DANTES External Degree Catalog
Table of Contents
Introduction
The DANTES External Degree Catalog lists degree programs containing only distance learning courses. The degree programs are credit-bearing certificate, undergraduate, and graduate external degree programs that are selected to meet the needs of military Service personnel, the National Guard and Reserve components, and the Coast Guard. All institutions listed in this Catalog are accredited by regional accrediting associations. The external degree programs listed in the DEDC Catalog have minimal or no residency requirements. Many programs may be entered at any time of the year. The programs listed in this Catalog may incorporate:
- off-campus directed study
- correspondence study
- electronically delivered courses
- experiential learning
- credit-by-examination
- ACE Guide credit
All programs listed in this Catalog emphasize flexibility and require the student to assume personal responsibility for learning. They offer a variety of delivery modes for use in the states or overseas, at home, or on the road. One finds a wider choice of majors than are normally offered on military installations or aboard ship.
The purpose of the DEDC Catalog is to make Service members aware of the vast number of distance learning degree opportunities that are available. Service members and others interested in enrolling in a degree program should review the institution’s own web site or order a catalog from the institution. Once a degree and the courses are identified, individuals enroll on their own with the institutions.
The DEDC Catalog is maintained at http://www.dantes.doded.mil and is updated as changes occur. The Catalog is also reproduced on CD ROM each year. The CD ROM contains two other catalogs, the DANTES Independent Study Catalog and the Nationally Accredited Distance Learning Programs. Education services personnel may obtain CD ROM copies of the DEDC Catalog along with the other two Catalogs (DANTES Stock Number 2300) by emailing a request to dist@voled.doded.mil. Provide: 1) your DANTES ID Number, 2) your shipping address, and 3) the DANTES Stock Number 2300 and the number of copies desired. There is a limit of five CD ROMs per DANTES ID per year.
If you have any questions concerning this Catalog information, call DSN 922-1111 x3129 or CML (850) 452-1111 x3129. You may also fax questions to DSN 922-1161 or CML (850) 452-1161. The DANTES Distance Learning Program email address is: dantesDL@navy.mil.
DEDC Catalog Contents
The DEDC Catalog contains an “Introduction” and two other Sections: “Institution” and “Area of Study”.
The “Introduction” (this page) contains general information for program participation. Also included are suggestions for course selection and successful completion along with an overview of the Servicemembers Opportunity College program.
The “Institution” Section provides links to display lists of the institutions in the DEDC Catalog organized by level of degree. The links are: All DEDC Institutions, Associate Degrees, Bachelor Degrees, Master Degrees, Doctorate Degrees, Certificate Programs, and Teacher Certificate. Each link shows an alphabetical listing of institutions and the degrees offered through distance learning. Clicking on a degree listed for an individual institution links to the institution information page. Each institution information display provides:
- Mailing address and web address
- Contact person, phone, fax and email address
- Background information
- Graduation requirements
- Enrollment requirements
- Fees
- Acceptance of credit
- Program overview
The “Area of Study” Section provides the same links as the “Institution” Section; however, these links display degree topics organized alphabetically with the corresponding degree level and institution name. Each institution listed is a link to the institution information page.
A “Search” function is enabled on the initial page to allow users to locate colleges and degrees quickly. An alphabetical search function on all the “Institution” or “Area of Study” pages also allows users to quickly locate information.
DANTES Affiliated Institutions Commitment to Military Students
All participating institutions listing programs in the DEDC Catalog have signed a Memorandum of Understanding through which they agree to:
- Provide DANTES with information on fees for tuition, special fees, and essential course information for the DEDC Catalog
- Provide rapid turn around time for initial ordering and distributing of course materials and for lesson and examination grading
- Provide refunds according to institutional policy as stated on the institution information page
- Provide transcript services to the military student in accordance with policies set forth in the school’s catalog. Courses listed on the school’s transcript will not identify the method of delivery. Courses delivered through distance learning will be indistinguishable on the institution’s official transcript from on-campus, traditional courses.
- If a two-year institution, maintain membership status with the Servicemember’s Opportunity College (SOC).
Enrollment Procedures
No Service member should attempt to enroll without being counseled by an authorized representative of the appropriate Service's voluntary education program. This is especially important if the student intends to use tuition assistance. Some institutions impose certain requirements prior to the acceptance of an independent study credit and some courses may require previous study/experience. Before enrolling in an independent study course, the Service member should choose a degree program and determine the degree requirements of the institution awarding the degree. The institution's catalog lists both general admission requirements and prerequisites for individual courses. Many institutions limit the number and kinds of alternative delivery or nontraditional credit they will accept. Students should be sure to consult with the institution awarding the degree before enrolling in a distance-learning course.
Students should always verify course availability with the school before enrolling.
When enrolling, include a money order, cashier's check, certified check, or personal check for the exact enrollment costs as quoted for the specific course requested. Many schools accept credit cards; some provide separate credit arrangements. Check the DEDC Catalog Institutional Information page to determine the school’s specific payment policies. Enrolling students should be aware that many schools require a separate payment for books.
Payment Options:
1) Military Tuition Assistance (TA)
Each Service has a policy and/or regulation that governs its education program. Generally, Service tuition assistance policies and regulations allow for partial or full reimbursement of tuition, based on course and yearly caps. Prior approval of courses is usually required before reimbursement can occur. Since TA policy can change from year to year, and even in the middle of a fiscal year, Service members should contact their Voluntary Education Program (Navy College Office or installation Education Center) representatives to learn about their specific Service tuition assistance procedures and policies.
2) Veterans Administration (VA) and Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB)
Prior to enrollment, all VA beneficiaries should check with the school or VA for the approval status of the courses they plan to pursue. Students can contact the VA to receive information describing the program for which they are eligible. The VA website is at http://www.va.gov. Their nationwide toll-free number is 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-422-4551). Prospective users of VA education benefits should be aware that provisions for in-service VA benefits may differ from those for veterans.
If Veterans Administration (VA) Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) reimbursement is to be claimed, include a VA Form 22-1990a when enrolling.
Course Completion
1) Grades
Students must be aware of the importance of grades. Each grade will count toward the individual’s education portfolio. Failing grades will ALWAYS figure into the student’s grade point average for the rest of the student’s life and Service members using tuition assistance are required to refund the tuition to the Service, according to Service policy.
2) Institution Refund Policy
Institutions have an established and published policy for the settlement of cases when a student wants to discontinue a course. The policy is available from the school for review before the student enrolls. The policy should appear on the institution’s enrollment agreement. If the student does decide to withdraw from the course, the student must notify the school immediately. The amount of a refund, if any, is determined by the length of time between enrollment and notification of withdrawal.
DEDC Catalog Enrollment Information
Determine the degree requirements of the institution before enrolling. Check the institution’s web information. The institution's catalog lists both general admission requirements and prerequisites for individual courses. Some institutions impose certain requirements prior to acceptance of credit awarded from one's job experiences, credit from testing, or independent study credit. Many institutions limit the number and kinds of alternative delivery or nontraditional credit they will accept. Coordinate carefully with the institution before starting on a degree.
Distance Learning courses offer a number of delivery options which provide students choices and flexibility. Delivery options include
- Web
- Fax
- Video
- Computer conferencing
- CD-ROM
- Hand held devices – PDA or iPod
- Audio Cassette
- Paper
Some delivery methods allow student access to school administrators, instructors, and one another. Some require specific synchronous class or instructor contact and others allow the student to complete the entire course asynchronously.
Many options are available, and use of new technology is growing daily. No matter where Service members are stationed or what their duties may be, opportunities exist for selecting from many high-quality courses and degrees.
General Information
Accreditation and Tuition Assistance
DOD Directive 1322.8 and DOD Instruction 1322.25 govern the off-duty or voluntary education programs offered to military personnel. For U.S. Government funds to be paid toward tuition costs associated with such voluntary education, recipient schools must be accredited by agencies that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
What Is Accreditation?
Accreditation is a non-governmental process that gives public recognition to institutions that meet certain published standards of academic and administrative quality.
Accreditation helps assure the public about the quality of the institution, and it helps improve the institution. To become accredited, each institution makes an intensive study of its own operations, opens its doors to a thorough inspection by an independent examining committee, supplies all information required by the Accrediting Commission, and submits its instructional materials for a thorough review by competent subject-matter specialists. The process is repeated periodically and assures the institution meets established standards.
The U.S. Department of Education recognizes different accrediting bodies for different purposes. Some bodies accredit only specialized programs that prepare students for professions or occupations closely related with professional associations in the field. In fields such as medicine, law or dentistry, graduation from an accredited program in the field is a prerequisite to receiving a license to practice in the field. Thus, accreditation that applies to institutions or programs is different from certification and licensure, which apply to individuals.
The U.S. Department of Education recognizes a number of accrediting agencies that determine the reliability and quality of education or training offered by schools and colleges. Externally delivered degree programs and certificates found in the DEDC Catalog are offered by institutions that are accredited by one of the following U.S. Department of Education recognized regional accrediting agencies:
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
What Does Accreditation Mean To A Student?
Accreditation does not mean that course work can be automatically transferred from one school to another, that an application for a higher degree will be accepted, or that an employer will accept credits or degrees. The decision to accept academic credit is at the discretion of each institution or employer. Almost all schools place limits on the amount of transfer credit they will accept. Students taking courses at one school for the purpose of transferring to another school should become acquainted with the transfer policies of the gaining school.
Accreditation is a voluntary process that gives public recognition to institutions that meet established standards. For the schools listed in this Catalog, students have a reasonable assurance that an institution will provide the quality of education it claims to offer. Accreditation signifies that each school:
- Has an academically sound program of study
- Has adequate facilities and equipment
- Follows approved recruitment and admissions policies
- Has a competent faculty
- Offers up-to-date courses
- Carefully screens students for admission
- Has demonstrated ample student success and satisfaction
- Advertises its courses truthfully
- Provides satisfactory educational services and is financially able to continue to do so
Scope of Accreditation
The accrediting agencies listed above are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit on-campus and distance learning programs found at the associate, baccalaureate, master's, and doctorate level. When the course content is appropriate, regionally accredited courses will be best recognized by other regionally accredited schools. No accreditation of any kind guarantees acceptance and transfer of courses between different schools. Students are advised to undertake all courses of study with consideration for their later intended use.
Distance Learning Guidelines for Students
Critical Questions Each Student Should Consider
When enrolling in any college, university, or school, students must exercise intelligence and forethought about future use and application of courses or programs being studied. As with any college or university, students enrolling in courses from this Catalog must take responsibility for obtaining answers to the following kinds of questions:
- If the student's Service requires courses to be degree or job related, will this course or program be acceptable?
- If the student is planning to use this for employment after leaving the military, will civilian employers consider this instruction helpful?
- Does the student understand that course completion will not guarantee an employer or other activity will automatically accept the course work to meet employment requirements?
- If taking this course purely for the knowledge or personal benefit to be derived, is the student fully aware of the total costs?
- Does the student understand that, regardless of how comprehensive or informative the course may be, it is possible that the course may not transfer to another school, college, or university?
Who Should Pursue Distance Learning or External Degree Programs?
Anyone may pursue college or university distance learning courses or degrees through the DANTES-affiliated schools listed in this Catalog. Students succeed best in courses offered at a distance if they have taken college courses previously, and they are also more likely to succeed if they are taking specific courses to meet degree requirements. Students most frequently choose external degree programs when desired courses or programs are not offered locally, or when duties prevent class attendance.
If a student needs only individual courses, one may choose from the schools listed in this Catalog or the DANTES Independent Study Catalog to meet certain program prerequisites, accelerate a degree completion plan, or prepare for second career.
Before beginning an external degree program, students should consider numerous personal characteristics that may influence one's success in programs like this. These include one's maturity, conflicting job requirements, family responsibilities, goals, independence, tendency to procrastinate, persistence, patience, self-confidence, writing ability, and available library or subject matter support.
Checklist for Selecting an External Degree
- Consider your long-term goal. Are you meeting military requirements or planning for a civilian job? Are you merely seeking a degree or do you have a degree or school in mind with a highly recognizable name?
- Consider total tuition and maintenance fees.
- Is it important to you that the school awards credit for job training/experience and credit-by-exam?
- How will you be affected by the school’s credit transfer policies, e.g., fees charged for evaluation, the number of years since the transferred courses were completed, or the maximum amount of transfer credit allowed by the school?
- Does the school's mode of delivery meet your requirements and capabilities? Do you have a VCR, or computer if one is required? Can you access material from CD ROMs and DVDs? Do you have reliable Internet access? Can you communicate with the school without firewall problems? If required for the course, can you download their software? Do you need a specific hand-held device? If instruction is delivered using advanced technology, be sure your equipment will accommodate it.
- If the school has an on-campus residency requirement, will your job, family, and finances accommodate it?
- If you plan to use VA benefits, is the program VA-approved? Clarify with the school whether the program is VA-approved for regular part-time VA benefits. The rules governing In-Service VA benefits differ in some cases from the rules governing benefits for veterans.
- Do the school's services meet your needs; for example, toll free number, fax, Email, quick turnaround on assignments and provision of transcripts, single source for books, etc.? Will the school be accessible to you when you need them and are in a different time zone?
Devising an External Degree Plan
- Define your goal. Don't start with random courses unless you know they'll count toward your degree or you need them for other knowledge purposes.
- Understand your school's requirements as described in the school's web information and catalog. Read not only the general web information but the specific (dated) catalog information. Institutions have agreed to abide by what they publish in their catalogs.
- Ask the school to evaluate all credits already earned, including ACE Guide, CCAF, distance learning courses, credits from all classes attended and all other transcripted credits.
- Obtain a degree plan from the school based on the above evaluation.
- Are there any additional exams that will satisfy the remaining degree requirements (CLEP, DSST, etc.)?
- Complete each course successfully by following the steps listed in the following section.
How to Succeed with Distance Learning Courses
Completing a distance learning course can be difficult. Think carefully about your ability to meet these criteria and to follow the recommendations listed below.
- Develop a plan for completing your course, and put that plan on paper. Set aside specific hours for study.
- Work in an atmosphere that allows you to study effectively.
- Include milestones in your plan to be reached by a specific time.
- Check your progress periodically; build the checkpoints into your plan.
- Check the plan against the course outline and study guide provided by the school. Ensure they both look realistic when compared to work scheduled and other obligations.
- Submit the first lesson as soon as possible.
- Review all graded/returned lessons in the first part of your study session and review text materials to ensure an understanding of the concepts presented in past chapters.
- Discuss what you learned with someone else. Learning is enhanced by discussing new information.
- Try to enroll in the same course with two or three friends. Form a study team and meet as often as possible, at least twice a week. (Ask your counselor for the DANTES brochure, Organizing a Study Group, stock number 2001).
- Find someone who may be more knowledgeable in the subject area; use that person as a resource to talk with about the course.
- Make contact with your instructors. Let them know of special problems or questions you have as early as possible.
- Complete lessons and examinations on time as required by the school. Ensure your work is clearly written.
Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC)
Service members Opportunity Colleges (SOC), a consortium of national higher education associations and more than 1,800 institutional members, functions in cooperation with the Department of Defense (DOD), the Military Services, including the National Guard and the Coast Guard, to help meet the voluntary higher education needs of Service members.
Contract for Degree Opportunities
SOC has established contracts for degrees that are titled SOC Army Degrees (SOCAD), SOC Navy Degrees (SOCNAV), SOC Marine Degrees (SOCMAR), and SOC Coast Guard Degrees (SOCCOAST) Student Agreements. The Student Agreements for each of the Services are contracts between the college and the student spelling out the degree requirements, what requirements have been met, and what requirements are yet to be completed. The Student Agreement reflects the official evaluation of prior learning that must be completed by the institution for every degree-seeking Army, Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard member after no more than 6 semester hours of course work with one of these institutions. Credits for prior learning are applied to specific degree requirements. In this way the student can understand precisely the degree requirements that remain to be completed. The college that issues the Student Agreement serves as the "home college."
Many SOCAD, SOCNAV, SOCMAR, and SOCCOAST colleges choose to extend these Agreements to , family members of all Services. Participating colleges can issue Student Agreements for non-networked degree programs by simply noting "Non-Network Program" on the Student Agreement form.
The importance of the Student Agreement for service personnel cannot be over emphasized. A SOCAD, SOCNAV, SOCMAR, or SOCCOAST Student Agreement is a road map to success for the mobile Service member. Benefits from having a SOCAD, SOCNAV, SOCMAR, or a SOCCOAST Student Agreement are:
- The student has a well-defined written degree completion plan, agreed to by the college, with degree completion requirements clearly identified.
- The student has many options for degree completion once institutional residency with the "home college" has been completed.
- The SOCAD, SOCNAV, SOCMAR, and SOCCOAST Student Agreements incorporate guaranteed transferability of credits as governed by the provisions of the SOCAD, SOCNAV, SOCMAR, and SOCCOAST handbooks.
- The student has a document that clearly and concisely records the results of the student's official evaluation of prior learning on a form common within the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Voluntary Education Programs.
The student, the institution, and SOC can easily understand the SOCAD, SOCNAV, SOCMAR, and SOCCOAST Student Agreements. All parties can readily refer to it as necessary.
Special undergraduate opportunities exist for students participating in external degree programs with colleges and universities in this Catalog who are also members of the SOCAD, SOCNAV, SOCMAR, and SOCCOAST systems.
For details regarding SOCAD, SOCNAV, SOCMAR, and SOCCOAST Student Agreements, request information from the points of contact of the SOC participating colleges. Additional information can be located at the SOC website at http://www.soc.aascu.org or can be obtained by calling SOC at:
1-800-368-5622,
(202) 667-0079; or
Fax: (202) 667-0622; or
Email: socmail@aascu.org
Problem Solving
Service members who encounter problems such as delay of books, materials, grade reports, etc., should first contact the representative identified by the school. Students also may see their education counselor at the Education Center or contact DANTES at dantesDL@navy.mil.
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