ICS Blast From The Past

When a correspondence course really was a stack of books. IMHO (and from some first-hand experience), DEAC has never left that mindset.

 

I thought most DEAC schools had moved to semester-based instructor-led weekly schedules and/or e-books? I know the following DEAC schools still use the Independent Study method with no set semesters or weekly schedules:

Ashworth College (moved to e-books)
Penn Foster College
U.S. Career Institute (with the exception of the Massage Therapy program that requires about a month hands-on training in Colorado)
Nations University

There could be others, I'm not sure, but I don't believe there are many more if there are. The rest of the schools seem to either be operating on semester-based weekly schedules, or on an open semester schedule where you can work as much or as little as you want within the timeframe of a certain number of weeks (usually 12-16), but after that time period is over you have to reach completion of the course or courses you agreed to schedule, or get dropped or charged a penalty to continue. I know Huntington does that and I believe Apollos as well. California Coast has it set at 24 weeks. Ashworth does post an 8 week requirement per course with an extension penalty attached if a student doesn't finish in that timeframe, but I've only ever read about one or two actual enforcement situations so I don't know how strongly they enforce it.

 

Penn Foster (formerly ICS, Harcourt Learning Direct) allows one year per semester to finish and then during the bachelors program you can pay for a 6 month extension twice. At least that's the way it was up until 2020.

 

My experience with ICS UK, I earned there in 80s diploma in Electronics Engineering.
This was my first DL correspondence studying in English language. I already had a University degree but wanted something that will help with my
Technical English and provide a credential with resemble cost. This paved the way to Associate Membership and eventually a corporate membership with Institution of Engineers and Technicians in the UK London and registration wit the Council of Engineering Institutions what is EC UK today..