These days, with learning management system (LMS) offerings just about everywhere, online courses are almost as prevalent as classes taught in traditional classrooms with professors and students present at lecterns and desks. Many colleges and universities turn to vendors to help them create these courses, a service that software providers such as Blackboard, eCollege, and Angel Learning offer as a supplement to standard LMS service. In whatever manner schools develop online courses, professionals who have grappled with the challenge say the process is closer to science than art. With that in mind, the author asked a number of online course experts what they consider the five most critical steps to building online courses that work. This article provides a discussion of these steps.