DANTES Independent Study Catalog
Table of Contents
Introduction
The DANTES Independent Study Catalog provides specific information concerning independent study courses offered by a variety of institutions throughout the U.S.. All institutions listed in this Catalog are accredited by regional accrediting associations. This Catalog has been prepared to meet the needs of military Service personnel, the National Guard and Reserve components, and the Coast Guard. The DISC contains credit courses offered for academic levels ranging from undergraduate through graduate work as well as a list of schools that offer high school courses.
The Catalog is maintained at http://www.dantes.doded.mil and is updated as changes occur. The Catalog is also produced on CD ROM annually. The CD ROM contains two other catalogs, the DANTES External Degree Catalog and the Nationally Accredited Distance Learning Programs. Education services personnel may obtain CD ROM copies of this 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 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.
DISC Catalog Contents
The DISC Catalog contains an “Introduction” and three separate Sections: “Institution”, “Subject” and “Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC).”
The “Introduction” (this page) contains general information for program participation. Also included are suggestions for course selection and successful completion.
The “Institution” Section makes available lists of all the participating institutions. These are shown alphabetically by institution name. Also included is a sub-section of institutions offering high school level courses. Clicking on either All DISC Institutions or Institutions with High School Courses provides the respective listing of institutions. Clicking on an individual institution link shows institutional information. On each DISC Catalog Institutional Information page, each institution has provided a description of their standard policies including: points of contact, tuition fees, fee payment instructions, refund/drop policy, explanation of course numbering system, lesson submissions, course completion time and extensions, grading policy, transfer policy, special mailing and postage fees, transcript fees, high school level or college level VA eligibility, SOC status and any special information. On the DISC Catalog Institutional Information page, the “View Courses” button allows the user to see all of the institution’s individual courses with specific information including: the course department, course number, course title, level of instruction, number of lessons, number of supervised exams, media support required, number of credit hours, tuition, book costs, special fees, total costs, and any other notes the institution feels are important to know. A search function is enabled on most pages to allow users to locate colleges, courses, and course descriptions.
The “Subject” Section describes in detail How the Course Listing Information is Organized. The “Subject” Section also lists the Major Subject Areas, which group all courses by Postsecondary Courses, Graduate Courses, and Postsecondary Credit-by-Examination. Clicking on any of these links: Postsecondary Courses, Graduate Courses, or Postsecondary Credit-by-Examination reveals a wealth of courses listed by subject and allows for course comparisons of all the DISC Catalog institutions offering similar courses.
The “Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC)” Section under SOC/DANTES Conversion Table lists the cross-reference codes used between SOC and DANTES. These SOC codes are especially helpful for students needing to satisfy specific course requirements in their SOC degree programs. Students are cautioned to check with their “home” school to ensure transferability before enrolling in courses.
DANTES Affiliated Institutions Commitment to Military Students
All participating institutions that list courses in the DISC Catalog have signed a Memorandum of Understanding through which they agree to:
- Provide DANTES with information on fees for tuition, textbook prices, special fees, and essential course information for the DISC.
- Provide rapid turnaround 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.
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. If the Service member desires to apply the credit earned to a degree program, be sure they 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 DISC 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.
DISC Catalog Enrollment Information
In the DISC Catalog under the “Subject” Section and the link: How Course Listing Information is Organized, specific descriptions are provided that explain how courses are displayed. The following information is a partial listing describing some of the information provided for each course:
Level of Instruction – indicates the level at which a course is taught. L = Lower division courses (Freshman and Sophomore), U = Upper division courses (Junior and Senior), B – Upper division and graduate courses, and G = Graduate level courses.
Number of Lessons – indicates the number of lessons required to complete the course. This is an important item depending on the mode and speed of communication used between the school-student and student-school. The institution’s policy as described on the institutional information page should permit the student to work at a pace that is anticipated to be compatible with duty assignments and other activities.
Number of Supervised Exams – indicates the number of proctored exams the student will have to arrange. The student needs to ensure the availability of qualified proctors and have them validated by the school.
Media Support – indicates the type of equipment needed, if any, to complete the course. This could require a computer or audio tape or iPod. The student must ensure they have the equipment needed and that it will work throughout the course before enrolling in the course.
Tuition – indicates the tuition cost of the course. Be aware that prices can change. Students should confirm tuition and fees with the school prior to enrollment. Fees shown are for tuition, textbooks, other necessary course materials, and some postage and handling. Individual schools may charge an additional amount for special mailing. In all cases, students bear the cost for postage on items that they mail. Students should not send cash. Money orders and cashier, certified, or personal checks are all acceptable. Make the check(s) or money order(s) payable to the college or university as specified in the fee payment instructions contained on the Institutional Information page. Two checks or money orders may be required - one for tuition and fees and another for textbooks.
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 to 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 which 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. Courses found in this 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 You As A Student?
Accreditation does not mean that course work can be automatically transferred from one school to another. The decision to accept academic credit is at the discretion of each institution. 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 the credit 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, prospective 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 courses found at the high school, associate, baccalaureate, masters 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.
Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) and the DISC Catalog
What is SOC?
Servicemembers 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.
SOC Codes-What are they?
To support Service members pursuing similar degrees at various locations, DOD, with SOC, operates a network system of associate and baccalaureate degree programs at military education centers throughout the world. In these networks, participating colleges and universities accept from one another, on a prearranged basis, courses that meet degree requirements. This helps Service member students complete degree programs as they change their permanent duty stations throughout the world. To aid in understanding which courses can be substitutes for one another, each course in these network degree programs is assigned an alphanumerical code, called a SOC Code. Examples are BL003A General Biology and BU001A Introduction to Business.
How do SOC Codes Help Students?
SOC schools are located on military installations. Due to population changes, schools in the SOC network programs sometimes have difficulty scheduling needed classes. Alternatives to classroom instruction may be found in the DISC Catalog. Mobile students also may take advantage of the courses listed in the DISC Catalog and enroll in needed courses. In the postsecondary section of the Catalog, course listings are grouped by various subjects. To help students find suitable substitutes, one or more SOC Codes is assigned to each of the groupings. For convenience, a table that converts SOC Course Catalog Numbers to DANTES Independent Study Course (ISC) Codes for SOCAD-2, SOCNAV-2, SOCMAR-2 and SOCCOAST-2 and SOCAD-4, SOCNAV-4, SOCMAR-4 and SOCCOAST-4 can be found in the Postsecondary Courses section of the Catalog. It is not guaranteed that the courses associated with each of the groups will be acceptable to SOC colleges and universities. Simply, the list of courses for various SOC Codes in this Catalog provides a number of options students may present for consideration to their respective SOC college. These SOC Codes are used in the SOCAD, SOCNAV, SOCMAR and SOCCOAST Handbooks.
For more information regarding the use of SOC Codes, contact SOC:
Phone: 1-800-368-5622 or (202) 667-0079
FAX: (202) 667-0622
Email: socmail@aascu.org
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?
How to Succeed with Independent Study Courses
Completing an independent study course can be difficult. Think carefully about your goals and follow the recommendations listed below.
- Develop a plan for completing your course, and put that plan on paper. Set aside specific hours for study. Include milestones in your plan to be reached by a specific time.
- Check the plan against the course outline and study guide provided by the school. Ensure they both look realistic when compared to your work schedule and other obligations.
- Study in an atmosphere that allows you to study effectively.
- Check your progress periodically.
- Complete lessons and examinations as required by the school. Ensure your work is clearly written.
- 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.
- 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.
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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