Degree Vocational Education Program.

A course of study that leads to an associate in applied science degree or an associate in science degree. A degree vocational education program may contain within it one or more occupational completion points and may lead to certificates or diplomas within the course of study. The term is interchangeable with the term "degree career education program."

Demand occupation.
An occupation expected to employ increasing numbers of people in the local area.

Distance education.
Involves the physical separation of teacher and student. Students and teachers communicate with each other by such means as correspondence courses, audiotapes, computer links, cable television broadcasts and/or satellite hook-ups.

Doctorate.
A degree ranking above the Masters degree and normally awarded after two or three years of study, even though most students need more time to finish; the average for many is four to five years. The most common Doctorate is the PhD.

DoE. United States Department of Education.
A particular sub-department deals with career education.

DoL. United States Department of Labor.
The Department of Labor fosters and promotes the welfare of the job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States by improving their working conditions; advancing their opportunities for profitable employment; protecting their retirement and health care benefits; helping employers find workers; strengthening free collective bargaining; and tracking changes in employment, prices, and other national economic measurements. In carrying out this mission, the Department administers a variety of federal labor laws including those that guarantee workers’ rights to safe and healthful working conditions; a minimum hourly wage and overtime pay; freedom from employment discrimination; unemployment insurance; and other income support.

DOT. Dictionary of Occupational Titles.
A U.S. Department of Labor publication which defines about 20,000 occupations. Designed as a job placement tool to facilitate matching job requirements and work skills, the DOT uses interrelationships between job tasks and requirements to group occupations. The DOT has been replaced by the O*Net as the nation’s primary source of occupational information.

Dislocated worker.
Someone who has been laid off from his or her job or whose job has been eliminated.