In two minds about two-year degrees

By Junior Linden

Students fed up of paying almost £40,000 for a degree will soon have a new option – a fast-track course.

At London Met University, for example, students enrolling in September can choose a two -year degree programme costing around £11,000 a year.

Press and Communications Manager Benjamin Sawtell from the University said: ” We are committed to offering our courses in a number of different formats to meet the needs of our students and this is just one way in which we do that.”

But students at the University have mixed feelings.

Amal Al Tauqi, a Journalism student, said that she felt that two-year degree programme brought about both positive and negative feelings.

She said: “If I had the option to take the degree in my time, I would have done so, because it means I can get out of university and into my field of work sooner than later.”

Condensing a full degree into two years could be seen as being more appealing for people who are in work or have family commitments, she said.

A fast-track degree, with two 45-week years of teaching, would allow students to borrow less on fees and to save on a year’s living costs and accommodation.

It would also be cheaper for the government, which would have lower tuition fee loans to fund.

Margaret Karochi, 26, a student of International Relations said: “I don’t think that the tutors will be able to offer the same time and care as they do for students on a traditional three -year programme.

She said that she felt that the tutors were already overworked and under pressure to give their students the time and commitment needed to get them through their studies.

Judith, 27, also studying International Relations, said that she didn’t feel that the new degree would not be taken seriously in the working world. She said: “I would want to know that someone is fully competent in their field of work before offering them a job”

She said people encounter difficult situations, whereby they are going to need to be exempt from university for long periods of times and that would just lessen the time in class along with the odd lazy days here and there.