22 June 2011
Full rewards for part-time students
Photo opportunity: 9.30am in City Square, Dundee. Four of the students graduating from the part-time evening MA Arts & Social Sciences programme will be together for pics ahead of their graduation ceremony.
Commitment and time-management skills are two of the attributes students need, a fact epitomised by one group of University of Dundee graduands.
Five students will this Wednesday graduate from the part-time evening MA Arts & Social Sciences degree programme having spent between 6-9 years undertaking modules and acquiring the credits required to obtain a degree.
Many of the students who choose to study on a part-time basis do so because they want to obtain a degree but are not able to give up work, whilst others are busy with their family or other commitments. The flexible programme allows them to fit study around their life and accumulate modules at a pace that suits them.
Kaye Stevenson, Director of Part-Time MA Evening Programme at the University’s College of Arts and Social Sciences said the sense of achievement these students took from graduating was well deserved.
'The part-time evening degree requires a great deal of commitment and students are often juggling full time jobs, child care etc at
the same time,' she said. 'The sense of achievement for them on graduation is amazing.
'The College has a long and successful history of providing a more flexible approach to study and this helps mature students and students who wish to study on a part-time basis. Many students join our programme by simply taking a one-off module in a subject they are interested in, then become 'hooked' and progress to completion of their degree and often go on to Masters and even PhD programmes.
'I'd like to congratulate all this year's graduates - they really have done very well and should be proud of themselves. It’s not easy to make yourself go to class or study after a hard day’s work but they've done it.'
Four of this year's cohort will be graduating ceremony this week while a fifth member, Anne Ferme, will graduate In Absentia. The graduands will be joined by family and friends at the ceremony, which takes place at the Caird Hall at 10am on Wednesday, 22nd July.
Newport man Andrew Hynd (47), an MOD Civil Servant at RAF Leuchars, not only had to balance his studies with full time employment, but also became a father three times in the six years he has been earning credits.
'Having three children, and also moving house twice means it’s been pretty hectic but it’s been fun as well and I’ve had a great time studying for the first time since school. The course is flexible and the tutors are really helpful, which helps a lot,' he said.
'I decided to do this for personal improvement and because I had always been interested in reading about history. I had originally been interested in Scottish history but the range of modules meant this rapidly expanded into other areas and I’m definitely looking to pick up the reins and do something in the future.'
Derek Colley (53) said he was delighted to be graduating after six years of study in addition to his day job working in the finance department of NHS Tayside.
'Both sons were at university and I started to think how I would like to do the same,' explained Derek, who lives in Alyth. 'As I didn’t have a degree and wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I couldn’t afford to take time off work but when I realised I could do this outwith my working time I decided to go for it.'
Susan Simpson (62), a retired agricultural bookkeeper from Arbroath, said she hadn’t intended to study for a degree but had just taken modules for her own enjoyment.
'For the first three years I was doing the odd module but I got into the rhythm of studying and, six years ago I decided I wanted to do a degree and really picked up the pace. I’m passionate about the idea of lifelong learning, and I want to keep going and do more modules.
'This has been a great experience for me and helped me personally. When I retired two years ago I might have experienced a bigger shock at suddenly not working but the fact I was studying helped me over the transitional period.'
Camilla Grannum, originally from London and now living in Dundee is another graduand who is considering further part-time study. The 44-year-old University of Dundee employee said she already has a degree in information systems management but had always been interested in the arts and this is what led her to take on the part-time evening programme.
'I relished the opportunity to study and it was particularly interesting for me to learn more about Scotland and Scottish history,' she said. “It is challenging to fit everything in when you’re working full time as well, but it’s really a question of time management.'
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