What time commitment do I need to make?
Please bear in mind that the programme demands a significant time commitment, and give serious thought to how you would integrate your study with the rest of your working and personal life before applying. Many courses offer optional real-time tutorials, and all are designed to be undertaken alongside fellow students: many current and former students have told us that the activities and group work are essential to making the most of their study experience. As a rough guide, a 20-credit course would require a time commitment of about 16-17 hours a week, with more being likely around the time of assignment completion. The initial core course is a 40-credit course, and thus you should be thinking nearer 30 hours a week. Having said this, the programme is delivered entirely online and, for this reason, is more flexible than conventionally delivered programmes. It is also designed to mesh meaningfully with the work you are doing as a professional in the field.
Can I study full time while I am working?
No. All of our students are studying with us part-time. Advantages to studying part-time include: having more time to become fully engaged with the community surrounding the programme; having a more managed and flexible passage through the elective courses of the programme; being able to conduct the dissertation research project over a longer time period.
How long will it take?
This is a part-time programme, and students will find that the programme is designed in such a way that you can plan your study around your work and other commitments. We anticipate most participants will take one course per semester, though you may take two per semester if you wish (remembering that ‘Foundations’ is double the load of other courses). You can also break your study and skip a semester if you need to (unless you are on a 3-year pathway). Minimum and maximum times for completion of the programme are as follows:
- MSc: 24-72 months
- PGDip: 18-48 months
- PGCert: 12-24 months
- Part-time MSc: 36 months