Hundreds of courses on a variety of topics are available via the Internet through Coastal Carolina University's Division of Extended Learning and Public Services.

The self-paced noncredit classes are ideal for those who need to upgrade their job skills but find it inconvenient or impossible to participate in a traditional classroom setting.

The courses can be found at the Web site www.coastal.edu/learn/ online. The subjects include: creative and technical writing, digital production, E-Commerce, Microsoft Office and other computer applications, online marketing, programming languages, and small business development.

Participants may contact instructors at any time and detailed answers to questions are usually available within 24 hours, according to Peter Balsamo, dean of Coastal's Division of Extended Learning and Public Services.

For more information, call 349-2665 or visit www.coastal.edu/learn on the Internet.