Professionally Accredited Home Study Courses

[MrSossidge]

My wife is a self employed Project Manager in Financial Services and is away from home 2-3 nights per week and whilst she is away she wants something to study.

She has just completed AAT level 2 and now wants to find something else to do on those nights.

She is BSc(Hons) educated and Prince2, MSP, Scrum Master accredited already.

I've suggest coding using some of the vast resources available online but that doesn't float her boat.

She's going to look at OU but she'd prefer something professionally accredited. She is going to look herself at MS Accreditation and ITIL.

Anyone any suggestions for something academic, non classroom based and modular. Cost isn't a major issue but shouldn't run into the 000s.

 

[BB3Lions]

Show her this:

www.howtoserveyourmanwhilstawayfromthehome.com

 

[BobBob21]

Is she IT or business?

There are plenty of FS courses if she wants to be more of an sme on the topic of her projects, alternatively continue in accountancy or if budget isn't an issue then distance exec MBAs (which aren't just for execs but are on tighter topics than a full MBA)

 

[McVicar]

Show her this:

www.howtoserveyourmanwhilstawayfromthehome.com

Link not working Pickering Senior

 

[MrSossidge]

Is she IT or business?

There are plenty of FS courses if she wants to be more of an sme on the topic of her projects, alternatively continue in accountancy or if budget isn't an issue then distance exec MBAs (which aren't just for execs but are on tighter topics than a full MBA)

She's business not IT.

Accountancy isn't something she wants to pursue, it was just a course that fit the criteria listed and she felt it would help her with her own accounts and bookkeeping.

Can you point me in the direction of some FS courses or exec MBAs you mention. I don't think she wants to follow a set path, just some useful courses that boost a CV. Although saying that, having managed Asset Sale, Anti-money laundering, Wire Transfer Regs and Divestment she could well be interest in following another SME. She also says there are plenty of IT PM roles out there, is there any course that she could look at to broaden her horizons into that field do you think.

We've pretty much ruled out OU.

 

[hippo99]

is away from home 2-3 nights per week and whilst she is away she wants something to study.

She has just completed AAT level 2 and now wants to find something else to do on those nights.

 

[MrSossidge]

She has an iPad with Candy Crush on it. She isn't interested in any other gaming console.

 

[BobBob21]

Accountancy isn't something she wants to pursue, it was just a course that fit the criteria listed and she felt it would help her with her own accounts and bookkeeping.

I would expect the accountancy to be for business case development, cost tracking, benefit tracking etc rather than doing her own accounts. A service company with 1-2 employees is simple to run -v- doing a 5 year NPV calculation for a product design change that will adjust your DAC calculations.

Whilst I'm unqualified in the accounting space you do see a number of job adverts where they want ACCA or equiv and particularly when you move up into programme level.

As to FS qualifications, just look at the relevant chartered institute, they all do things from basic intro courses up to full fellowship level. If she wants to become more business focused then there would also be things like Lean and Six Sigma to look at but they are more hands on things.

Personally though, I think the questions raise more Qs than give answers. I've been a project/programme manager for 15 years in FS and its got to have been almost a decade since I last did a formal course. My Prince2 has expired, several of my courses were from official organisations but unqualified in nature and I've not been between contracts, ever.

I'll never be negative about education, its always a great thing to have but I don't generally think its necessary once you've got a good block of experience behind you. So do a course you're interested in but unless you explicitly want to take a new direction then do it for your own benefit rather than thinking it'll get your day rate up an extra £50 a day etc.

 

[Cocksure]

Has she tried the local further ed/tech college. They used to run night causes in all sorts of things up to hnd level? Last time i used them was in the earily 00's so things might have changed

 

[MrSossidge]

I would expect the accountancy to be for business case development, cost tracking, benefit tracking etc rather than doing her own accounts. A service company with 1-2 employees is simple to run -v- doing a 5 year NPV calculation for a product design change that will adjust your DAC calculations.

Whilst I'm unqualified in the accounting space you do see a number of job adverts where they want ACCA or equiv and particularly when you move up into programme level.

As to FS qualifications, just look at the relevant chartered institute, they all do things from basic intro courses up to full fellowship level. If she wants to become more business focused then there would also be things like Lean and Six Sigma to look at but they are more hands on things.

Personally though, I think the questions raise more Qs than give answers. I've been a project/programme manager for 15 years in FS and its got to have been almost a decade since I last did a formal course. My Prince2 has expired, several of my courses were from official organisations but unqualified in nature and I've not been between contracts, ever.

I'll never be negative about education, its always a great thing to have but I don't generally think its necessary once you've got a good block of experience behind you. So do a course you're interested in but unless you explicitly want to take a new direction then do it for your own benefit rather than thinking it'll get your day rate up an extra £50 a day etc.

She's not necessarily looking at changing direction and it's not really about trying to up the day rate. It's mainly about keeping her occupied in the evenings but still give a boost to the CV.

She's done Six Sigma and some Lean in a previous job but not maintained it.

Cheers for the advice, she's going to look at ACCA and also ITIL.

Has she tried the local further ed/tech college. They used to run night causes in all sorts of things up to hnd level? Last time i used them was in the earily 00's so things might have changed

She is away from home so can't commit to college/school based learning. She wants something that is self led that she can do as and when she is away or at home.

 

[MIghtyG]

Should be plenty of courses out there, I am currently working through a Masters level course part time. Takes a loooong time to work through but hoping it will be worth it in the long run. I had a BEng Hons when I started. A full time MSc would take 1 year but part time it will take me 2.5 years and I'm due to finish in Sep, cannot wait!

just do searches for course titles you like the idea of then look for universities that offer these as distance learning courses. The only thing I would say is that although these are self led a lot of courses will have regular tests/reports etc. which you need to make time for, you cant just pick up when you want and drop it when you get bus

Before I got to my research project I was doing 1 class every ~3 months, each class would have 1-2 assignments/reports to write up and 1 exam. You need to attend the university for the exam or if that is impractical you need to organise an external exam with your own invigilators etc. which wont be cheap. (thankfully I live near enough to my uni so I only need to take a days holiday for exams)

Depending on the course and what exit award wanted you may not need to do it for a full 2-3 years either, I have went from a PgCert. after year 1 to PgDip after year 2, its the final 0.5 years that gets the MSc.