CLINTON, Iowa, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Ashford University today announced that The Quality Matters ™ program, a nationally recognized, faculty-centered, peer review process certifying the quality of online education, has recognized 93 courses at the university making it the most in the program.

The certified courses are part of multiple Ashford University programs including early childhood education, homeland security management and healthcare administration. Ashford University offers associate, bachelor's and master's degrees that range from business administration to sociology.

Ashford University Provost Dr. Elizabeth Tice said, "Quality Matters has provided an industry-wide standard designed to certify the quality of online courses. While excellence is of utmost importance to us internally, independent third party validation is an endorsement of our commitment to quality and adds reassurance to our faculty and students.

"This distinction sets us apart in the education community and shows that Ashford is succeeding in its mission for quality online higher education."

According to Quality Matters, for a course to be recognized, "it must have met a set of 40 specific elements, distributed across eight broad standards." The eight broad standards include: course overview and introduction, learning objectives, assessment and measurement, resources and materials, learner engagement, course technology, learner support, and accessibility.

In addition, a team of three independent peer reviewers is trained to use the Quality Matters Rubric to review the quality of each online course. To receive the recognition, a course must demonstrate all essential review elements and receive a combined total score of 72 out of 85 possible points or a minimum score of 85 percent.

For more information about Ashford University, please visit www.ashford.edu. Enrollment advisors may be reached at 1.800.877.1192.

About Ashford University

Founded in 1918, Ashford University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (www.ncahlc.org).  The University offers graduate and undergraduate degree programs online and at its Clinton, Iowa, campus.  The University is known for its high quality yet highly affordable online and on-campus programs.  For more information, please visit www.ashford.edu or call Shari Rodriguez, associate vice president of Public Relations, at 858.513.9240 x2513.

About The Quality Matters Program

The Quality Matters™ program is a faculty-centered peer course review Quality Assurance process. Review criteria are linked to external standards; criteria and process are supported through instructional design principles; and the process is vetted by faculty experts. The goals of the program are to increase student retention, learning and satisfaction in online courses by implementing better course design.  Quality Matters is sponsored by Maryland Online and has been adopted by hundreds of higher education institutions across 35 states and Canada.

SOURCE Ashford University