Students feel benefits of an online MBA – even before graduation

Finding time to study is tough but four distance learners are finding it worthwhile

woman using laptop with dog watching
Online forums help students to interact outside of the classroom Credit: Photo: Alamy

For ambitious executives looking to make the next step in their career, an additional qualification can seem like a good move. And with an ever-growing number of courses available via distance learning, their goal is now closer than ever.

Most business schools offer a range of courses online, from the classic MBA to more specialised masters' programmes in fields including marketing, finance and HR. While some involve the option of a face-to-face segment of the course, many can be completed without the need to physically attend the university at all.

But for those considering this option there are several key questions. What does distance learning involve? How do the courses differ from those taken face-to-face? Can it fit in with a busy, and sometimes unpredictable, working life? And, crucially, is it worth it?

For Travis Callaway, the answer to that last question is unequivocally yes. Callaway, who graduated last year, took the global MBA at Durham University while working in sports advertising in his native Canada. And already he has seen the effects. "I've been given more responsibility and a pay bump, and had I not taken the course there's no way that would have happened," he says.

And he is not alone. Research from the Forte Foundation published last year suggests that MBA students can expect an average pay increase of 35-45 per cent on graduation, rising to 55-65 per cent five years later. Callaway, 29, has been working in sports advertising since completing his first degree at 21. But although he had been promoted several times, he thought an MBA would give his career the boost he was looking for. "Career progression was the main factor for me, and it's always good to get new skills," he says. He also saw it as a possible springboard for moving into a career in finance.

While the Durham course is designed to take three years, Callaway did it in two-and-a-half, graduating with distinction. But he admits it was tough finding time to fit in all the study required. After a typical day in the office from 7.30am to 4.30pm, he spent the next three to four hours studying before going home. "It is a lot of work," he says. "You have to get really good at turning down offers for social engagements."

Motivations behind taking an MBA or other executive qualification vary widely, says Nigel Pye, assistant dean for the executive masters' programmes at Warwick Business School. "Some people are looking to get into the C-suite [the most senior executive roles], some are looking to get out of the niche area they're in and get a broader understanding of business, some are entrepreneurs who want to know how to run their own business and some are just looking for a complete career change," he says.

But while distance learners have those in common with full-time students, a key difference is they tend to be older and more experienced. At Warwick, where five MBA programmes and MScs in HR and finance are available via distance learning, the average distance learner is 36 with 12 years' work experience behind them. That experience can be an advantage on an executive masters' programme, says Nick Greer, director of studies for the MSc in human resource management at the University of Liverpool's management school."We have a very collaborative learning model, where they learn from each other as much as they learn from the instructors," he says. "Having a diverse group of students with a range of backgrounds makes for a very rich experience."

Online learning does present particular challenges to this, however. Unlike face-to-face courses, students cannot discuss topics in class or even get together afterwards in the cafeteria. Like many universities, Liverpool addresses this through an online discussion forum, where students are encouraged to raise points and ask questions of their peers. "It is a 24-hour classroom and people post at all times of the day and night," says Greer. "Most people are working professionals and have other commitments, so they go on when it suits them."

Students gather for the traditional face-to-face lecture

Students at a traditional lecture (AFP/Fred Dufour)

The course material itself is usually delivered in a way that it can be absorbed at any time. Durham University Business School provides its students with video lectures, reading materials and activities linked to that week's learning, says Sue Boyd, programme director for the part-time masters' programme. Business school staff keep an eye on the online forums. "We keep the week's discussion going so if someone wanted to comment later they could do that," Boyd says. "And if they haven't had a chance to comment they can at least go back and look at the discussion."

Durham also offers live webinars for each module, with the dates and times sent out well in advance to make it easier for students to fit them in. "It is an opportunity for them to have direct time with the module leader," adds Boyd.

The recommended study time varies between universities. At Durham, Boyd estimates students spend around 10 to 12 hours a week, while at Liverpool Greer reckons it is 10 to 20 hours. Warwick recommends 15 hours a week, adds Pye. Even if this sounds manageable, juggling it around a full-time job, let alone a family life, can be tricky. Sam Atkinson's job in the health care industry means she is frequently travelling and has to fit in her studies when she can. "If I'm abroad I can't do very much, so if I'm at home I do more," she says. "Normally I do two or three evenings and then one day at the weekend."

Atkinson, 38, has just finished the first semester of an MBA at Warwick that she hopes will add new skills to her CV. "There were a number of skills I felt I could get from an MBA, such as accountancy and financial management, and it is filling those gaps," she says. "It helps with what I'm doing now but equally it gives me skills for the future."

But while working and studying simultaneously is a challenge, there are also advantages. "I'm already applying things I've learned in my day-to-day role, everything from discussions with the finance department through to training with the management team," says Atkinson. "There are significant benefits to doing it at the same time because you can apply it straight away."

Taking a distance learning course can mean coming up with ingenious ways to fit in the studying. Gaurav Tiwari starts his journey for work going in the wrong direction, so he can get a seat on the train and study. It makes the commute 10 minutes longer each way, but that's 20 minutes extra study time a day. "It is quite challenging and you may have to give up other interests, but it is not all your life – it is just for a couple of years," he says.

Tiwari, 38, works as a product manager and has just finished his first year of an MBA at Warwick that he hopes will broaden his skill base. "If you're going to develop a new product you have to look at it from all different angles," he says. "You need to know the legal side, the marketing, how it affects your competitors. I wanted to broaden my thinking and broaden my horizons."

Like Atkinson says the best thing about distance learning is being able to put it into practice straight away, even down to using new language. "It teaches you to think much wider and gives you a more holistic view," he adds.

As well as fitting in studying when they can, learning online also requires different skills from students than face-to-face learning, says Jonathan Muir, director of studies for distance learning at Bradford University School of Management. "There is an element of being reliant on your own initiative," he says.

Learning online can be isolating, but Bradford's live sessions give students the opportunity to see and speak to each other, wherever they are in the world. The course also involves group assignments to encourage students to work together. "One of the things the students love is the online forums and discussion," says Muir. "A lot of students attend and get a lot out them."

But for many students the isolation and the hard-work will be worth it if it helps take their career in the desired direction. John Oldham graduated with an MA in management from Durham at the beginning of the year. When he started the course he was working in private practice; he is still a lawyer, but now working in the City. "I was looking for something that was going to give me a couple of different options and experience in different areas of business," he says. "I got a much better understanding of how organisations work and it has greatly increased my ability to analyse figures."

Oldham, 36, says these new skills not only helped him land his new role, they also made the transition from private practice much easier. "The experience I had doing the course enabled me to learn much quicker on the job and gave me the ability to move to more management-focused roles," he says. "It is hard work but it is very much what you make of it."