Developing our distance learning provision

We are proud to announce that Birmingham has recently become the first European institution to partner with the US publishing giant Wiley, marking a step-change in the provision of distance and online learning in the UK.

This bold alliance underlines our pioneering approach to distance learning and marks a significant shift in the provision of new modes of education in the UK.  Together with the University’s partnership with the Canvas online learning platform – another UK first – we aim to revolutionise the distance learning experience for you, our students, whether you’re based on campus or are studying by distance learning.

For more than a century, Birmingham has been challenging and developing great minds. This alliance will ensure that we continue this tradition by extending access to our offering through exciting new modes of learning and teaching. 

Three new Masters programmes are being developed that will offer those seeking professional development the same quality learning experience and qualifications they would expect from a full-time course at the University of Birmingham, but with flexibility to learn online anywhere in the world.

The initial set of courses on offer will include a Masters in Public Administration and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) that will carry Birmingham Business School’s Triple Crown accreditation.

Wiley is one of the global market leaders at supporting higher education institutions to develop unparalleled distant learning programmes. Stephen Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wiley, said: “We are extremely excited about our relationship with the University of Birmingham. It is a tremendous opportunity to partner with a prestigious Russell Group institution and help expand its brand and programmes to new markets through high-quality distance learning experiences.”

Birmingham is already one of the largest providers of Distance and Blended learning programmes in the UK, offering a broad range of post-qualification teacher training (through the School of Education) and economic development (through the International Development Department), as well as an innovative distance learning PhD programme across all areas of Arts and Law. The Health Services Management Centre (HSMC) is a leading partner in an international consortium delivering national senior leadership programmes on behalf of the NHS. We were also one of the founding partners in the Future Learn platform.

The three new Masters programmes will launch in September 2015.