New courses in arts and social sciences for part time and distance learner students have been launched by the University of Aberdeen’s Centre for Lifelong Learning.
Thanks to the expansion of web based technology, lectures for the six new courses will be made available via the internet.
And evening tutorials can be attended via video conferencing at one of the University’s 40 regional study centres or via the web at home if students are not able to attend in person.
The Centre for Lifelong Learning - which has enjoyed a record 12 months with over 1,000 part-time undergraduate students completing their courses for this year - has introduced the new courses in response to demand.
Tom Birrell, Executive Officer, said: “We introduced part time web based learning two years ago with our flexible science courses which proved really popular.
“As we are often asked about introducing more arts and social sciences courses we decided to make these flexible too.
“Our new courses will give part time learners access to the same lectures and tutorials that our full time students attend.
“Having watched the lectures online at a time that best suits them, students can either come along in person to the evening tutorials at the University or they can join the classes remotely.”
The new courses being offered are British Politics; Controversial Classics; English Structure and Use; Introduction to Sociology, Religion at Ground Zero and What Makes Us Human?
Mr Birrell said: “Like our existing range of courses at the Centre for Lifelong Learning, I would expect our new options to be attractive to a number of different groups of people.
“There are those who want to change career. Perhaps they have always wanted to study English literature or sociology, but are currently doing something entirely different.
“We also get a lot of people who work in industry and who have never been to university.
“Many of our students are approaching retirement and want to study to keep their brains active.”
Assistance with fees may be available through fee waivers or Individual Learning Accounts. Over a third of our students currently receive help.
Mr Birrell added: “We are heading for The Mall Trinity shopping centre in Aberdeen this Thursday and Friday so anyone interested can come and get more information from staff at our stand between 9am and 6pm.”
For more information about the Centre for Lifelong Learning and its courses see: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/lifelonglearning/ or telephone our 24 hour contact number 01224 273528