History Main / CorrespondenceCourse

* A few decades ago, before the Internet was widely available to residential homes, it was not uncommon for these types of classes to be held via a UsefulNotes/PEGChannel. Some places (generally remote, rural areas) still do this. In Britain, the BBC carried programming from the aforementioned Open University up until well into the Internet Age, often in late night and early morning slots on the assumption that they'd be recorded by VCR. Preserved examples can be found on Website/YouTube.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', Harry discovers that Filch, a [[MuggleBornOfMages Squib]], is trying to learn magic by subscribing to a correspondence course called [[http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Kwikspell Kwikspell]]. It's unknown if it's genuine or a fraud, but WordOfGod is that it didn't do Filch any good at all.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', Filch, a [[MuggleBornOfMages Squib]], attempts to learn magic by following a correspondence course called [[http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Kwikspell Kwikspell]]. It's unknown if it's genuine or a fraud, but WordOfGod is that it didn't do Filch any good at all.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', Filch is a Squib (a MuggleBornOfMages) who attempts to learn magic by following a correspondence course. Because of the nature of magic in the Potterverse, we know it's a fraud, but it's all PlayedForLaughs.
** Actually, [[http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Kwikspell Kwikspell]] (that's its name) is not a fraud, but geared to mages with trouble using their magic, not squibs. Mages are said (on the ad itself...) to have a high degree of satisfaction; squibs cannot because they do not have magic.

* As you "Make Your Name" as a monster-hunter and shunter of thugs in ''VideoGame/FallenLondon'', people will ask how you got so good at being a killing machine. You can tell them that you're one of the many success stories of "The Adventuress' Correspondence Course", apparently set up by The Presbyterate Adventuress, a famous soldier, explorer, and mercenary. Given the kind of insane feats of strength and skill you accomplish in the game, her course must have been effective; dockside brawls in particular show her style puts heavy emphasis on ImprovisedWeapons and using your environment against your enemies.

* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'': A ParodyCommercial in the WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail "theme song" features Crazy Go Nuts University's "Online E-Niversity", a blatant diploma mill which claims you can complete a year of schooling with a single click and quickly earn a "shady online degree" in such fields as "Business Administration", "Business Abomination", "Infotainment Technology", and "Marriage Apothecary".
-->'''Senor Cardgage:''' I got fourteen degrees while on my lunch take. Now I can legally prescribe marriages in the state of Kansattica.

* ''VideoGame/ApertureDeskJob'': during the 18-month time skip, Grady took a mail course to become, and get certified as, a probation agent.

* As you "Make Your Name" as a monster-hunter and shunter of thugs in ''VideoGame/FallenLondon'', people will ask how you got so good at being a killing machine. You can tell them that you're one of the many success stories of "The Adventuress' Correspondence Course", apparently set up by The Presbyterate Adventuress, a famous soldier, explorer, and mercenary. Given the kind of insane feats of strength and skill you accomplish in the game, her course must have been effective.

* One of the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' comics had Toad become a reporter via one of these. Wooster, in something of a DeadpanSnarker moment, points out that the entire curriculum consisted of sending them a check.

* In ''Film/TheShawshankRedemption Tommy completes his GED by correspondence course, supervised by Andy. Out of necessity, since he's in prison.[[/folder]]

* In Creator/PGWodehouse's short story "A Voice from the Past", Sacheverall Mulliner becomes a domineering Strong Man by taking a correspondence course on [[strike: scientific agriculture]] developing an Iron Will.

* ''Radio/TheBurkissWay'' started out as a "correspondence course" administered by the good Dr. Emil Burkiss, who would, for instance, help you develop a muscular body by lifting up all that heavy money and sending it to him. While the later series abandoned this premise, they still had titles on a theme of ''Avoid Like the Plague, The Burkiss Way''

* The hero's backstory in ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory'' is that he saw an ad for the "Famous Adventurers' Correspondence School" in his town and decided to take it. Persons who pass the course receive a [[SuperheroesWearCapes heroic cloak]] and tools related to their class (lockpick kit for a thief, sword, and shield for a fighter, magic spells for a wizard). You lose the cloak in later games, but the correspondence school is constantly brought up. You actually visit its headquarters in the final game: the guy who runs it is the ''only'' guy in the company, goes by the name of Famous Adventurer [[{{Tradesnark}} (TM)]] (Yes, the trade mark sign is part of his name). He's not at all surprised that the correspondence course works (after all, that's why he wrote those books), and he's actually pretty impressed with your heroic tales if you tell him about them. The Famous Adventurers' Correspondence School was actually {{Defictionaliz|ation}}ed by the series creators, launched as [[http://www.theschoolforheroes.com/school.php The School for Heroes]]. In a general subversion of the trope, Famous Adventurer (TM) is actually quite knowledgeable about adventuring, and if his past stories are true (And we know some are), he's quite the RetiredBadass and is in fact one of the Hero's best source of advice through the game on solving the trials and general lore. He also fully admits that his courses are nothing but a starting point for one's adventuring carreer.

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* The hero's backstory in ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory'' is that he saw an ad for the "Famous Adventurers' Correspondence School" in his town and decided to take it. Persons who pass the course receive a [[SuperheroesWearCapes heroic cloak]] and tools related to their class (lockpick kit for a thief, sword, and shield for a fighter, magic spells for a wizard). You lose the cloak in later games, but the correspondence school is constantly brought up. You actually visit its headquarters in the final game: the guy who runs it is the ''only'' guy in the company, and he's forgotten his name, going by Famous Adventurer [[{{Tradesnark}} (TM)]] (Yes, the trade mark sign is part of his name). He's not at all surprised that the correspondence course works (after all, that's why he wrote those books), and he's actually pretty impressed with your heroic tales if you tell him about them. The Famous Adventurers' Correspondence School was actually {{Defictionaliz|ation}}ed by the series creators, launched as [[http://www.theschoolforheroes.com/school.php The School for Heroes]].

* The hero's backstory in ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory'' is that he saw an ad for the "Famous Adventurers' Correspondence School" in his town and decided to take it. Persons who pass the course receive a [[SuperheroesWearCapes heroic cloak]] and tools related to their class (lockpick kit for a thief, sword, and shield for a fighter, magic spells for a wizard). You lose the cloak in later games, but the correspondence school is constantly brought up. You actually visit its headquarters in the final game: the guy who runs it is the ''only'' guy in the company, and he's forgotten his name, going by Famous Adventurer [[Tradesnark (TM)]] (Yes, the trade mark sign is part of his name). He's not at all surprised that the correspondence course works (after all, that's why he wrote those books), and he's actually pretty impressed with your heroic tales if you tell him about them. The Famous Adventurers' Correspondence School was actually {{Defictionaliz|ation}}ed by the series creators, launched as [[http://www.theschoolforheroes.com/school.php The School for Heroes]].

* The hero's backstory in ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory'' is that he saw an ad for the "Famous Adventurers' Correspondence School" in his town and decided to take it. Persons who pass the course receive a [[SuperheroesWearCapes heroic cloak]] and tools related to their class (lockpick kit for a thief, sword, and shield for a fighter, magic spells for a wizard). You lose the cloak in later games, but the correspondence school is constantly brought up. You actually visit its headquarters in the final game: the guy who runs it is the ''only'' guy in the company, and he's forgotten his name, going by Famous Adventurer. He's not at all surprised that the correspondence course works (after all, that's why he wrote those books), and he's actually pretty impressed with your heroic tales if you tell him about them. The Famous Adventurers' Correspondence School was actually {{Defictionaliz|ation}}ed by the series creators, launched as [[http://www.theschoolforheroes.com/school.php The School for Heroes]].

* In the ''VideoGame/RivalSchools'' games, the nameless class rep learned [[VideoGame/StreetFighter Dan]] [[JokeCharacter Hibiki's]] infamous Saikyo style through correspondence courses.

* 2020's Covid pandemic forced a lot of schools to switch to virtual classrooms.

* These obviously exist in real life, although the choice of lessons tend to be a lot less colorful here. Famous distance schools include the Art Instruction School (see below) and the {{Charles Atlas|Superpower}} exercise routine. Nowadays, a lot of them are available online. Chances are this page's ads are of them.