Is distance learning a good way to complete postgraduate study?

Source: Jo Draper from Wordsworth Reading, Added By:

Any method of study that offers flexibility to a wide range of people is a good thing. There are many people today who want to undertake postgraduate study but find it difficult because of work or family commitments. Distance learning offers such flexibility particularly to individuals who may otherwise be unable to complete postgraduate study.

There are many distance learning courses available in different branches of postgraduate education. A large number of universities in the United Kingdom offer distance learning courses to graduates from the UK and indeed the rest of the world. This type of study allows students of all age ranges to gain postgraduate qualifications from the comfort of their own home.

Why choose distance learning for postgraduate study?
Everybody has different circumstances and people’s lifestyle, work or family commitments may not permit them to attend an academic institution either full or part time to study. Distance learning offers a way to overcome these barriers. Before undertaking distance learning, be sure that you are committed to organising your own study and motivating yourself to complete it from a distance. This type of study is not for everybody. However, if you are a graduate who has already undertaken degree study, you will have more experience of organisation and motivation and are more likely to manage your study better from a distance. This may prove more difficult for first time students who often require the drive and motivation that attending an academic institution gives.

Although distance learning is not for everybody, there are a number of benefits that it can offer to postgraduate students including;
• The ability to study in your own time
• The flexibility to study from home
• The ability to continue working
• Flexibility to care for your family
• Flexibility to gain postgraduate qualifications that otherwise may be impossible due to attendance requirements
• A wide range of choice of which course to study
• Cost effectiveness as courses are often cheaper
• Few travel expenses

Of course for all these positives there are some negative aspects to undertaking distance learning postgraduate study and these should be taken into consideration before embarking on this type of study. If you are a person who requires face to face input from your tutor, then this is not the type of study for you. Other factors to consider are the lack of social interaction with other students and no feeling of camaraderie with others attending the same institution. Although in today’s society it is possible to get involved in online discussions and forums with other student’s undertaking the same study.

Accepting that distance learning is not the study method of choice for all, on balance for postgraduate students it offers an opportunity to gain qualifications that otherwise may be lost or just too difficult to access for this group of people. It affords a number of people the ability to gain qualifications whilst maintaining their busy lifestyle and the ability to work at their own pace.

Tags: Distance learning, part-time study, PhD, Masters

Comments

New Comment