The unexpected events of 2020 have caused a rise in demand to learn online. Coupled with an increase in remote working and less time spent commuting, there are new opportunities to pursue your professional interests and achieve your career goals.

Postgraduate study enables you to gain the skills and knowledge you need to take the next step in your career, as well as increasing your earning potential. A 2020 report by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) suggests that postgraduates earn an average of 18% more than first degree holders, just six months after graduation.

Although the benefits of distance learning are vast, some people question how they will combine working and studying at the same time. Here we explore five practical steps you can take to successfully balance your work and study commitments.

Choose a topic that interests you

It may seem like a basic requirement but choosing to study a topic that you are interested in really does enhance your motivation and drive to succeed. If you find a topic that you are passionate about you are more likely to set aside the time required to study – and enjoy it too.

In fact, research shows the power of interest in driving learning behaviours.

A seven-year-long study by Judith Harackiewicz of the University of Wisconsin found that college students’ interest in an introductory psychology course taken in their first year predicted how likely they were to enrol in future psychology courses – even more accurately than their grades. In general, writes Harackiewicz, “research has found that interest is a more powerful predictor of future choices than prior achievement or demographic variables”.

Plan your time

Organisation is the key to ensuring that you have the time to fit your study in around your existing work and personal commitments. Set aside time to study in advance and be realistic with what you can fit in and when – and plan in relaxation time too.

Self-discipline is a vital skill that you need to develop when embarking on a distance learning course. Online project management tools, such as Asana, Smartsheet and Microsoft OneNote are an excellent and often free way to manage and plan your time. Many of these tools feature customisable to-do lists, enabling you to put all your tasks in to a calendar with due dates and tick them off as you go.

At the University of Glasgow, we have specially adapted our programmes for an online audience, delivering learning in bite sized chunks to suit your schedule. You will also get breaks between courses and catch-up weeks mid-term to ensure you remain on track.

Study on the go

Make the most of any pockets of time in your schedule. Listen to a lecture on the way to work, on a run or in the bath. Short bursts here and there soon add up.

To enable you to make the most of your learning, the virtual learning environment has been built to be easy to use and can be accessed anytime on mobile, tablet and desktop devices.

Our online courses are designed to appeal to different ways of learning and communicating. Each programme utilises a multitude of resources, including recorded lectures, live seminars, video, e-books and quizzes to make your learning as varied and easy to digest as possible.

Some of these materials have been specially adapted into alternative formats, which you’ll be able to access in audio, video or transcript form, and even download them to review offline.

Link your study to your job

There is no better way to combine work and study than to link the two together. Many courses have research projects and dissertations which can be tailored to combine your work and study interests – potentially helping you to explore a work-related challenge at the same time as fulfilling your study commitments.

For example, after exploring theories of inclusion and inclusive policy, students studying our Online Education MSc are asked to analyse a practise that is familiar to them and to what extent it is inclusive.

You can also apply your learnings in your job as you progress through the course, enabling you to approach day to day tasks and projects in a more sophisticated and strategic way.

“I find that I regularly use my assignments as reference materials in my day-to-day work and I am more confident that my professional decisions are well informed. Since finishing the course I have continued to use my new knowledge in my role as a Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Specialist” says one of our Online MSc Global Mental Health graduates.

Our online programmes have been designed to provide students with an interactive and engaging online learning experience that is optimised to ensure that students can thrive.

If you are ready to take your career to the next level, the University of Glasgow offers a range of 100% online programmes that can help you to achieve your potential. For more information, please contact our admissions team by phone 0800 904 7258 (UK) or +44 (0)141 278 7247 (international).

Online postgraduate programmes

First published: 14 April 2021

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Online postgraduate programmes