It seems like the whole world is getting in on online education, and Australia is no exception. Students and educators are thrilled, and a bit awed, at how rapidly the technology-based degree options are expanding. The boom is partially credited to the increased availability of online courses, and the increased financial aid finally becoming available.

No longer is convenience the primary motivating factor: students have expanded beyond rural inhabitants and single mothers to include every strata of age, economic status, and goals.

The demand for distance education is accelerating across the country, with some universities reporting a 50 per cent increase of course enrolments during the past two years.

"Gone are the days when distance education was primarily done by people living in remote and regional areas. These days more and more people in metropolitan areas are turning to it," OUA business development general manager Cratis Hippocrates says.

Now, even a graduate degree is only a few keyboard clicks away. Okay, more than a few, but you can't deny the convenience and opportunity offered by online education. Looks like the world is realizing it, too.