In the distance mode

Updated on: Monday, August 09, 2010

Growing absenteeism in colleges and universities has put distance education into the limelight and consequently opened up a plethora of options for the student community. With more and more youngsters opting to set their own pace for their education and with the range of specialisations on offer, it is possible for you to take a programme of your choice in the comfort of your home or your office. Says topgraduate.com author James Donald, “Now, with the growth of technology in communications, students can feel much more involved, no matter where they live.’’ In fact Distance learning (DL) has moved from a purely correspondence type of teaching without any face-to-face contact to open distance learning, where students have access to all media and are guided by self-help exercises

How does it work?
Distance learning students receive their study material either through the post, or online. They submit assignments through the post or email and receive them back marked. The institutions which offer these courses will have their own arrangements regarding admission to examinations.
So, this means that you could be sitting in Taiwan and pursuing your studies from a university in America. You could be doing anything from Business Studies to a degree in Horticulture. The options are endless. What you need is a computer and an Internet connection and you’re all
set to go!
Today, almost all universities all over the world offer online degrees, so the competition is fierce. Research has proved that if you earn your degree at with a quality, accredited, reputable programme, a job should not be too hard to find.

The offering
Distance learning is offered by a number of institutions. UNISA in South Africa is purely a distant learning institution, like the Open University in the UK and the Indira Gandhi National Open University in India. There is the option of studying for a degree from an international university or getting a transnational education that allows you to study for a degree from an international university at a campus in a different country – for instance the Australian university Monash has a campus in Malaysia and one in South Africa.
Apart from the above, The British Council offers various programmes as does Hughes Escorts Communication Limited (HECL). Even an institute like IIT Kharagpur has taken steps in providing technology education through the distance mode. Institutes like the Centre for Management Education and the All India Management Association (CME-AIMA) have been in this area much longer and their courseware is well accepted. Other players include The Alliance for Lifelong Learning, a non-profit distance-education company run by Stanford University, the University of Oxford, and Yale University Any takers?

Varsities with DL Programmes
Central Universities
1. Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi.
2. Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad.
3. University of Hyderabad.
4. North Eastern Hill University, Shillong.
5. Jamia Milia, Islamia, New Delhi.
6. Aligarh Muslim University.
7. University of Allahabad.
8. Pondicherry University.
9. University of Delhi.
Apart from these there are Deemed Universities, state varsities and state open universities.
The list is indicative

In the distance mode

More Education news