Fiercely independent and notoriously distrustful of authority, Albert Einstein was a true renaissance man who enjoyed learning for learning’s sake.  He chaffed under the rigid practices of traditional academia, and his patent clerk position probably didn’t offer much escape once he graduated from university.  So why do I suspect that the world’s most celebrated genius would have embraced online degrees?  Simple.  Online education offers unprecedented flexibility, independence, and opportunity to those questing for knowledge and advancement.

Online Education Places Less Emphasis on One-Way Learning
The old paradigm in which professors unquestioningly transmit information to students is shifting in the online education era.  Teachers tend to be viewed more as consultants or advisers who provide a service; and not so much as authority figures who inculcate malleable minds.  Einstein probably would have enjoyed this aspect the most.

Online Education Offers Options
Our boy Albert was basically limited to the few schools in Europe that happened to provide training in his intended disciplines.  He needed a train ticket, room & board, and stipend all set up before the first day of class.  Not so with online education.  Because proximity becomes obsolete with online degrees, you have access to thousands of schools around the world.  If you have an Internet connection, you have a classroom.

Online Education Provides More “Me-time” and Flexibility
In the absence of rigid class schedules, you can budget your time around whatever commitments you might have: whether you want to unify space and time in elegant equations or make more room for your company’s softball team.

Whereas Einstein probably would have embraced online degrees for learning’s sake alone, the potential career benefits are also worth noting.  If you’re struggling to break the career glass ceiling but don’t relish a return to dusty classrooms and overhead projectors, just ask yourself, “What would Einstein do?”