By: Claire Wilson BSc. Last Updated: March 2024

Quitting your job to study full time is an unrealistic thought for most people. 

We decided to create a BSc (Hons) degree specifically for mature students that can be studied alongside a full time job. 

Let’s take a look at a few key features that make it a really great option for people currently in employment…

First and foremost, it’s a part-time course.

Standard study pace is around 15 hours per week (you can also alter this pace – more on that later).

Maybe you love your job. Maybe you just need the income. Either way, you don’t have to give it up for this programme.

Our full degree programme is delivered entirely online.

There are no in-person commitments throughout the 4 years of study (although you will be invited to attend an in-person graduation ceremony at University of South Wales and it’s completely up to you if you want to attend).

You already do enough commuting, you surely don’t want to add “commuting to class” to your weekly schedule.

You can study anywhere you have access to the internet… at home, on your lunch break at work, in the park on a sunny day… you decide.

“The online structure suited me perfectly as well as being able to work on it from home and in my own time.”

– Regina Heaphy, GetReskilled alumni

At the start of first year, you’ll work closely with your Course Coordinator to put together your academic schedule for the year.

There’s only one module in that year that has to be taken during specific weeks and completed at the standard class pace (approx 15 hours per week).

Aside from that, you have total flexibility to fit the other modules into the year in a way that works for you.

You can tell us upfront about times you know you’ll have less/no time for study (such as a big project at work or overtime you always pick up in July, for example) and we’ll block them off to make sure you get that break.

Once we know that, we’ll also be able to provide you with dates of your assignments, deadlines and any exams. If you feel like you want to plan some time off from work around those dates, you’ll be able to do so.

We’ve found that by doing this, our mature students are able to maintain a healthy study-life balance and confidently make plans that complement their studies.

You’ll do this planning exercise at the start of every year.

“For a self-employed person, the online format of the course really suited me as I could do it from home in my own time.”

– Gerard O Riordan, GetReskilled alumni

We already told you that you can study anywhere you have an internet connection but it’s important to note that the whole programme is also entirely asynchronous (which is just a fancy way of saying you can study when and where you want).

There are no fixed class times and no zoom webinars.

You’ll have a week’s worth of work released to you at one time and all your course materials are available 24/7.

This is a game-changer for shift workers and people who’s working hours or patterns change from week to week.

“You can log on at any time of the day… I could log on and watch a lecture at
three o’clock in the morning if I wanted to, if I was coming in after nights… I found that independence great.”

– Kieran Mac Namara, GetReskilled alumni

Whatever line of work you’re in, things can be unpredictable.

To help our mature students maintain success despite this unpredictability, we’ve built the ability to change the pace of your study into our degree delivery.

Essentially this means that you can speed up or slow down your course to match your current circumstances.

If you know you’re going to have more time than usual in a week (perhaps you’ve got annual leave from work), you can ask for more coursework to be released and make progress through your course a little quicker.

However, if your week gets derailed by a large unexpected order or a colleague out sick, just let us know and we’ll work with you to keep your motivation on track by delaying your course release.

If you’re working full time, maintaining motivation for your studies is going to be key to your success.

We’ll assign you a Course Coordinator who’ll work closely with you throughout your studies to help keep you on track and get that degree.

As well as helping you plan your academic schedule, they’ll be your single point of contact for any questions about the course and they’ll check in with your course progress every week.

When things are going well, they’ll notice. They’ll acknowledge the work and effort you’re putting in, and remind you how it’s paying off.

And if it ever looks like you’re starting to fall behind in your studies, they’ll be right there to help you put plans in place to get back on track.

They’re there to be your study cheerleader or personal trainer, whichever you happen to need in any given week!

So you’re never alone. There’s someone right there sharing your journey and helping to shoulder the responsibility of motivation when times get a little bit tough.

It’s a unique system and we believe it’s core to our students’ success. It’s a level of support that could never be offered in traditional universities and one that our previous working students have really appreciated.

“The course coordinators are very active, flexible and interactive in answering any query.”

– Philbert Nshimiyimana, GetReskilled alumni

Our BSc (Hons) degree has designated “lock in” points at the end of year one and year two.

Successful completion of your course up to each of these points means you get a recognised university accredited award from the University of South Wales and gain eligibility for the next year of study. You will also “lock in” your progress within the course.

If you had to take a break at either (or both) of these points, you could return at a later point and pick up exactly where you left off.

There’s no time limit to this.

So you don’t need to try to predict the future and it doesn’t need to be the “perfect” time.

All you need to know right now is that you’re in a good position to make a start.

A large percentage of traditional university courses will require mature students to complete an access course, just to be eligible to apply. These access courses can add months to your degree journey.

We don’t believe your qualifications are any less valid because you got them more than a couple of years ago.

Our programme presents information in a logical, accessible and bite-size manner and you’ll have full support from your course coordinator with weekly check-ins on your progress.

You don’t suddenly need to find a whole year’s worth of tuition fees.

You also don’t have to take on thousands of pounds of student debt.

With our interest-free payment plans you’ll spread the cost of your education and can choose the interest free payment plan that best suits your situation.

You can choose to pay monthly, per module or per year – whichever suits your budget best.

If you’re going to commit to studying alongside your job, you need to have confidence in what you’ve chosen.

This unique partnership between GetReskilled and University of South Wales offers mature students something really special…

The convenience and flexibility of online distance learning alongside the confidence and security that comes with a degree from a brick-and-mortar university.

This kind of partnership isn’t something you’ll see very often but we (and our mature students!) love it!

“I thought I would never be able to take any university accredited program considering I have kids and a full-time job. With GetReskilled, it is actually possible.”

– Dulce Mar Giner, GetReskilled alumni

Check out this page for more course details and click the big red “apply now” button if you’re ready to get started!

You can always contact us or click on the blue circle at the bottom of the screen on this page if you’ve got any questions – we look forward to hearing from you!