For many years, people working long or unsociable hours had few opportunities to better themselves through education - but the growth of online learning is giving them the flexibility to earn qualifications on their own time and at their own pace.

According to Amelia Turner, one profession in particular that has benefited from the rising availability of web-based courses is nursing.

In the past, the main barrier to obtaining a degree for those working in nursing was a lack of time to study for months or years in a traditional classroom. However, now most online programs can be taken in modules that can be completed at any time - all the student has to do is login from wherever they are.

Courses are available for both nurses looking to advance up the career ladder and graduates thinking about entering the field.

Ms Turner noted that with any online course, it is important to be wary of "diploma mills". These are online schools that offer qualifications not recognized by industries. To avoid a diploma mill, always check that a school is regionally or nationally accredited.

According to figures from the Sloan Consortium, around 3.2 million people were studying at least 1 online course during the fall 2005 semester.