UCT to offer blended learning Postgraduate Diploma in Management (Marketing)

Traditionally offered only to students physically based at the UCT Cape Town campus, this new blended learning format now means that any South African, regardless of their physical location, may participate in this popular field of study and acquire this highly respected qualification. Blended learning involves the combination of an interactive online learning environment with traditional face-to-face contact.

This is a significant move for South African Higher Education and affords UCT the opportunity to offer more South Africans the ability to be educated by the leading teaching and research institution in the country, as well as enabling the institution to expand its already vibrant student community.

Embracing new delivery technologies

The Higher Education industry worldwide is in a state of change as the internet impacts students and staff. Leading traditional learning tertiary institutions around the world, including Harvard, Stanford and MIT, are vigorously embracing the new range of delivery technologies without compromising academic quality. UCT welcomes this challenge and is entering this environment with a well-established programme for which there has always been strong demand from applicants outside the greater Cape Town area.

This is a yet another positive step forward for UCT's Faculty of Commerce in particular, which has already been offering online short courses to working professionals, and in 2013 provided both first and fourth-year on-campus commerce students the opportunity to engage with blended learning. Professor Don Ross, the dean of the faculty, says, "With their highly interactive high-touch design, Commerce's Across Africa courses exploit styles of learning and engagement that go well beyond what can be implemented in the traditional classroom. Rich, real-time student communication with lecturers, tutors and one another during all stages of learning is now possible."

The Postgraduate Diploma in Management (Marketing) has a long history of producing graduates who are successful managers as well as skilled marketers. As such, the diploma is the perfect programme for blended learning as Alison Meadows, the programme convener explains: "The critical need for well-educated managers at all levels in organisations and sectors across the country is well-documented. The combination of courses on the diploma means that graduates emerge from the programme with not only an in-depth understanding of both management and marketing concepts and theories, but also with the practical application and insight gleaned from exposure to the current global and local issues and challenges. We are privileged to have course instructors and lecturers on the diploma who are themselves industry experts, bringing together the academic rigour synonymous with a UCT education with a very practical application and demonstration of concepts."

A broad management skill set with a marketing focus

This programme is offered in partnership with online education company, GetSmarter. Sam Paddock, the co-managing director of GetSmarter, had this to say about the programme: "It's a privilege to partner with a forward-thinking university in order to deliver a much-needed diploma programme to students around the country."

This Postgraduate Diploma in Management (Marketing) will be available from the beginning of 2014 as a two-year part-time programme, which makes it ideal for working individuals wanting to extend and enrich their knowledge of management and marketing with a view to enhancing future career opportunities. To ensure a broad management skill set with a marketing focus the programme comprises of seven general management courses in the first year, followed by six specialist and in-depth marketing courses in the second year. Given that students do not need a background in management or marketing, but can enter the programme with any undergraduate degree, the diversity of the student body will be exciting and provides a platform for the creative and dynamic exchange of ideas.

The programme launches with an intensive week of contact time during February 2014 at UCT to allow students the opportunity to engage with fellow students, the academic staff, the university culture and the online learning platform that will be used.

For further information, go to postgrad.uct.ac.za