Teaching Marketing at a Distance

Abstract

In October 1983 Strathclyde University launched an MBA degree course by Distance Learning. This paper considers the subsequent progress of marketing, one of the six foundation classes. Although any teaching by distance learning may prove more problematic than conventional full-time courses, the discipline of marketing initially appears to pose additional difficulties. Firstly, there are numerous conceptions of marketing. Secondly, it has been argued that marketing cannot be taught (on or off campus), only learned through practice. Drawing on empirical evidence, this paper suggests that both of the above difficulties can be satisfactorily overcome, and minimised further by distance learning using students' practical experience of the real world and high motivation. Bearing in mind the extremely large proportion of UK managers with no formal qualifications, the future prospect for teaching marketing at a distance at postgraduate level seems bright.