World's first smart phone MBA launched

The London School of Marketing has launched the world’s first ever MBA that students in India can study on their smart phones.

 The UK based educator has invested in a unique interactive online learning platform. It allows its learners direct access to course tutors, all the essential books and learning materials they’ll need, via their mobile phone.

There’s also a community forum where students can chat directly with other students studying on their course and thereby learn from each other.

This innovative approach to education means its learners can study when and where they want without being tied to a time or location.

 Since its launch, hundreds of students have already signed up to use the technology with more expected to follow. London School of Marketing has launched its smart phone MBAs in response to the growing demand from its students who want to study on the move.

 It’s employed the latest technology to make their studies easier and fit around their busy lives.

 The school, which attracts many international participants, particularly from developing countries, has seen the e-learning market boom in recent years.

 In 2010, the value of the e-learning market was £20 billion; in 2015 it was estimated at around £70 billion with the fastest growing markets being in India and China.

 In the last 18 months the school has set up 48 Local Access Points (LAPs), locations in towns and cities where students can meet to study and prepare their coursework.

 It also has 61 Recognised International Business Development Partners (RIBDs) across the globe.

 Since setting up the LAPs it’s seen keen learners from as far afield as the United Arab Emirates, Ghana, India and South Africa enrol on its courses.

 The courses it offers via smart phone include an MBA in business studies, a Masters and two undergraduate courses in the same subject. Its professional marketing course can also be accessed via smart phones.

 These courses are proving popular with international business executives who prefer to study from their home country rather than live and study in the UK.

 CFO of London School of Marketing, Anton Dominique explains: “Our blended learning approach to higher education gives the student the best of both worlds.

 “They can study at a time and place to suit them and we’ve adapted the technology we use to make that happen. Everyone has a smartphone now, so it makes sense to run courses which our students can access while they’re on the move.

 “We adopt a ‘click and brick’ approach to learning. All our courses are delivered online but in lots of countries we have Local Access Points. These are places where students can go to meet, study together and have access to our experts.

 “This works well for our international students in particular. They have the kudos of achieving a UK degree, socialise and study with other people on the same course and all without the expense of living and learning in the UK.”

 Anton continues: “We aim this blended learning approach at overseas students who don’t want to give up good jobs to come over to the UK to study.

 “Our students, mainly from developing countries, tend to be professional people, in good jobs who don’t want to give up what they’re doing to take time out to study.

 “They also don’t want the expense associated with moving to and attending a UK university to achieve the qualification they want. That cost can be in excess of £30,000.

 “With our courses they can study while they work, can study when they want and the added bonus is that they come away from it all with a degree from a UK university.

 “Many students feedback that their degree has helped them advance their careers considerably and the money they invested in it, was well worth it.

 “The whole point of developing the technology for our student to study on the go was about making it easier for them. Education is for everyone and this is another step towards making that possible.”