Distance education program is a program for which all the required coursework for completion can be finished through distance education courses.
How it is measured
The classification follows the course-level rule. A program is distance education only when the catalog and actual offerings allow a student to complete every required course without instructional face-to-face attendance. Institutions report program counts and completion data with a distance education flag in the Completions survey.
Example: a bachelor’s degree in business requires 120 credits. The institution offers every required course as a distance education course. Students may optionally attend a campus networking event, but it is not required. This is a distance education program. If the degree requires a mandatory 3-credit internship that must be completed on campus under faculty supervision, the program is not exclusively distance education.
How it differs
A distance education course is the building block; the program is the full credential path. Hybrid programs require a mix of distance and face-to-face instructional components and are reported differently. Offering some online courses does not make an entire program a distance education program.
Common errors
Marketing a program as “100% online” when one or more required courses still have instructional residency components. Treating optional on-campus experiences as disqualifying. Confusing the percentage of students who take online courses with the percentage of programs that can be completed entirely at a distance.
References
- 1. IPEDS Distance Education definitionsAll required coursework completable via DE courses
- 2. WCET guidance on DE program reportingDistinction between courses and programs
Distance education program is a program for which all the required coursework for completion can be finished through distance education courses.