The University of Sussex announced today it has now welcomed the 1,000^th student onto its Online Distance Learning portfolio.

Launched in 2018, the new 100% online courses were seen as a major investment into flexible, online learning with the University delivering a growing number of postgraduate qualifications online.

Since then, the portfolio has flourished, with a growing number of online courses welcoming hundreds of students, with the 1,000^th student marking a significant milestone in the University’s online provision.

Mellow Sadik, the University’s Online Distance Learning Manager, said:

“We’re really proud to be welcoming our 1,000^th distance learning student this July. When we launched our first 100% online course less than 3 years ago, I had no idea we’d reach this meaningful milestone so quickly!

“This has all been possible through working as one university, and in close collaboration with our distance learning partner. With everything we do, we’re walking the talk and living the values of the Sussex 2025 strategy. My thanks to everyone involved, and here’s to welcoming the next 1,000 students!”

Globally, it is a growing trend, with online learning the quickest growing market in the global education industry, growing 900% since the year 2000. In the UK this has also been matched by a demand for reskilling and learning while at work, aiming to meet the demands of evolving labour markets.

For the University, this is evident in those who have enrolled on to the courses, with the majority of students working professionals -- many with caring responsibilities. Which is why the delivery model has been designed to be part-time over a minimum of two years, allowing students to fit their studies around their lives.

One of those students, Walusungu Lulukile Ngulube from South Sudan, began studying for an MSc in Sustainable Development in 2019. She said:

“One of the biggest lessons l have learnt this past year is that education does not have to be limited to a four-corner room with a lecturer standing in front of you. Schools closing during the covid-19 pandemic has proved that education can take place anywhere, in your home, outside seating in your garden and mostly online. The power to learn should not be limited to where it happens, but how it happens.

“I am currently working full time, planning for my wedding, and studying! Imagine juggling all three, among all my other commitments.

“The master’s program requires that we spend at least 20 hours studying each week. One thing l have learnt to do is to allow myself a lot of grace and flexibility. Balance is everything.”

Another student, Michelle Kwarma from Mexico, is studying for the MA in Corruption and Governance. She said:

“I chose the University of Sussex because it had the course that interested me the most, a flexible mode of learning, and it provided me with a student success advisor who would accompany me throughout my studies.

“I come from a country where there are high levels of corruption, so it is an issue that has always interested me.

“However, I chose this course because I thought I had a lot to learn from the Centre for the Study of Corruption and because it approaches the subject from an interdisciplinary perspective that focuses on three fundamental questions: what is corruption, what causes it, and what should be done to combat it?”

The connection with Sussex’s world-leading academic experts is a key reason why students choose Sussex, and this philosophy underpins the design of the list of diverse online degrees.

Sussex’s distance learning portfolio launched in September 2018 with an MSc in International Marketing. More courses soon followed including an MSc in Energy Policy and a Sustainable Development MSc.

There are now nine courses covering a wide-range of areas – all with the continued emphasis on interdisciplinarity -- something which underlines the Sussex experience across the University, whether that is through campus-based learning or online.

Teaching is delivered by academics and practitioners, giving students access to a dedicated support network. The quality of the teaching and learning is exactly the same as for a degree resulting from on campus study - and students get the same academic award at the end of their studies. In short, students experience the same academic rigour and teaching recognised world-wide for its excellence, from anywhere in the world.

The unique learning aspect is further underlined by the format of the courses. Typically, Masters courses are comprised of 12 core modules with each one taught over a seven-week period, followed by a minimum one week break before the next module starts. Modules are grouped into three ‘carousels’ which spin around, enabling students to join the course every two months. This also means if students need to take a break from their studies at any time, they can simply ‘step-off’ the course and rejoin once they have the time to concentrate on their studies again, subject to the maximum study period.

If students would like to read more about this flexible mode of learning, then please visit the University of Sussex Online Learning prospectus page for more information. Both current students and alumni qualify for a 20% discount.

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