Distance education includes in-person, online, and hybrid instructional delivery.
For in-person programs, participants meet for instruction at an off-campus site.
For an online program, instruction is offered totally online. Texts, reading lists, proctored examinations and/or other non-instructional experiences may be required as stipulated.
For a hybrid program, online instruction is blended with required or scheduled in-person contact, including examinations, laboratories, etc. At least 50% or more of the courses required for the degree or certificate are delivered through online instruction. Texts, reading lists, in-person orientations, proctored examinations and/or other non-instructional experiences may be required as stipulated.
Online and hybrid programs are classified as on-campus programs.
State Authorization
The U.S. Department of Education requires an institution offering distance education programs to acquire authorization from the states in which it operates. In Fall 2015, Michigan State University began participating in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), which is an agreement among states that establishes national standards for the interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs. Through SARA, Michigan State University may provide distance education to residents of any other SARA member state without seeking authorization from each SARA member state individually. For a comprehensive list of SARA states and institutions, see
http://nc-sara.org/sara-states-institutions.
For program exceptions and a state-by-state summary showing the most recent state authorization information, please visit:
https://esp.msu.edu/StateSummary.pdfFor additional information, please visit
www.reg.msu.edu/AcademicPrograms/Print.aspx?Section=11192 and
https://reg.msu.edu/ROInfo/StateAuthInfo.aspx.