How and where can you do a degree whilst working?

[posieparker]

My DH would like to do some sort of business/management degree. He is a director and manages sales, delegate and event staff. A friend of ours, in the police, recently did one with minimal hours, all correspondence and in a year or two. Any ideas?

Sorry, meant to add that he'd like to incorporate his work as part of his course.

Open University.

Birkbeck College, if you are in London. Or try your local university/colleges, they may have "executive" or adult modules.

Does OU do courses to run along side work?
I'll have a look at Bristol!

The OU offers a several business/management degrees

www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/business-and-management/index.htm

and I would have thought workplace knowledge would be helpful. The courses are all done in your "free" time and sometimes employers will give a contribution to the cost.

The OU website gives quite a comprehensive description of each course so your DH could see if its what he's looking for. (I haven't taken any of the business courses but I can't recommend the OU highly enough from what I've studied with them)

Organisations like the Chartered Institute of Personnel Devpt and the Institute of Leadership and Management offer accreditation of prior experience and learning. This can mean that people like your DH can get up to a level 5 qualification, without having to go back to school. Look atChartered Mgt Institute and Institute of Leadership & Mgt.

Not sure about business but I am working and doing my degree through London Met University. I have to attend uni 1 day and 1 evening per week and most of my degree stuff is mingled in with my work stuff.

There are a lot of options depending on what kind of degree your DH wants to do. All undergrad courses are under huge pressure with crazy applicant numbers at the moment. Outside of institutions (like Birkbeck) looking to serve the mature student segment, it can be hard to find BA courses to fit around work. OU courses are absolutely designed for 'mature' students and distance learning, which means they can fit in around work and I know someone who did one a few years ago and was very happy.

A bigger step is the MBA option. Does he have a BA degree already? Some master's programmes might take him without one, with sufficient and significant work experience.

UWE/Bristol Business School's degree and grad programmes are good and they have an 3 year exec MBA option. Are you close to Bath? They have a v good B-school too, and they do a part time (exec) MBA option too.

These courses are expensive as you will see and are designed to be undertaken with the support and cooperation of an employer. This is because they are delivering the usual MBA curriculum in lecture blocks. Bristol's I think involves 12 weeks (spread over three years) to attend intensive lectures. The rest of the coursework (prep/revision/papers/projects/dissertation) are undertaken in your own time. It can be done while you are in work but it's tough!

I'd also contact the Association of MBAs (AMBA) for information as they are the accrediting body and guarantee a basic level of quality. There are a number of dodgy courses out there promising degrees with very little work or involvement, but I'd steer clear of those.

He (and you) will face the reality that doing a course that is worth doing is going to be a significant committment for your whole family. It can be incredbly rewarding and really transform his career. But family and personal time disappears unless the employer is behind you and giving you some kind of break because they can see the benefit of investing in a key employee. (And if they will help with the fees, then even better.)

Good luck!

Brilliant information thanksxx