Taking a closer look at who's studying online

Taking a closer look at who's studying online

By Communications Staff

July 18, 2017

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Arts and Science Online (ASO) continues to grow at Queen鈥檚, both in terms of courses and enrolment.

"Arts and Science Online Survey Results Graphic"
The second annual survey by Arts and Science Online provides a clearer picture of who is taking Queen's online courses and why. Click on image to enlarge.

Currently offering 125 fully online courses in three academic terms, ASO recently conducted its second annual survey to gain a clearer picture of who is taking these courses and why.

A total of 154 respondents participated in the survey and provided information ranging from age and gender to why they chose online studies at Queen鈥檚 .

Among the findings is that the majority of online students are female, making up 78 per cent, while those identifying as gender neutral increased to two per cent. The average age was found to be 33 years old while nearly 60 per cent of respondents were working full time.

The survey also revealed that the two main reasons for the respondents continuing their education through online studies were 鈥渢o support a career change鈥 at 36 per cent and 鈥渢o finish or upgrade a degree鈥 at 26 per cent. The results also showed an increase in the number of students who already have post-secondary education to 90 per cent, including 48 per cent with a college diploma, 11 per cent with a bachelor鈥檚 degree and six per cent with a master鈥檚 degree.

Leading the way in terms of why the students chose Queen鈥檚 was the university's reputation for quality.

鈥淲e know the profile of our distance students is very different from the profile of our on-campus students. We want to ensure our distance students have a great Queen鈥檚 experience,鈥 says Bev King, Assistant Dean (Teaching & Learning) for the Faculty of Arts and Science. 鈥淗aving two years of data now allows us to better understand our students, and enables us to innovate curriculum, make better marketing decisions, and improve our student services.鈥

Visit the to learn more about online learning and the courses available.

Arts and Science