While few Australian universities offer Bachelor of Science degrees online, those that do provide high quality courses. Many majors are available and there are plenty of elective units to choose from.

A Bachelor of Science degree is a 3-year course if studied at a full-time pace (or 6 years part-time).

To qualify for a major, you need to complete a minimum number of relevant units each year.

•             First-year students often select units from a variety of fields, including from outside the Science Faculty.

•             Double majors and minor specializations are possible.

Computer science students are lucky because just about any course you might be interested in is available for 100% online study.

For some reason, the online programs lead to degrees in Information Technology rather than Computer Science. We’re not sure exactly what the distinction is though. The programs build professional skills that can be broadly applied to ICT industries.

Computing degrees set up graduates for lifelong learning. They provide the foundational concepts and skills needed to keep pace with technology.

•             For bachelor degrees, the emphasis is on exposing students to major sectors with the rapidly changing IT industry.

•             At a masters level, programs are more orientated towards building management skills. Students can also opt for specialist study streams.

To be successful in environmental science, you should enjoy travelling and working outdoors. You get the chance to do that even as an online student.

•             Distance education courses in environmental science have applied elements. These include lab sessions, field trips and work placements.

•             They are typically organized for convenience in blocks of consecutive days.

Environmental science is a fascinating study area that is well supported by Australian distance education universities. Online courses offer a full selection of topics.

Maths and statistics can be studied online as a major (usually in the science faculty) or as part of a course in business, education, engineering or other discipline.

Studying maths and statistics online works well because the field is abstract rather than hands on. You can move through the course material at your convenience and do just as well as on-campus students.

•             If you are good at maths and stats, you may want to major in this area as part of a Bachelor of Science degree.

•             Alternatively, you can minor in maths and stats (by choosing them as electives). Mathematical units can ease your study load because they typically don’t require much reading.

To study maths and stats online, it is best to enrol in a strong distance education university. That way, you will have plenty of unit choices – in numerical fields and complementary study areas such as computer science.

You can qualify to be a nutritionist or dietitian by combining online study with practical training. Most of Australia’s major cities have a university or college offering external units as part of a diploma or degree.

An advanced diploma or bachelor degree in nutrition qualifies you for many jobs in the food, health and weight management sectors. To become a registered dietitian, you also need to complete an exam and supervised work placement.

Nutrition is a hands-on study area, meaning that some parts must be done on campus or in a clinical setting. Nutrition students are expected to have a strong science background.

Psychology is a popular study area for undergraduate students, who often combine it with other topics. You can major in Psychology within a Bachelor of Science degree. Online courses look at human behaviour, personality, interpersonal relationships, learning and motivation.

A 3-year psychology degree is just the start of qualifying to be a psychology researcher, registered psychologist or clinical psychologist. But it can lead to careers in human resource management, marketing and community services.

An honours years and advanced degree is normally required for specialist positions. Because higher degrees often involve clinical practice (with training on campus or at a mental health facility), distance education options are limited.