Establish in London in 1890, the International Correspondence Schools is the world's largest distance- learning school and provides correspondence and home study courses in a number of fields from business and hospitality management to child care and education. Incorporated in the United States in 1901, the U.S. branch of ICS, Penn Foster Career School, operates out of Scranton, Pennsylvania and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council. Course materials are sent through the mail and consist of a number of units, followed by exams. Supervisors and tutors are also available to students through phone or e-mail, with some courses available through podcasts and pre-loaded laptops.
Since their inception in 1986, the Care Schools have been offering home study and distance learning courses with a concentration in child development and child care through their Care Courses School. The school offers distance learning courses that are recognized as Continuing Education Units (CEU) that can be put toward receiving or renewing national childcare credentials including Certified Childcare Professional Credentials (CCP) and Child Development Associates Credentials (CDA). The school also offers a list of distance-learning courses approved by the National Child Care Association as Continuing Education Units to be put toward the renewal of National Administrator Credentials (NAC).
Established in 1981, the U.S. Career Institute operates out of Fort Collins, Colorado and offers distance-learning courses in a number of trades including business, medical transcription, massage therapy, veterinary assisting and legal transcription. All courses are delivered a single course at a time and taught through correspondence as well as the Internet. Students can earn certificates or associate's degrees depending on their program and can graduate in as little as 16 months with courses accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council, which itself is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
Founded in 1914 by the Bureau of Engraving, Inc. the Art Instruction Schools offer home study courses with a focus on drawing, painting and illustrating. Operating out of Minneapolis, Minnesota Art Instruction Schools offers coursework exclusively through the mail. Each of the 27 lessons are sent one at a time, graded, and sent back to the student with a letter from the instructor offering comments and suggestions. Over the course of the instruction process, students learn fundamental areas such as shading, colors, perspective and figure drawing. The school is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council, with coursework generally lasting a year and a half to two years before a Certificate of Completion is awarded. Graduates include "Peanuts" illustrator Charles Schulz, who later became an instructor, and Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist Steve Benson.