Studying for higher degrees by distance learning is becoming more popular as universities increasingly put courses online. Pioneer in the field is the Open University, the UK’s only university dedicated to distance learning. Some 30,000 of its 180,000-plus students are postgraduates and 11,000 are studying for higher degrees.

It offers masters courses in everything from art history and music to computing and education. There are engineering degrees and courses in health and social care, the environment, business, international development studies, psychology and the social sciences.

The OU is the Rolls-Royce of distance learning. It prides itself in offering what it calls “supported open learning”. James Fleck, dean of the OU Business School, says: “We build in support so that students are educated into becoming independent learners. They are supported by tutors around the country and online support. In some cases there are weekly face-to-face tutorials and, in the case of the business school, intensive two to three-day residential courses.”

The OU is not typical of all distance learning providers. “There’s no doubt that there are some cheap and cheerful providers, offering courses that are more like correspondence courses,” says Professor Fleck. “And it can be isolating. Some distance learning programmes just consist of being sent a pack of tapes or DVDs.”

Students who want a campus experience, meeting up with friends and going down the pub, are unlikely to be attracted but distance learning could be ideal for people who want to study while continuing to work.

Liverpool University now offers eight part-time MScs and an MBA wholly online with its commercial partner Laureate Online Education. Some 3,500 students are enrolled, spending 15 to 20 hours a week studying. Up to 20 students work with a tutor, undertaking assignments and taking part in group discussions.

“One of the things the students like is that they have the opportunity to discuss the work with an international community of learners coming from more than 120 countries,” says Paul Leng, the university’s professor of e-learning. “The classes draw on the experience of students who are generally mature, in employment and have a lot to bring to the classes.”

London University’s constituent colleges offer around 30 distance learning masters degrees supported by tutors and online help. These range from poverty reduction policy and practice to the study of infectious diseases. Portsmouth University’s suite of distance learning masters degrees includes occupational hygiene and counter-corruption studies.

No time for a lecture

Dr Gino Martini, a senior director with GlaxoSmithKline, the pharmaceutical giant, is studying for an MBA with Liverpool University. Being an exceptionally busy man – he runs a scientific support group in the company’s Essex development laboratories and has a family – he cannot spare the time to attend lectures or summer schools.

So instead of becoming a full-time student, Martini, 39, opted for the university’s online MBA offered in conjunction with Laureate Online Education. He already has a BSc and a PhD in pharmacy but decided he needed a grounding in finance and marketing. “The pharmaceutical industry is evolving so quickly I felt I needed to understand better the forces that are shaping those changes.

“I spend a lot of time travelling around the world so what I needed was an MBA that was literally portable – one that I could do from anywhere in the world and be assessed continually. I particularly liked the fact that I can do everything remotely, so there is no need for me ever to go on campus.”

He is currently working on the degree’s first module – corporate strategy. This is proving valuable because GSK is currently rethinking its future direction. “The MBA may improve my career prospects,” he says, “but it will certainly give me the skills to be able to do my job much better.” Studying for a new outlook on life

Studying for a new outlook on life

Alkesh Shah, an IT manager with GlaxoSmithKline in Harlow, Essex, is doing an MBA with the Open University. The 45-year-old father of four, who left school at the age of 16, started studying for an OU certificate in management in 2006. After moving on to a diploma in management he is now studying for an MBA.

He thought initially that the course – paid for by the company – would help him to move up the career ladder. “But as my studies progressed I have found different reasons for continuing – a better understanding of what is going on. My outlook on life has changed quite a bit. It has given me new perspectives on the world.

“The quality of the OU material is very good. There are tutor-marked assignments and some assignments are collaborative. I am part of an online tutor group and attend a local student self-help group in Cambridge, which encourages people to keep going.

“There are also residential weekends when you work with students from other areas on case studies and assignments in a creative way. What I like about the degree is its flexibility – you can work at your own pace.”