To have your course certified, a course provider must provide ARELLO with a detailed description and implementation plan for the course and meet standards set forth in the Distance Education Standards Manual and Course Review Policy Document.  This is accomplished by completing a detailed application that allows ARELLO to evaluate all aspects of the course.  You may obtain the application  and information packet in the Downloads Area of the this web site.  The standards manual is available for purchase in the Resources section of this web site.     Note: The Standards Manual is a comprehensive guide in helping you design a quality distance education course that meets the ARELLO standards.  

Once a provider has completed the appropriate application and compiled other necessary documentation (instructor qualifications forms, and time study participant forms) the course provider can login to ARELLO's course management system (CMS) to create a new submission and submit the application and other documentation electronically. If you do not already have certified courses, you should email us with your company name, contact name, address, email address and phone number so we can establish your account. Once our staff creates your account, you can login to the CMS.

Once the course provider has submitted the application using the CMS and made arrangements for payment (you may pay by credit card or check using the CMS), ARELLO’s review team will enter into a cooperative effort to help the course(s) meet the ARELLO standards.  Please note the ARELLO review team will not design the course but offer suggestions about how to comply with ARELLO standards.  Often the ARELLO review team requests changes in course design or delivery to meet the ARELLO standards which are based upon the latest distance education research.  Once the course meets the standards, it is certified.  The provider will receive notification of certification via email and instructions on how to print official course summary certificates from the ARELLO.NET web site.  The course will also be listed on the ARELLO.NET web site along with contact information for course provider.  This has proven to be a great marketing tool to those providers who have certified courses.  

Here is a quick summary of how to (re)certify

1. Download and complete the appropriate forms (multiple courses of the same delivery method can be included on one application. Review fees for individual courses apply.)
   
   Forms needed by primary providers applying for initial certification include:
   - Primary Providers Certification Application
   - Time Study Form
   - Instructor Qualifications Form
   
   Forms needed by primary providers seeking recertification:
   - Primary Providers Recertification Application
   - Instructor Qualifications Form(s)
   
   Forms needed by secondary providers seeking initial certification:
   - Secondary Providers Certification Application
   - Instructor Qualifications Form
   
   Forms needed by secondary providers seeking subsequent certification (this is for secondary providers that already have certified courses):
   - Secondary Providers Subsequent Submission Application
   - Instructor Qualifications Form
   
   Forms needed by secondary providers seeking recertification:
   - Secondary Providers Recertification Application
   - Instructor Qualifications Form
   
   Note: Instructor qualification's forms can be placed into the provider's "common files area" in the course management system. By doing this, if you have the same instructor for courses you certified in the past and have placed their form in the "common files area", then you should not have to provide that documentation redundantly but simply reference it on the application and state the instructor qualifications forms is in the "common files area".
   
   
2. Contact us so we can create an account for your organization or, if you already have an account, simply login.
3. Login to the CMS and create a "New Submission". (Do not create a new submission until you have your documentation ready to submit.)
4. Read the directions carefully when creating a new submission and contact us if you have questions.

Recertification

Recertification at the end of a three year certification is period is necessary for all courses. The recertification process is different from the initial certification process in that is not as lengthy a process and requires you provide different information. The procedures for recertifying are similar to the initial certification process with the exception of the forms a provider should complete. At recertification, the provider should complete the applicable primary or secondary recertification application. After you download and complete the documents on your computer, login the course management system and initiate a New Submission. You will first be asked if your course is a recertification. You will answer "yes" and proceed following the directions on the screen. After you create your recertification submission in the CMS, you will need to upload the application you completed so the reviewers can examine your documentation. Common forms that you will need to complete recertification include appropriate recertification application, and an instructor qualifications form(s).

Timeline for Certification

Once the course provider has submitted the application with the appropriate fees, the ARELLO review team will make initial collaborative efforts within 30 days.  If the review team requests modification or clarification concerning issues in the course it will then be up to the provider to offer a timely response to insure the process is completed quickly.  On average, courses can be certified in less than 50 days.

Certification Fees

Fees associated with ARELLO certification are:
(Effective July 1, 2006)

Primary Providers –
$825 for the first course
$625 for every other course taught via the same delivery method
$470 Recertification
$75 IDECC Certification add on

Secondary Providers –
$275 for the first course
$225 for every other course taught via the same delivery method
$195 Recertification
$75 IDECC Certification add on

Value of Certification
Currently more than forty jurisdictions require or endorse ARELLO certification.  That means ARELLO certification removes barriers to marketing your program in many of the jurisdictions.   It is important to note that ARELLO certifies course delivery and design not content.  Because real estate law is different in every jurisdiction, courses still must be approved for content by the individual jurisdictions.  ARELLO certification does not guarantee automatic approval in all states, provinces, territories and countries, but it is the leading credential available in distance education in the world today. Education providers are finding that "ARELLO Certified" not only helps clear regulatory hurdles, but also serves as a powerful marketing tool.

For answers to more specific questions please see our Frequently Asked Questions section of this web site.