may not have finished your degree. You may have started with the best of intentions in a traditional degree program and had to shift your focus for a life circumstance that took hold. There may have been a job or a family obligation that required you to put your studies on hold.

We all know how hard it is to return to something like your education afterlife has happened in the in-between spaces. Another common scenario is beginning a traditional degree program to realize you are not a traditional student. Maybe the classroom gives you anxiety or needs something a little more flexible to fit your life a little better. This might make for a more seamless transition to an online learning model. Regardless, the answer to the guiding question is yes; you can certainly finish your bachelor’s degree online. Let’s look a little closer at how.

Finishing My Bachelor’s Degree Online

As we discussed above, it is a common story for people to be walking around with several college credits and no degree. Because institutions of higher learning are familiar with this experience, there has been an increase in online degree competition programs at colleges and universities all over the country. These programs are designed to support adult learners who may be professionals or students who might need more flexibility or are just not cut out for traditional classroom learning. There are so many programs with different points of emphasis, many of which cater to different learning styles and, of course, different majors. If this is something you are considering, it is important to research and find a course of study that will meet your needs and offer the tools to complete your bachelor’s degree. 

How Do I Find the Right Degree Completion Program for Me?

If you already have some college credits under your belt, you probably have a sense of what has worked for you in the past and what has not. Maybe you have been working in your field of choice, and you want to advance to the next level? If that is the case, you probably know what you want to study. When embarking on post-secondary education for the first time, you may not have a sense of what you want to study or focus on.

If you’re seeking a degree completion program, it is a good idea to go in with a major and academic pathway in mind, so you can easily pick up where you left off and hit the ground running. This will also give you a sense of programs that make more sense than others. Many schools have degree completion programs for a few select majors, so of course, you want to find the school that is offering just the right major for you. So, you might be going in saying I want to finish my bachelor’s degree online, but not aware of the different ways to go about this desire.

How Do You Learn Best?

What do you need to be a successful learner? If you need flexibility as a top priority, you might want to consider finding a program that delivers asynchronous coursework. This means that you will get to log in to participate in your coursework whenever convenient for you. It could be three in the morning when you watch lectures and post on group discussion boards.

This style of learning is not for everyone. Many people need a little more structure to be successful learners. If this is you, you might want to look into synchronous online learning options. There is still the built-in convenience of studying online in such programs. However, there will be distinct class times that you can plan around. Most synchronous classes are delivered live, so you can still feel like you are part of a classroom community and have the space to ask questions in real-time.

Rest assured, if you are a student who needs a little extra support academically; many programs offer resources such as virtual tutoring and virtual library services. This is great if you still want to feel like you are part of a campus community and have the subsequent support that often comes with that experience. 

If you are the one asking how I can finish my bachelor’s degree online, begin your research journey at bachelor completion programs. You will see that there are so many options out there, many of which offer financial aid and a ton of support to get you to the finish line. There are many amazing programs to choose from; check out our guide to online degree completion programs.

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