ANNOUNCER:Section 3, you will hear a conversation between a student Andrew and a student advisor Monica about a diploma course.First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 25.Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 25.
ANDREW:Excuse me, I was told to come here for advice about management diploma courses.
MONICA:You've certainly come to the right place.Hi, my name is Monica.
ANDREW:Hmm. Nice to meet you.My name is Andrew, Andrew Harris.
MONICA:So, Andrew, have you seen our diploma course prospectus yet?
ANDREW:Yes, I've already looked at it.In fact, I thought the information on course content was really useful.But I'm afraid I'm a bit confused by all the different ways you can do the course: full-time intensive, part-time, and so on.
MONICA:Well, let's see if I can help.I think each course type has its advantages and disadvantages, so it really depends on you, your own study habits, and your financial circumstances of course.Are you working at the moment?
ANDREW:Yes, I've been working in the administration section of the local hospital for the last 3 years.And before that, I worked in the office of a computer engineering company for two years.So I've got about 5 years of relevant work experience, and what I'm hoping to focus on is personnel management.
MONICA:I see.And are you planning to leave your current job to study, or are you thinking about just taking a year off?
ANDREW:I want to know what my options are really.I don't want to quit my job or anything, and my employers are keen for me to get some more qualifications, but obviously, it would be better if I could do a course without taking too much time away from work.
MONICA:Right.So you don't really want to do the full-time course then?
ANDREW:No, not really.It's also a question of finances, you see, my office have agreed to pay the cost of the course itself, but I would have to take unpaid leave if I want to study full-time, and, well, I don't think I could afford to support myself with no salary for a whole year.
MONICA:Hmm, OK.Well, you have two other possibilities.You could either do the part-time course.That would be over two years, and you wouldn't have to take any time off work, or you could do what we call a modular course.You could do that in 18 months if you wanted, or longer.It's quite flexible, and it would be up to you.
ANDREW:Hmm, uh, so what does the part-time course involve?
MONICA:For that, you would join an evening class and have a lecture twice a week.Then you'd have to attend a seminar or discussion workshop one weekend a month.
ANDREW:W- what kind of coursework would I have to do?
MONICA:Well it's a mixture.You'd be expected to write an essay each month, which counts towards your final assessment.You have a case study to do by the end of the course, which might involve doing a survey or something like that, and also you need to hand in a short report every four weeks.
ANDREW:So that's quite a lot of work then, on top of working every day.It sounds like a lot of studying, and really tiring.
MONICA:Yep, you certainly wouldn't have much free time.
ANNOUNCER:Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 26 to 30.Now listen and answer questions 26 to 30.
ANDREW:Uh. What about the modular course?What would I have to do for that?
MONICA:Well, that's where you get the opportunity to study full-time for short periods.That way you can cover a lot of coursework, and attend lectures and seminars during the day.And each module lasts for one term, say about 12 weeks at a time.There are obvious advantages in this, the main one being that you can study in a much more intensive way, which suits some people much better.
ANDREW:And how many of these 'modules' would I have to do to get the diploma?
MONICA:The current program is two modules - and then you have to choose a topic to work in more depth - but you can base that on your job, and so you don't need to be away from the office, and how long it takes is up to you.The important thing is that you don't have to study and work. You can focus on one thing at a time.
ANDREW:Yes, I can see that.Uh. It certainly sounds attractive, it would be more expensive though.I mean I'd have to support myself without pay for each module.
MONICA:Hmm. That's true, so that might be a problem for you.Look, why don't you talk this over with your employers and...
ANNOUNCER:That is the end of section 3.You now have half a minute to check your answers.
