How UKM’s Open & Distance Learning Can Accelerate Your Career Trajectory

Landing a job nowadays is no easy feat. With inflation breathing down our necks, hanging onto our current job is a challenge. As a result, many working adults strive to push themselves to achieve more in life – by pursuing tertiary education. 

However, life can get hectic if one decides to pursue tertiary studies while working. From feeling exhausted after work to spending very little time with family and even quitting their current jobs to pursue higher education, studying while working is not easy. Despite that, a tertiary qualification from a top-ranked university massively enhances your career by enabling you to gain promotion, jump jobs, update your skill set, or earn higher remuneration. 

If you’re hungry for those sorts of success, it’s high time you consider the Open & Distance Learning (ODL) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Ranked 129th in the QS World University Rankings 2023, UKM is a prestigious local university that has been awarded 5 STARS ratings in Overall, Teaching, Employability, Internationalization and Facilities. 

By pursuing your tertiary studies online through UKM’s ODL, you can continue performing at your current job and still gain a world-class education from one of the top universities in Malaysia. The best part is that all UKM’s academic programmes offered via ODL are accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). 

Currently, UKM offers three programmes via ODL, namely, Master of Education in Teaching English as a Second Language, Master of Education in Educational Technology, and Bachelor of Islamic Studies with Honours (Theology and Philosophy) with many other programmes soon to follow.

Online Distance Learning (ODL) @ UKM

Learning no longer means you have to attend physical classes. Instead, ODL is fast becoming a norm in many countries, especially in the US and Europe. Even countries in Asia have taken up the mantle, with Malaysia being one of them. 

“Employers don’t care much about whether it was an online degree. Instead, they care about the school’s name,” K. Holly Shiflett, solutions director in global education at Wiley Education Services, said.

Being a household name in Malaysia, UKM certainly passes that criteria.

ODL is now recognized as the ideal solution for all working adults keen on pursuing higher education. Gone are the days when you had to rush to classes after work or quit your job to pursue a degree or master’s programme. 

UKM’s ODL removes those challenges and makes life easier by balancing studies, career and family. For ODL students, the classes are conducted entirely online with proper and complete self-instructional materials with interactive learning activities. Each course provides dynamic types of content using suitable learning strategies with the best guidance from trained lecturers. 

But that’s not all. Each ODL student would receive adequate support to make his or her learning journey seamless. Be it issues pertaining to administrative needs, the library, student learning portal, finance, IT support, counselling or general ODL helpdesk, UKM ensures its ODL students are well-taken care of.

In ODL programme classes, attendance is not compulsory. However, for some reason, if you are unable to attend the online class, you can re-watch the recorded video version. This flexibility ensures you don’t abandon your work to attend the classes you paid for. 

Also, working adults usually tend to be exhausted after a long day at the office. By taking an ODL program, you don’t have to rush to class while trying to beat the traffic. Instead, you can join the class on your smartphone, tablet or laptop, from your office, car or anywhere else. It's that simple. 

Self-Instructional Materials in ODL

Students can access learning materials through learning management system (LMS)

Enrolling in any ODL programme in UKM will expose you to active learning and self-learning. You will have access to comprehensive learning materials and resources as well as interactive activities, including self-check exercises and feedback through a learning management system (LMS). The LMS has been designed to serve as a self-explanatory approach for the students. For example, the topics in each course have been arranged to provide students with a constructive learning experience from start to finish. 

Furthermore, students can self-check their progress from time to time with the aid of the monitoring system in the LMS. This incredible feature ensures students are well-equipped with the necessary knowledge and help them gain a smooth learning experience.

In addition, throughout the study process, students will have plenty of opportunities to interact with peers from across the country and beyond via online discussion threads. 

On top of that, students would gain an excellent learning experience from UKM’s professional lecturers, who are highly skilled in delivering quality education, ensuring you acquire the best possible learning experience through ODL. They can also engage in in-depth discussions with their lecturers through synchronous and asynchronous meetings. 

UKM is well aware of how hectic work can be for working adults. Hence, the ODL classes are held on a fortnight basis over the weekends or after working hours on weekdays. Each class lasts about 2 hours with a total of 12 hours within a semester/course. 

Below is a recap of why you should consider taking UKM’s ODL programmes; 

In today’s job market, it's difficult to get a job, let alone one that pays well. Therefore, having a tertiary qualification such as Bachelor's Degree or Master’s Degree will improve your chances of securing a job and aid in your remuneration. 

By enrolling in any of UKM’s ODL programmes, you’ll have the flexibility to continue performing at your job while studying. The future is already here, and UKM’s ODL may be the route that propels your career to greater heights. Learn more about Online Distance Learning at UKM here.