Open Learning MSc in Economic Management and Policy at the University of Strathclyde

 
Learning Experience: the student view
  • From a student who completed the MSc EMP Programme by Open Learning in September 2010, Alfred Bogonovo:

    " For some time I had been looking to complete a Masters Degree in Economics, but due to my work commitments I was not able to enroll in a full-time programme. I could not find a part-time programme with a local university in Vancouver, Canada, where I was living at the time.

    I started looking for online programmes, but was reluctant to enroll with an institution that offered only distance education programmes as I wanted to study with a university with a history of delivering “resident” programmes due to the superior reputation. I came across University of Strathclyde’s MSc EMP programme shortly before it became operational and, hence, joined the first cohort of students. I was impressed from the beginning with the high quality of the course materials and the high level of interaction with the tutors. In spite of my initial concerns, I came to realize that the online forums offered a superior form of interaction than that offered by traditional residential programs. The ability to review the posts of other students and tutors allowed us to progress fairly quickly through the concepts, but with a degree of flexibility we would not have achieved through a weekly lecture.

    This flexibility became critical as my work commitments led me to travel regularly. With a residential programme, I would have been forced to delay several courses and, eventually, abandon the programme as I relocated from Canada to Australia before completing my studies.

    I also enjoyed the diversity of the electives offered, which enabled me to build a programme suited to my interests".

  • From a student who completed the MSc EMP Programme by Open Learning in September 2010, but who wishes to remain anonymous:

    " When I was looking for a Masters program in Economic Policy from a very reputable University that would satisfy my intellectual curiosity and fit within a schedule of a busy senior government official and a mother of four, I zeroed in on MSc EMP at the University of Strathclyde.   The course covers a broad range of policy issues  for any private or public policy maker in a developed or developing economy who would find it invaluable for their career advancement. It is taught by Professors who are leading authorities in the subjects and I found them incredibly responsive to student’s queries.  Its inbuilt flexibility makes it most adaptable and suitable  for both the busy professional who needs to fit it in their 12-plus hour- a- day schedule, and those with more time on their hands that need to get it over and done within a couple of months.  The delivery mechanism is amazing! Thanks to the interactive Discussion Forum which provides an excellent avenue for intellectual debates on a broad range of emerging policy issues as well as a platform for social networking. The  Open Forum is an opportunity for students and faculty  to share interesting articles, books and events in their professional and personal lives and this makes the course as close to “face to face” learning as it can get.  The only difference is that I never had to leave my job or my family to do it. If you thought  that you could not have your cake and eat it, the MSc in Economic Management & Policy by distance learning at University of Strathclyde may prove you wrong! "

    Other student feedback comments:

  • "Online education adds a lot to the experience of distance learning. In fact, it is closer to actual classroom learning, and for mature and working students, perhaps has some advantages. Unlike most distance learning, much of it is not self-paced, and there are deadlines and interactions with other students and tutors that add to the experience. There are many e-learning guides out there, but the key is time management."

  • "My experience has generally been positive, although I fell behind on a couple of courses. Unlike other e-learning that I have experienced before, EMP requires a block of dedicated time. Instead of 5-7 sessions of 2-3 hours each, it requires 2-3 sessions of 5-7 hours each, in order to develop the concentration and concept-forming required for theoretical areas. Without the right conceptual framework, the rest becomes a struggle, so allocate time accordingly."

  • "Sometimes, it does, and sometimes not. In my opinion, a lot depends on the tutor. Keyboard-friendly tutors egg the conversation on, picking points and asking pointed questions."

  • "Overall an excellent and challenging course."

  • "Learning principally takes place across the moodle extranet site where all of the relevant course materials and references to further reading are given. Moodle is more interactive than I first imagined - the use of discussion forums and exercise forums generally work very well as students work through courses at broadly the same rates. There is also a high level of tutor support with questions being addressed promptly."

  • "Use of forums vary between modules, with some modules using them quite intensively and some to a lesser extent. They generally work very well as a learning tool as long as students are working at approximately the same rate - which is usually the case."

  • "The course is generally pretty challenging - but the degree of hardness varies between courses - largely depending on your previous knowledge."

  • "If you are interested in economics you will find the course very interesting and stimulating!"

  • "I found many skills and knowledge learnt in modules useful in my day to day job."

  • "I guess this will vary between individuals but I generally find that between 10 to 15 hours per week is adequate"

  • "You obviously do not get the same face to face people contact, nevertheless, the use of discussion forums and skype for conference calls in group assignments helps to increase the interactive side of the course."

  • "To date, I have found the program to be as equally rewarding as it was challenging. I have re-acquainted myself with old concepts, and learnt many new ones. My overall comment on the course level is that it is far superior to anything I have studied in the past (including a Masters in Accounting)."

  • "A lot of learning does take place through the Moodle pages, but with the exception of the data analysis course, I have found the lesson notes to be only a small portion of the learning content."

  • "Researching and responding to online questions/discussion forums, and researching/writing assignment questions is where I felt most of the learning took place."


  • "It is challenging to participate in Discussion forums which relate to different lessons, especially those you have already completed."

  • "I did find it quite hard. Because of the advanced level of the course, standard economics textbooks won't be much help. There really is no shortcut to doing a decent amount of research on any given question/assignment. Managing your time is a real issue as you can spend all your evenings researching and participating in discussion forums, and before you know it you only have a couple of weeks before the first assignment is due! These challenges are what make the course a stimulating experience I believe. You get a real sense of accomplishment when submitting an essay or completing a lesson."

  • "In the short term it has provided me some tools to better understand economic policy discussions I have an interest in."

  • "In the long term I expect the MsC EMP will be a critical asset in my career advancement."

  • "It does take at least 10 hours a week, and I spent closer to 20 on courses which required significant research for both tutorial questions and assignments."

  • "In attendance programs have the benefit of face-to-face contact with professors, even though I thought the recordings of lectures provided in one of the courses was a close substitute."

  • "I think it is a superior form of learning as conventional exams can lead to focus on memorization of concepts/definitions just for the exam."

  • "Also, with the amount of travelling I have been doing in the last 18 months, I doubt I would have been successful in a convetional attendance programme. In fact, I know some colleagues enrolled in an online programe which didn't offer the flexibility I experienced during this programme."
© University of Strathclyde 2002 - 2013
Last updated: 21 May, 2013