Distance Education and Training Council

The Distance Education and Training Council, know more simply as DETC, provides a wide variety of services as well as accreditation programs for programs offered over the internet. A full description of all the services offered by DETC can be found at http://www.detc.org/. In addition to accrediting programs in the United States, DETC also accredits programs and online degree courses in Canada, Japan, South Africa, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Since online learning is truly global, this international recognition helps students complete degree programs that are fully recognized, even if they are offered out of country.

DETC has been working within the distance learning field since 1926. They originally were named the National Home Study Council but changed to their current name in 1994. The DETC is a non-profit organization that is recognized by both the Council on Higher Education as well as the United States Department of Education. The DETC accredits both completely online learning programs and institutes as well as on-campus programs that have a distance learning option or component. The Commission of the DETC responsible for accreditation is comprised of seven members, with other professionals working to complete the on-site evaluations, work with programs and schools going through accreditation and respond to concerns, questions or appeals of decisions.

One of the major focuses of the DETC accreditation commission is to establish, monitor and ensure a high level of distance education programs for all students. This includes both educational outcomes as well as using approved curriculum, evaluating and setting professional standards within the institute or program. The DETC develops the standards used in accreditation through the commission and works to constantly refine those standards and reflect the requirements of the students, faculty as well as the professionals that contribute to the advisory boards. All evaluations through the accreditation are completed on a peer review process, ensuing that the accreditation teams that visit on-site are very familiar with current practices, best research methods as well as the particular challenges that are faced by distance learning and online program development and evaluation. As the methods of service to distance education students have changed, so have the standards that the accreditation process upholds. Distance education programs accredited through DETC may include various types of media including traditional correspondence courses, courses taught by video, CD ROM or DVD components, online classes or even distance learning courses for individuals with hearing and visual impairments.