The article presents a review of Russian and foreign studies analyzing the data on psychological characteristics of the personality that affect the success of online courses at the University. The data of empirical studies of online learning are systematized through the prism of the classical for domestic educational practice activity approach and the concept of educational and professional activities of students. Based on them, the authors come to the conclusion that the educational and professional activity in online learning has the same component structure as in offl ine learning. The article analyzes two components of educational and professional activity: situation and control. For the student, the basic components are the formulation of emotional value problems associated with the removal of psychological barriers to distance learning, the acceptance of personal responsibility for the construction of individual educational trajectory and learning outcomes, awareness of the need for continuous learning (lifelong learning). The features of the cognitive sphere, also play an important role. They are manifested in the formation of educational and professional actions and the possibility of conscious selfregulation. The following components should be taken into account by the developer and teacher of online-course: the study of psychological profi le of the audience in general and student in particular, the creation of situations of success, the use of active methods of presentation on the basis of his problematic views.