Distance learning need not sacrifice high-quality education

The University of Texas Software Project Management certification program allows students to continue work responsibilities while learning. With the addition of online learning, and the flexibility it affords, the program continues to embody quality educational characteristics: taught by industry practitioners; taught in a classroom with simultaneous web casting; students work in teams of supporting professionals; lessons are available on-demand; information is spread over a training period long enough to sustain retention; quality and benefits of what was learned in class are continually evaluated; lessons are immediately applicable in the workplace; students develop repeatable, usable toolsets; quality education leads to certification by professional societies. Going online presented challenges in maintaining quality goals, some of which have been overcome. Facilitated by a courseware tool, students continue to work in teams with remote members, learning the skills they need to manage in modern global companies