Distance Education

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Highlander

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I've been thinking for some time now about going back to collage to persue an additional qualification. For various personal reasons, I can't really tie myself down attending a particular collage/university at the moment. And so the option studying via distance learning/distance education seems the only option open to me for now.

I have been searching on the internet for an Irish University/Collage which facilitates distance education, but the only one I find is Oscail from DCU, but none of the courses are really what I'm looking for. I'm a little reluctant to go down the open university route.

To give a little background, I have an Engineering Degree (grad 2003) and am currently employed in the manufacturing sector. I am interested in persuing either a business or postgrad engineering field (preferrably business).

I would appreciate it if anybody could let me know of any institution which does facilitate distance education.....that is if they even exist!!!!

Thanks.
 
I would highly recommend the Open University, Ireland.

I completed my Degree in Philosophy last year and I am continuing to study, starting a degree in Physics this year. The organisation in the OU is first class and their teaching method excellent.

I couldnt compliment them any higher.
 
I heard that the Open University business courses were highly regarded. Does anyone have any experience of them, particularly their MBA.

Are there any other distance learning MBAs available, and how difficult are they to enroll in?
 
Maynooth and WIT, if you look on any of the university websites and search under adult education or return to education, there are usually more flexible options for courses. Some colleges provide courses at night or a few days a month depending on your particular interest.
This website is good: http://www.nightcourses.com
If you post more details on what your specific interest and location is, it would be easier to offer some suggestions. Best of luck with it.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys.

To reply to Enaja's query, I'd be interested in doing a diploma or possibly degree in a business subject. Something that would include some accounting (management and financial) and some management courses. I have a certain amount of these types of subjects covered as part of my primary Engineering degree, but I would like to do something more indepth with them.

I've had a look at most of the collages/universities websites, but all most of them seem to offer in terms of adult education are part time courses, i.e. you have to attend for a few hours each week. I'm currently based in Galway, but will probably be moving within the next year to 18 months, and so can't commit to doing a course locally. I would like to get started asap, but the only way I can really do that is through distance education and home study, following the model of the open university.

I had hoped that maybe some of the irish collages/universities might provide some distance education courses in that area, but none of them seem to. I wouldn't mind travelling if it was only for a couple of days per term/semester. I have done some fairly extensive searching and it hasn't turned up anything I'm afraid.
 
I had the same problem looking for a distance programme. I ended up doing a Masters Degree through Middlesex University. They have a Work Based Learning Dept. You can tailor the course to your needs with agreement from the University. All the work is done by distance, using e-mail, internet, post etc. There are optional on site courses.

I even did my oral presentation of the thesis over the phone with the examiners on a speaker phone at the other end, looking at my e-mailed powerpoint presentation.

All the info is available on the Middlesex University website. Good luck.
 
I have no experience of the MBA with OU but I've done a degree by distance with an Irish organisation and I've also been studying with the OU for a couple of years for a second degree. In addition, I've done computer courses and all sorts of incidental exams/courses with distance education providers. I'd just like to add my praise to Steve's for the OU. They are top notch. There is NO comparison between them and any other distance education provider that I've worked with. The quality of the course work is far better than any competitors (such as there are) and the level of service/student support is really well thought out.

Good luck whatever way you go!
Rebecca
 
Hi there, I am doing a distance learning MBA with Henley Management College in the UK, I am very happy with its flexibility. Have a look at their website and if you are interested I can put you in touch with the admin dept, I know that in some specific periods of the year they have special offers for students. Good luck
 
I did a four year degree with them a few years ago. The quality of the notes weren't bad but you still had to buy text books and other than tutiorals, the quality of the back-up for distance students was poor. The degree you get is the same as those from an IT (HETAC?).

Most of the students were government employed in one way or another and money never seemed to be an object and I always felt that the college took advantage of this and felt it keenly as I paid my own way. In fact, at coffee breaks on weekend tutorials, students often sat around comparing perks and I always think it interesting that the Credit Union staff outstripped everyone when it came to expenses, bonus on completion, not having to repay if you failed, newspaper allowances etc. etc.

They are infinitely inferior to Open University IMHO in terms of course quality, tutorial quality, quality of course materials, student support, value for money. On the other hand they are Irish and specialise in part-time or distance so they do have a thorough knowledge of what is involved (as opposed to a regular college doing a distance degree as a sideline).

Has anyone studied with Oscail? Their course range is very limited but I wonder about the other aspects.

Rebecca
 
I am also thinking of pursuing a degree with the OU. Did any of you who have studied with them have any negative experiences? Where did you sit your exams? Did you have much contact with your tutor outside of tutorials? I'm in rural Ireland so probably wouldn't be able to attend many of them.
 
Hi Aquila

My experiences weren't negative so hopefully someone else can give you a some other feedback to give a bit of balance.

What I do know is that the drop-out rate is high with distance education, even the OU. You do need to be motivated and even me, a dedicated distance learner for almost 10 years, nearly dropped out last year where I was finding it very difficult to muster the motivation to keep going with a course that I wasn't as interested in as I had expected. People who complete courses do very well though.

I'm in rural Ireland too. I'm in the midlands, which makes going to tutorials not as difficult as other parts of the country. The first year I had tutorials in Galway and went to every one of them and the second year they were in Dublin and I skipped half of them. I don't think it made a big difference TBH. Between course materials, the internet (with chatrooms/boards to talk to other students of the same course), your tutor on the other end of the phone, tutorials are really only icing on the cake. The OU build the courses knowing that a fair no of students won't get to them.

Tutor quality varies as it does everywhere but I know people who requested a change of tutor and were granted them no probs. I preferred my tutor the first year over the second but you'll have that kind of thing. Both were fairly amenable to extensions for assignment hand-ins but their hands are tied by HQ to a certain extent. I'm a fairly independent learner so wouldn't contact a tutor all that often, but you have their mobile numbers, email etc and some people are in contact with them pretty much nightly and there is no problem with that. The residential schools are outstanding and a great experience; I couldn't recommend them highly enough.

I'm just pure disgusted with myself for taking a year off this year cos I really miss it :(

Rebecca
 
Have also taken elearning post-grad courses with an English university and had to say it was excellent. They had an email discussion list where you could ask Qs of other students and they had superb resources on the web. The English unis are way ahead of us on this.
 
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