The Universal Council for Online Education Accreditation was founded to help students in getting quality education online. It was founded with an aim to provide a platform for distance education institutions - established and developing - to judge their quality of educational service on the basis of sound educational standards and ethical business practices set by UCOEA. Its core function is to promote high quality distance education by identifying standards that outline the best educational practices.

As as independent, non-profit membership organization, the Council is responsible for the evaluation and accreditation of eligible online institutions, meeting the stringent standards.

Institutional Accreditation

Accreditation by the Universal Council for Online Education Accreditation means that a post secondary institution's own goals are soundly conceived, its educational programs have been intelligently devised, its purposes are being accomplished, and it is organized, staffed, and well-supported.

Accreditation applies to the entire institution in operation at the time of the most recent full-scale evaluation. It indicates that each constituent or related unit has been examined and found to be achieving its own particular purposes satisfactorily, although not necessarily, all at the same level of quality.

Vision

"To foster and preserve high quality, educationally sound and widely accepted distance education and independent learning institutions."

Mission

"To promote institutional self-improvement, academic quality and aid online institutes in the quest for acceptance and excellence."

UCOEA Committees

The UCOEA Commission appoints four standing committees for accreditation.

a. The standards committee investigates the educational problems that are unique to distance education and training fields. The efficiency and effectiveness of instructional methods and procedures are evaluated on the basis of this investigation. The analysis of survey is then recommended to the commission policies, standards and practices to govern the members of the Council. This committee also investigates and makes recommendations on the standards of ethical conduct to the Commission.

b. The nominating committee nominates only the officers and replacement members to the Accrediting Commission. Whereas the public members of the Commission and its officers are elected by the Commission itself, and the Commissioners from UCOEA-accredited institutions are elected by members of the Council.

c. The finance & audit committee analyzes fees and dues and recommends methods for determining reasonable amount. The committee also prepares and presents the annual budget in the annual meeting for the approval by the Commission.

d. It is the responsibility of the awards and recognition Committee to determine who shall receive awards for distinguished service in the field of distance education. However, the Committee itself makes the final selection of the award recipients.