A junior college in Missouri recently announced that it will launch two online degree programs starting in the spring 2011 semester.

According to ABC news affiliate KAIT 8, the school will offer web-based associate's degrees in art and safety health. School officials said that the institution began offering digital coursework about 10 years ago, but it has since reshaped its curriculum to allow students to get a degree online.

One school administrator told the news provider that web-based education produces many of the same learning outcomes as campus-based classes, while offering a more convenient schedule for students. To accommodate scholars who do not have Internet access at their homes, the community college is in the process of developing four public computer centers, the media outlet reports.

Enrollment for online courses has surged during the last several years. According to the Washington Examiner, the annual Sloan Survey of Online Learning reported that approximately 5.6 million American students - about one out of every three - were taking at least one web-based course in the fall of 2009. This figures shows a 21 percent increase from the previous year.

Working professionals who wish to start their own entrepreneurial venture may want to consider enrolling in an online business degree program.