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In the fall of 2005, I began a Masters of Science though Staffordshire University's Distance Learning program, which is based in Staffordshire, England. The program I'm taking is Sustainability and the Environment, with a focus on Pollution Management. It's aimed at mid-career professionals who want to complete a master's program while remaining at work. The coursework consists of 8 modules over 2 years plus a dissertation. My fellow students are from all around the globe and work in various fields of environmental management. We interact with each other and the instructors through an online learning system that allows for discussions, a virtual classroom, and digital drop box for completed assignments.
I chose this route because I did not want to give up my job to go back to school. I have a bachelor's of Environmental Science from University of Northern British Columbia and have been working in the environmental sector since graduating in 1998. My work experience has ranged from climate change and energy efficiency, to sustainable design, community-based environmental monitoring, to taking an ecosystems approach to fisheries management.
I had been considering a masters for years but did not want to be a starving student again, and I was worried that I didn't have a thesis topic in mind. But I knew that furthering my schooling would be advantageous to advance my career - many of my colleagues have graduate degrees and I wanted to remain competitive and seek future opportunities. Though my work experience has been invaluable, it was time to take the next step. My employer agreed, and has supported me by reimbursing part of my tuition and allowing time for me to complete the on-campus requirements, which are 5-10 days per year.
Though I've just begun, studying for a degree while working full time is a major challenge. It's hard to focus on work five days a week and devote evenings and weekends to completing readings and assignments. It definitely requires discipline and motivation. I also really miss an important aspect university life that involves actually getting together with other students and faculty to discuss coursework, so it can sometimes feel very isolated. However, I really enjoyed my first course, which examined urban wastewater treatment management, especially the component that focused on wastewater treatment for less developed communities. The nice thing about this program is that it addresses "real life" applications, and I can bring that knowledge to further develop my career.
It's still early days so I've not chosen a dissertation topic. My employer is requesting that it be relevant to our organisation. Working for a municipality, there are lots of interesting issues surrounding air, land and water in the community, so I am looking forward to exploring the options.
I would recommend a distance learning program to someone who does not want to quit their day job. There are a few in Canada, like Royal Roads University, or Athabasca University. I chose Staffordshire because the program really appealed to me as it is more operations-based rather than the more nebulous environmental management programs that I looked at.
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