The Experience of Distance Learning at the Scarman Centre: The Realities and the Prospects

Abstract

A fast changing complex world requires not only educated people but a need for them to keep up with developments in their professional sphere. Successful people have identified a need to update their education at different stages of their career (Jarvis, 1993) and evidence suggests that advanced educational qualifications obtained from a respected academic institution greatly improve career prospects and earning power (Bear and Bear, 1995). Full-time Masters courses offered by the Scarman Centre for the Study of Public Order in the areas of public order - criminology; security management; and risk, crisis and disaster management - have attracted large numbers of professional people, from across the world, with precisely these sorts of aims. However, it became apparent through conversation with professionals encountered at conferences that there were many excellent candidates who wished to study at the advanced level but were unable to forsake their commitments and/or to move to Leicester for the duration of their studies. The solution was to offer a Masters programme via distance learning.