U.S. National Accrediting Authorities

Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) A National accrediting agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education as the "nationally recognized accrediting agency," and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Accrediting Commission of Career Colleges and Schools of Technology (ACCSCT) is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a national accrediting agency for private, postsecondary institutions offering occupational vocational programs.

The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges & Schools (ACICS) is a non-profit education corporation, is recognized by the United States Secretary of Education as an independent and autonomous national accrediting body that accredits institutions of higher education offering programs of study through the master’s degree level.

U.S. Regional Accrediting Authorities: There are six U.S. regional accrediting agencies that are approved by the U.S. Department of Education (DE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Each of the six regional accrediting agencies are equal in the eyes of each other, so credits may be transferred between regionally accredited schools.

1. Middle States Association (MSACA) Covers Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and other locations overseas.
2. New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) Covers the six states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont and 117 American/International schools around the globe.
3. North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS) Covers the nineteen-state North Central region: Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
4. Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) Covers the seven-state Northwest region of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
5. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Covers the eleven U.S. Southern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia) and in Latin America.
6. Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Covers California and Hawaii, the territories of Guam, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, the Pacific Basin, and East Asia, and areas of the Pacific and East Asia where American/International schools or colleges.

U.S. Military Accrediting Authorities

DANTES (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support) is a DoD organization created to help Service Members earn the degrees or certification they deserve while continuing to serve their country. Serveice members may get financial aide and special tuition rates.

Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) coordinates degrees in a variety of curriculum areas for the Army (SOCAD), Navy (SOCNAV), Marine Corps (SOCMAR), Coast Guard (SOCCOAST) and Army National Guard (SOCGuard). Member colleges and universities are dedicated to helping servicemembers and their families get college degrees. Serveice members may get financial aide and special tuition rates.

Continuing Education Accrediting Authorities

International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) is a non-profit association dedicated to quality continuing education and training programs. It authorizes educational providers to award the IACET Continuing Education Unit (CEU).

Canadian Accrediting Authorities

Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) represents 92 public and private not-for-profit universities and university-degree level colleges across Canada and abroad.

Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) created in 1972 to represent colleges and institutes to government, business and industry, both in Canada and internationally.

International Distance Learning Associations

European Association of Distance Learning (EADL) is an European association of schools, institutions and individuals working in correspondence and distance education. With members from over 15 European countries, the Association is a representative forum for the exchange of information and ideas on current practice and developments in this expanding field of education and training. Nearly all member states of the European Community are represented in the EADL.

Open & Distance Learning Quality Council (ODLQC) is an accrediting agency for distance learning institutions and programs. Based in the U.K and set up originally by government in 1968, it is now an independent body.

United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1987 to promote the development and application of distance learning for education and training. USDLA represents 2000 members from pre-K-through-12, higher education, continuing education, corporate, military and government training and telemedicine.

World Bank Links

World Bank Guide to Teaching and Learning

World Bank Guide to Technology and Media

World Bank Guide to Management

World Bank Guide to Policy and Programs

Print Resources

"Barron's Guide to Distance Learning: A Practical Alternative to Standard Classroom Education" by Pat Criscito. ISBN: 0764117912

"Distance Learning For Dummies" by Nancy Stevenson. ISBN: 076450763X

"Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning" by John Bear, et al. ISBN: 1580082025

"How to Be a Successful Online Student" by Sara Dulaney Gilbert. ISBN: 0071365125

"Teaching Online: A Practical Guide" by Susan Schor Ko, et al. ISBN: 0618000429

"147 Practical Tips for Teaching Online Groups : Essentials of Web-Based Education" by Donald E. Hanna, et al. ISBN: 189185934X

"Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom : The Realities of Online Teaching" by Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt. ISBN: 0787955191

Academic Journals, Magazines, List-Servs, Online Newsletters

Australian Journal of Educational Technology (AJET) Published quarterly, this journal offers a wide variety of articles related to distance learning from international authors.

LTImagazine.com LTImagazine.com delivers "Breaking" News, Real World Case Studies, Research Reports, In-depth Technology Articles, and expert columns, to connect with your peers. LTImagazine.com provides the information you need for learning and training success.

Distance Education An academic journal published twice a year by the Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia (ODLAA).

LTReport A print publication offering articles on learning technology, e-learning and online education. Part of the Node Learning Technologies Network.

Virtual University Gazette An excellent monthly electronic newsletter that covers topics related to distance learning. VUG is a free publication and is of interest to both students and educators.

Brandon Hall Dispatch A US- based electronic newletter on e-learning research and technology from a publisher and consultant in the education sector.

E-Journal of Instructional Science and Technology (e-JIST) An academic publication from the University of Southern Queensland offering conference reviews, and articles.

DEOS-L A moderated listserv for academics from the American Center of Distance Education at Pennsylvania State University with subscribers in 80 countries.

Advanced Distributed Learning The Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative, sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), is a collaborative effort between government, industry and academia to establish a new distributed learning environment that permits the interoperability of learning tools and course content on a global scale.

Distance Learning Conferences, Seminars

Online Educa The largest e-learning conferences in the EU, with yearly meetings in Barcelona and Berlin. Focused on the education, business, and government sectors.

eLearning Guild The eLearning Guild's Online Forum Series enables you to learn and develop new skills right from your desk or meeting room using state-of-the-art synchronous e-Learning technology.