IN A business climate where an MBA has become an important stepping stone to success on the career ladder, the problem for many executives is finding the time to do the course while holding down a responsible position at work. Few people can afford the luxury of taking a year out to do a full-time MBA and most students end up cramming it in between their job and other commitments.

For those who have to travel with their work however, regular attendance at lectures can be problematic, while MBA courses built around weekends are not ideal for those with families. An alternative is to opt for one of the distance learning MBA programmes such as those offered by the Open University or more recently by the Henley Management College.

A well organised support structure for students is central to successful distance learning and this support is being provided for Irish-based Henley MBA students by its associate college, the Dublin Business School.

There are over 6,000 students in 60 countries enrolled on the distance learning MBA programme and the first group of Irish students to take part in the course with local support began their studies in May. The next intake of students will be in October (for which places are still available) with a further intake next March.

"The Dublin Business School is an ideal partner for Henley as we are focused on management development and can respond to both company's and individual's desire for training that has immediate impact," says the college's business development manager, Liz McKeever.

"We can take the `distance' out of distance learning using the techniques pioneered by Henley and our students have access to one of the most highly regarded MBA programmes available," she says.

Henley likes its MBA students to have a minimum of two years work experience and it does not normally consider applications from those under 24 years of ace.

The first Irish-based group come from a mix of backgrounds and between them have a lot of varied work experience. This is seen as a major advantage by student John Mooney who is director of finance for the Sandyford, Dublin-based manufacturing and distribution company, Allegro.

"On the basis of what I've seen so far our level of work experience has contributed significantly to the scope and calibre of our discussions. People have been in the real world in testing situations which means they have something to bring to the party," he says.

John Mooney is a chartered accountant who has been with his present company for nine years. At the age of 40 and with his level of work experience he would be considered the ideal type of candidate for an MBA programme.

"I'm doing the course primarily to broaden my business knowledge," he says. "Working in finance it is very easy to become focused on this aspect of a business alone and I felt I wanted to develop a wider appreciation of how the different elements which constitute a business inter-relate."

A father of four daughters under the age of nine, Mooney is fully aware of the commitment he has taken on, but so far he says he is coping.

"The course is well structured and we have received excellent support from the Dublin Business School," he says. "Their tutors have been very good, their back-up material has been good and the course notes from Henley are also excellent."

IT TAKES approximately three and a half years to complete the MBA by distance learning, although this will depend on how much time a student can devote to studying. The course has been designed around a study commitment of roughly 10-12 hours per week and the cost of the programme is a few pounds short of £9,000.

This includes the cost of study materials and to complete the foundation module students receive a pack containing video and audio cassettes, workbooks, course notes, text books, self-assessment exercises and other relevant material such as articles from magazines and journals.

Those with access to Lotus Notes can link directly into the Henley computer and it is also recommended that students have access to word processing facilities. It is possible to take the course if one is self-employed or unemployed but as it has a strong practical orientation, it is necessary to have access to an organisation for the purposes of writing assignments and the final dissertation.

Students must cover all aspects of the course, but there may be exemptions for those holding recognised qualifications in certain subjects.

In addition to the MBA, the Dublin Business School is offering other Henley qualifications such as the management certificate and the management diploma which can be used as a means of entry to the MBA.

"For companies which are interested in Henley management training we can also tailor-make short programmes under the guidance of the Henley academic staff which bring a corporate qualification," says Liz McKeever.