Online education is coming closer to being recognized as an equal to traditional learning with Ivy League universities like Harvard and Columbia entering the fray. In spite of resistance from the Ivy League community in implementing online and distance learning, the most prestigious institutions are slowly testing the waters by offering professional and executive degrees.

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Teachers College, a school within Columbia University, started out by offering a few online courses, and followed them up with three certificate courses that are approved by the state of New York. A completely online master’s degree is also in the works, says Ann Armstrong, executive director of Center for Educational Outreach and Innovation at the College.

Cornell University has had over 8,000 students, delivered 24,000 unique courses, and serviced learners from 132 countries, says Chris Proulx, president and CEO of eCornell, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cornell University. To questions that skeptics may raise about bringing down the standards of the prestigious university, Proulx says that the students are accepted only if they meet the high expectations of the school.

The Harvard University Extension School offers 75 online courses for undergraduate or graduate credit through online videotaped lectures, along with other course materials. Though none of the courses are fully online, the words of Harvard president Lawrence Summers lead one to think that Ivy League schools are not very far off from opening their portals to more online scholars __ "Information technology offers the potential to multiply manifold the number of students and scholars with access to Harvard’s unique intellectual resources," he said, and encouraged the schools "to think creatively and boldly about how they can extend the reach of their excellence through technology in the years ahead."