You often hear of people obtaining high school, undergraduate or even graduate degrees through online courses offered by a school or university. They obtain the same qualifications as someone who physically attended classes, paid full tuition and thoroughly took part in high school or university life. They go through the same course work, the same exams and the same stresses as their “not as advanced” peers. Recently, Stony Brook University announced that its online graduate program has moved up in the “U.S. News and World Report” rankings; it was at No. 25 in 2013 and recently jumped three spots to No. 22.