General information sources

Courses offered by ODL QC accredited providers are listed in the courses index. There is also a list of ODL QC accredited colleges.

If you choose an ODL QC-accredited provider you are sure of a quality service, endorsed by the Council.    This page offers advice to those who wish to look elsewhere.

If you are interested in a provider that is not accredited by ODL QC, the Buyer's Guide to Distance Learning suggests the sort of questions to ask before you buy.

If you are looking for a local, face-to-face course, the equavalent to ODL QC is our sister body, the British Accreditation Council, which accredits independent colleges of further & higher education offering face-to-face courses.

If a provision is not accredited, the quality may be poor, or it may represent poor value for money.    And without proper accreditation, you may have little redress against a provider who fails to deliver a good quality course.

Looking at an overseas provider?

Can't find the course you want?

Try the learndirect website, or their helpline on 0800 100 900.    They offer general advice on careers and qualifications as well as available courses.    Learndirect has a very large database of providers because it does no quality checking so a course on their list is not necessarily of good quality.   

The Hotcourses site, and the associated book, also list distance learning and face to face courses.

If you know the subject, but cannot find a course on it, ask the relevant specialist or professional body or bodies for advice.    Most are listed in the Directory of British Associations (CBD Research, 2005 - ISBN 0 900246 96 0)

If you are not sure which qualification you want, or what is available, try the online QCA database of accredited qualifications, or the qualifications section of the DfES website.    The standard reference book is British Qualifications (Kogan Page (35th edition, 2005), ISBN 0 7494 43413) which list the qualifications available in the UK, and who offers them.

Two major UK providers of Open and Distance Learning degree courses are:

• The Open University
• The University of London External Programme

If in doubt as to which degrees are recognised, UK degrees, the authoritative source of information is the relevant section of the DfES website.