You decided it’s time to earn your degree. You’ve considered the traditional approach that involves taking courses on a college campus, but perhaps you don’t have the time or interest in that type of ...

At first glance, they seem too good to be true: free courses—often offered by top universities—that students can complete at their own pace from anywhere with an internet connection? What’s the catch?

Ricardo Alcaraz is taking three of his five courses online this semester at Santa Ana College: an anthropology class, business calculus and business law. It’s a course schedule that reflects a new ...