UK college introduces distance learning

The Canterbury Christ Church University College, UK, is planning to offer it courses in management and communications for Indian students and executives through distance learning.

The college has recently tied up with the Pune-based Training and Advanced Studies in Management and Communications (Tasmac) to avail of its infrastructure facilities for a study centre and an admissions office in India.

"With globalisation of education, more Indian students are choosing the UK as the most preferred destination for higher education. The distance learning programme will be aimed at Indian executives and students who cannot go to the UK to study," Susan Rhodes Molden, director, international office, Canterbury Christ Church University College, said. She was in Ahmedabad to conduct interviews for admissions.

The college offers undergraduate and post-graduate courses apart from a few doctoral courses in business, management, computing, bio-informatics, arts and media, journalism, music, hospitality, tourism and environmental management, health studies, sports studies, education and English teaching.

Students are normally required to have a minimum IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score of 6.0 or TOEFL (test of English as a foreign language) score of 213 for undergraduate study and IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 230 for postgraduate study.

Students without these scores may be accepted so long as they are from an English medium schooling background with more than 60 per cent in standard 10 and 12. The college also offers opportunities to improve language skills both before commencement and throughout the course of study.

For entry into an undergraduate programme, the college usually accepts a first class in standard 12 from one of the central boards, ICSE or CBSE.

For entry into a post-graduate programme, the college usually accepts an appropriate bachelors degree with a first class or relevant work experience and for MBA programme, the applicant must have two years of relevant and full-time work experience.

"During the selection procedure, the college takes a number of factors into account. Our main concern is that the student should benefit from and successfully complete the chosen course," said Martin Hyde, deputy director, international office of the college.