Correspondence and distance-learning courses remain one of the most practical tools available to Army soldiers for advancing military careers and building civilian credentials simultaneously. Whether the goal is promotion points, officer candidacy preparation, Professional Military Education credit, or a transferable college degree, the right program makes progress possible during deployments, duty rotations, and training cycles that make resident education impractical. The five programs below cover the most valuable options across PME, degree completion, and certification tracks.
| Program | Provider | Cost | Credit Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army Learning Management System (ALMS) | US Army | Free | Promotion points, PME credit | Active duty NCO development |
| American Military University (AMU) | APUS | TA-eligible | Accredited college credit | Degree completion |
| Excelsior University | Excelsior | TA-eligible | Accredited college credit | Prior credit consolidation |
| CLEP Exams | College Board | ~$93/exam | College credit by examination | Fast, low-cost credit |
| Army War College Distance Education | US Army War College | Free/competitive | Senior service college credit | Senior NCOs and officers |
Army Learning Management System (ALMS) - Best for PME and Promotion Points
ALMS is the Army’s primary online learning platform and the first stop for any soldier pursuing correspondence-based professional military education. It hosts hundreds of free courses covering military occupational specialty training, leadership development, Structured Self-Development (SSD) levels, and functional area courses that directly award promotion points. Access is available 24/7 from any internet-connected device using a CAC card or AKO credentials, making it deployable even from austere environments. Completing ALMS courses tied to SSD requirements is mandatory for enlisted promotion eligibility, and additional elective completions contribute to the self-development category of promotion points. Every active duty soldier should have a current ALMS account and a personal course completion plan.
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American Military University - Best for Accredited Degree Completion
American Military University, part of American Public University System (APUS), is one of the largest online universities serving the US military community and is consistently among the top institutions for active duty Tuition Assistance usage. AMU offers over 200 degrees and certificates fully online, with eight-week course terms that fit military scheduling, no on-campus residency requirements, and dedicated military student advisors. The university is regionally accredited (HLC), and credits transfer widely to other institutions. Military-related degree programs in intelligence studies, homeland security, emergency and disaster management, and cybersecurity align directly with common Army MOS fields, making AMU coursework directly applicable to both military and post-service civilian careers.
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Excelsior University - Best for Consolidating Prior Learning Credit
Excelsior University (formerly Regents College) was originally designed for military and non-traditional students who have accumulated learning from multiple sources. military training, CLEP exams, DSST exams, workplace experience, and prior college coursework. and need a single institution to consolidate that learning into a degree. Excelsior evaluates ACE-recommended credit for military training (including MOS-specific course credit), accepts CLEP and DSST scores, and has flexible residency requirements. For soldiers who have been in service for several years and accumulated significant ACE credit through their MOS training, Excelsior is often the fastest path to an associate’s or bachelor’s degree because it recognizes the most prior military learning of any accredited institution.
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CLEP Exams - Best for Fast, Low-Cost College Credit
The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), administered by College Board, allows soldiers to earn college credit by passing a standardized exam in subjects where they already have knowledge, bypassing the need to sit through a full course. Exams cost $93 each, but the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) program funds one free attempt per exam for eligible active duty military. A passing score on a single 90-minute CLEP exam can earn three to twelve credit hours depending on the subject and the accepting institution. Common CLEP exams well-suited to Army personnel include Introduction to Business, Principles of Management, Information Systems, and College Composition. CLEP credits are accepted by over 2,900 colleges.
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Army War College Distance Education - Best for Senior Leaders
The US Army War College’s distance education program delivers senior service college (SSC) credit to Army colonels and senior lieutenant colonels who cannot attend the 10-month resident program at Carlisle Barracks. The distance education version requires two years of part-time study through online coursework, structured readings, and two short on-campus residency seminars. Completion satisfies the SSC requirement for senior leader promotions and key billets that require senior service college credentials. Selection is competitive and requires command endorsement. For officers who need SSC credit but cannot secure a resident seat, the distance education program is the only Army-administered path to the same credential.
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What to Look For
Accreditation type. Regional accreditation (HLC, SACSCOC, MSCHE) is the gold standard for college credit transferability and is required for most graduate school admissions. National accreditation is accepted by some employers but transfers poorly to other institutions. Verify before enrolling.
ACE credit recommendations for your MOS. The American Council on Education evaluates military training courses and assigns college credit recommendations for most Army MOS specialties. Soldiers should request an ACE transcript (available through AARTS/SMART) before enrolling anywhere, to understand how much credit they already have.
TA pre-approval timing. Tuition Assistance requires pre-approval through GoArmyEd before the course start date. Late applications are not accepted, and retroactive TA is rarely approved regardless of circumstances. Build the application timeline into your enrollment planning.
Promotion point alignment. Not all courses award promotion points, and the point values change. Confirm current values with your unit career counselor before investing significant time in a course primarily for promotion purposes.
Final Thoughts
For enlisted soldiers, ALMS completions and CLEP exams deliver the fastest return on time invested. the former in promotion points, the latter in college credit at minimal cost. For degree completion, AMU and Excelsior are the two most military-friendly accredited institutions, with Excelsior offering the best prior learning credit recognition. Senior leaders pursuing SSC credit should investigate the Army War College distance education program as early as lieutenant colonel. Use Army Tuition Assistance for every civilian course you take. leaving that benefit unused is leaving career development money on the table.
Frequently asked questions
Do Army correspondence courses count toward promotion points?+
Yes. Completed Army correspondence courses submitted through ATRRS (Army Training Requirements and Resources System) and verified through ERB or AKO records award promotion points toward the Structured Self-Development and military education categories. The exact point values vary by course and MOS, and soldiers should verify current point values with their unit S1 or career counselor since Army Human Resources Command updates the point tables periodically.
Can Army soldiers use Tuition Assistance for correspondence courses at civilian colleges?+
Active duty soldiers can use Army Tuition Assistance (TA) for correspondence and online courses at accredited civilian institutions, including American Military University, Excelsior University, and other approved providers. TA covers up to 100% of tuition costs up to $250 per semester hour and $4,000 per fiscal year. Applications are submitted through GoArmyEd, and courses must be pre-approved before enrollment. Reserve and National Guard soldiers may have access through state education assistance programs.
What is the difference between ALMS and ATRRS courses for Army soldiers?+
ALMS (Army Learning Management System) is the online delivery platform where soldiers access and complete web-based training, including many correspondence-style courses. ATRRS (Army Training Requirements and Resources System) is the system of record that tracks training completions, manages course enrollments for resident courses, and generates training records. Soldiers complete courses on ALMS, and those completions are recorded in ATRRS and reflected on official training records used for promotions and assignments.