| Most licensed professionals are required to complete | | | | completed in the comfort of one's own home or |
| continuing education, sometimes referred to as | | | | office and on one's own schedule. |
| Professional Development Hours, in order to renew | | | | A third benefit is that there are no travel costs |
| their state license. These requirements were put in | | | | associated with online courses. Seminars and |
| place to ensure that licensed professionals serving | | | | workshops are generally held only a few times a |
| the public are abreast of current regulations, | | | | year and in only a few major cities. Those |
| technologies and trends to better safeguard the | | | | professionals who live outside of these metropolitan |
| public welfare. | | | | areas must spend even more time and money on |
| Before the advent of the Internet and the World | | | | travel and lodging in order to attend. Taking online |
| Wide Web professionals were mostly limited to | | | | continuing education courses eliminates these |
| attending live seminars and workshops to fulfill their | | | | expenses and allows the professional to spend their |
| state-mandated education requirements. These | | | | time and money on more important things. |
| seminars usually lasted one or more days and were | | | | A fourth benefit of using an online provider is that |
| generally held only in large cities on specific and limited | | | | they usually generate and email your Certificate of |
| dates. The cost to professionals in both time and | | | | Completion immediately upon completing a course. |
| money were significant. | | | | Some seminar and workshop providers can take |
| Today, however, many states allow licensed | | | | days or weeks to prepare the official documentation |
| professionals to attain their education requirements | | | | your state may require. |
| through what is known as distance learning. One of | | | | Another benefit of using online course providers is |
| the most popular forms of distance learning is taking | | | | that most can track your course history. With a few |
| online courses, which has several benefits over more | | | | clicks of the mouse a student can review the |
| traditional seminars and workshops. | | | | courses they have taken, their test grades and even |
| The first and most obvious benefit is reduced cost. | | | | reprint their Certificates of Completion. Being able to |
| Most online continuing education providers can offer | | | | see a list of the courses you have taken over the |
| the same number of Professional Development Hours | | | | last several years helps when deciding what courses |
| as a seminar at a fraction of the cost. | | | | to take next. This can be especially important as |
| The second major benefit is time. Rather than having | | | | most states do not allow credit for courses taken |
| to adjust one's schedule to accommodate a seminar | | | | more than once in three years. |
| held on a specific date and time online courses allow | | | | Online continuing education course providers can also |
| the student to read and study the course material | | | | offer something most seminar and workshop |
| whenever it is most convenient. And rather than | | | | providers cannot: a large variety of courses on many |
| having to dress for the public and sit for hours on | | | | different topics by many different experts. |
| end in a conference hall online study can be | | | | |