Whether it’s to enhance your career, begin a career change, or improve your business’s chance of success, there’s much to love about the increasing availability of online courses, which provide a flexible and convenient way to learn at your own pace.
But of course, not all online courses are created equal. Some may offer a mostly enjoyable learning experience, but unless they help to drive your professional life forward, then you’d be hard-pressed to call the course worthy of time and effort (not to mention money). At their best, online courses are challenging, enjoyable, and provide long-term value, making it easier to achieve your professional dreams.
With UNSW investing heavily in its online courses, we thought it’d be a good idea to take a deeper dive into where their offerings fall on the worth your time/not worth your time line. They’re already recognized as one of the world’s leading educational institutions for in-person learning; does that translate into quality online learning? Let’s take a look.
About UNSW Online
UNSW — or The University of New South Wales, to give it its full title — is the leading university in New South Wales, one of the best in Australia, and ranks in the top twenty universities in the world. In other words, they have serious academic clout.
That reputation has been earned thanks to the quality of its in-person learning, which it has delivered to the highest of standards since 1949. In recent years, UNSW has sought to branch out into online learning and now offers a range of online courses, including ones related to data science, management, cybersecurity, and applied finance.
Why People Study Online With UNSW
It’s not difficult to see why people are interested in learning with UNSW. After all, it’s one of the world’s best universities — for anyone looking to develop their career or business, a qualification from UNSW is a relatively safe bet for doing just that.
But learning online, rather than in person? What’s that about?
Online learning has become increasingly popular in recent years and with good reason. It allows individuals to pursue a world-class education from a top university even if they don’t live within a commutable distance of that university. In old times, you’d need to live in Sydney to get an education from UNSW. Now, thanks to their online course, you can get the same great education regardless of where you happen to be, be it in another Australian city such as Brisbane or Perth, or further afield in another country like the UK and the USA.
Online learning with UNSW Online also offers a tremendous amount of flexibility. Once you’re enrolled, you can study when it suits you, with courses running in a 7-week hexameter format. That makes it perfect for busy people who need to fit their learning around their other responsibilities, such as their family and professional lives. The flexible approach to learning is a game-changer for people who thought that receiving an education from UNSW would require a radical shift to their schedule.
What Courses Does UNSW Online Offer?
UNSW Online offers two dozen fully online courses at the moment, though given that they’re ramping up their online offerings, we imagine that it won’t be too long before that list is more extensive.
You can currently study with UNSW Online in one of the following disciplines:
- Analytics
- Applied Finance
- Cyber Security
- Data Science
- Financial Technology
- Human Resource Management
- Management
There are Master’s and Graduate Diploma Courses for all of these subjects, and Graduate Certificates for some.
The Pros and Cons of Studying With UNSW Online
There’s much to love about UNSW Online, but equally, there’s no such thing as the perfect thing. Let’s run through some of the need-to-know pros and cons of UNSW Online so you can make an informed decision.
Pros
Flexible Learning
Most people can find the time to study. Not everyone can find the time to make the commute to campus. That can be a challenge even for people who live in Sydney; for people further afield, it’s just not realistic.
UNSW Online offers flexible learning, allowing students to learn at a time and place that suits them. Study after work, on the weekend, or in the time between taking the kids to soccer practice and picking them up.
Quality Courses From a Recognized Education Provider
In many cases, students generally accept that the quality of the education they receive will be a little lower than what they’d get in an in-person course. That’s not the case with UNSW Online. You’ll get the same world-class education by studying online as you’d get from studying in person.
Supporting Growth
UNSW Online supports its students every step of the way via its Student Success Advisor initiative and by connecting students with industry leaders from around the world, increasing the chances of post-studying professional success.
Cons
Lack of Face-to-Face Interaction
UNSW Online does suffer from a drawback of all 100% online courses, and that’s: no face-to-face interaction. That’s not a dealbreaker for everyone, but some will see it as a negative point. With that said, it’s worth mentioning that online students are also welcome on campus.
Requires Extra Discipline
Commuting to an in-person course can be annoying, but it does offer at least one advantage: when you’re there, you’re learning. Online courses from UNSW Online require discipline since it’s a ‘study on your own schedule’ kind of arrangement. As such, students new to online learning may have to put procrastination-prevention measures in place to ensure that they can get down to work.
Is UNSW Online Worth It?
If you value quality education and a flexible learning arrangement, then yes, UNSW Online is definitely worth it. So long as there’s a course relevant to your career/business, then you’ll find that UNSW Online courses can be a game-changer for your professional success. Ultimately, in a sea of online education providers, there’s a lot of reassurance in knowing that your online course has been provided by an educational institution that is held in such high regard.
