Business mentor: Blended study the way to go to get that degree

Q. I'm keen to assess my MBA options. I'm not able to study full time as I have a business and 16 staff to look after, but I'd like to have it completed within a few years. Any thoughts?

* Patrick Merrick, regional director of Henley Management College, replies:

A. The most frequent question I used to get asked by small business managers was, what's the value of doing an MBA?

Times have changed and now the question is: which MBA should I do?

Studying full time is not an option for many and neither is attending classes two or three nights a week.

Distance learning is an option but often you struggle to complete your studies in isolation and, let's face it, it can be isolating enough running a small business.

But times have changed and distance learning is making way for blended learning.

Developments in IT, the growth of multi-media and personal tutoring and support mean the concept of distance learning has been transformed.

An MBA by blended learning normally takes about three years and suits those who are unable to commit to fixed periods of study or who are too remote or busy to attend a school.

One of the main advantages of blended-learning MBAs is the immediate integration of learning into the workplace.

The speed of developments in IT has contributed greatly not only to the rate of growth in blended learning MBAs but also their effectiveness.

Internet conferencing allows students to exchange views, access data bases, submit assignments and communicate with the faculty regardless of time zone and geographical location.

Most schools offering these programmes include a significant amount of face-to-face contact and personal support for students during the programme.

Most of the really good distance-learning MBA programmes include opportunities for students to participate in workshops, seminars, tutorials and residential weekends, to complement their individual study and to enhance their networking opportunities.

Hence the term blended learning.

No one finds this flexibility more attractive than the busy, mobile and isolated small business manager who cannot afford the luxury of regular commitment or extended time away from the office.

Blended study's benefits are:

* Flexibility - you can structure your learning experiences to meet personal needs and circumstances.

* Transportability - if your job involves travel, you can take the MBA programme with you.

* Because you are studying while you work, you can immediately integrate your studies with your work. In fact, many assignments and projects undertaken as part of blended-learning programmes require application to work.

* Participation in a blended-learning programme means employment is not interrupted by extended study leave.

* Distance-learning MBA programmes increasingly provide opportunities for networking between students at workshops, seminars and through internet, computer and video conferencing.

Against this, of course, there are some disadvantages.

* A blended-learning MBA programme can take longer than other methods of study - between three and four years.

* Despite provision of workshops, tutorials and seminars, there is less face-to-face contact.

* Geographical location may affect the level of support available - computer facilities may not be available and telecommunications links can be unreliable

* Given the success of some of the top blended-learning MBA programmes, many others have now sprung up. There can, therefore, be differences in the quality of materials, support - and indeed the programmes themselves.

It is important to select a programme that that fits your circumstances and suits your learning style.

If that is a blended programme make sure it is a recognised one.

A good place to look is The Economist magazine's ranking of MBAs "Which MBA" www.eiu.com.

Although these programmes are now mainstream - there may still be some who see them as the poor relations - so it might be a good idea to choose one from a school that also runs the more traditional type of programme.