Rather than attending courses in person, teachers and students may communicate at times of their own choosing by exchanging printed or electronic media, or through technology that allows them to communicate in real time and through other online ways.  Correspondence courses that require a physical on-site presence for any reason including the taking of examinations is considered to be a hybrid or blended course of study.

Military Correspondence Courses

In addition, there are many private and public, non-profit and for-profit institutions offering correspondence courses and degree programs through distance education.  Levels of accreditation vary; some institutions offering distance education in the United States have received little outside oversight, and some may be fraudulent diploma mills. In many other jurisdictions, an institution may not use the term “University” without accreditation and authorisation, normally by the national government. Online education is rapidly increasing among mainstream universities in the United States, where online doctoral programs have even developed at prestigious research institutions.

Links to Each Branch’s Correspondence Courses Sites:

• Army Correspondence Courses
• Air Force Correspondence Courses
• Marine Correspondence Courses
• Navy Correspondence Courses