It started with one student in December 2000 and has transformed the lives of hundreds of people, pioneering a new kind of higher education.

The University’s School of English Studies is celebrating 10 years of Distance Learning, providing education to increasing numbers of postgraduates who would not have been able to study full-time in Nottingham.

With around 200 students on its books today, the School is planning to widen access to its courses by expanding its use of electronic resources and digital technologies.

Distance Learning in English Studies started with one MA course in Modern English Language. The School now offers six MAs covering Linguistics, Literary Linguistics, English Language teaching, Health Communication and English Studies on a part-time basis and have students around the world.

Students are tutored by full-time staff who are experts in the field. The flexibility of the courses allow students to work at their own pace for up to four years to gain the qualification, allowing them to juggle the responsibilities of full-time jobs and families.

Professor Peter Stockwell, who set up the School’s first Distance Learning MA, said: “We have built up a brilliant and innovative programme and some of the best students in the world study with us.

“We have reached into parts of the world where the diversity of experience of our students has enriched our own thinking. The experience of composing and sharing our courses on the web has enhanced the ways in which we teach in the seminar and office rooms at Nottingham.

“When it is done properly, web-based distance learning is neither a cheap nor a secondary option and it can only go from strength to strength.”

The first student was Stephen Lockwood, who is now studying for a PhD. He said: “I chose a ‘distance course’ because I was working overseas and wanted a flexible studying arrangement which let me to work at a pace that fitted in with my busy personal and working life. My Masters qualification stands out on my CV and I know it has earned me interviews on two or three occasions. In one post I was offered a slightly higher salary as a Masters graduate. It remains my crowning academic achievement and I look back on the experience fondly.”

Dr Neal Alexander, Director of Distance Learning in the School, said: “We plan to create even more flexible modes of study by expanding our access to electronic resources such as e-books and e-journals, and devising new ways of promoting interactivity through our teaching materials.”

Professor Julie Sanders, Head of School, said: “Distance Learning programmes will be a key future pathway for carrying forward the School’s commitment to research-led teaching of the highest order.”

Distance Learning courses are available in a variety of other disciplines — visit pgstudy.nottingham.ac.uk for details.