Distance Education Office

The Distance Education Office and development team members leverage training and education technologies; develop training products and support materials for resident, non-resident, and distributed learning programs.

Distance education products are intended to reach a worldwide audience and provide complete course, just-in-time, prerequisite and sustainment training via distance learning. Additionally, they may be used to accelerate, enhance, reinforce and remediate face-to-face classroom instruction.

Defense Information School
Distance Education Office
6500 Mapes Road
Fort Meade, MD 20755-5620

Contracted Courses

Advanced Photojournalism Course

This is a nine-month university level contract course of undergraduate study, which teaches advanced techniques in photography, journalism, layout and design, desktop publishing, digital photography, and imagery accessioning. Military photojournalists who successfully complete this instruction will return to the force with the knowledge and skills to communicate the goals and objectives of the Department of Defense to a global audience using mass media at a professional level. The Advanced Photojournalism Program subjects military photojournalists to intense, comprehensive post-secondary instruction, providing them with a mastery level understanding of visual story telling theory and practice. Contact your career field manager or Service equivalent for prerequisite information.

Advanced Motion Media Course

This is a nine-month university level contract course of undergraduate study, which teaches advanced techniques in video, broadcast journalism, electronic journalism, editing, audio techniques, electronic news gathering, and imagery accessioning. Military videographers who successfully complete this instruction will return to the force with the knowledge and skills to communicate the goals and objectives of the Department of Defense to a global audience using mass media at a professional level. The Motion Media Program subjects military videographers to intense, comprehensive post-secondary instruction, providing them with a mastery level understanding of visual story telling theory and practice. Contact your career field manager or Service equivalent for prerequisite information.

Online Courses

Basic Public Affairs Specialist Course-Advanced Distributed Learning (BPASC-ADL) – This on-line course mirrors the skill sets taught in the in-residence course. However, students will conduct the bulk of their studies during a 26-week non-resident portion, followed by a two-week in-resident phase.

Public Affairs Qualification Course - Advanced Distributed Learning - Non Resident (PAQC-ADL-NR), in two parts, provides entry-level public affairs training for officers from all U.S. military services and U.S. government agency civilians selected for public affairs assignments at all levels of command to ensure those officers and civilians are capable of performing the basic duties of Department of Defense Public Affairs Officers. During the distance education phase of the course, the material in each Functional Area is presented to the students in a progressive format that exposes the students to essential foundational knowledge, then builds upon that knowledge through a series of assigned readings, guided discussions and practical applications. The Functional Areas are similarly presented in a progressive sequence that requires the student to draw on knowledge and skills previously developed in other Functional Areas.