Many people are taking a master's to start a fresh career, writes LUCY TENNYSON

After 16 years in general management, Ian Pendlington, 46, was looking for a new direction. He had moved into business consultancy, as he wanted to spend more time in the UK with his family, but realised he needed to fast track his skills.

He chose the Executive MBA programme at Oxford Brookes University to prepare for the challenges of senior management. Spread over 24 months, the Executive MBA was delivered through a series of weekend schools, which enabled him to combine work and study.

"I have joined Price Waterhouse Coopers as a director in their advisory business since completing the programme," said Ian, "I found that the MBA really helped me during such a competitive recruitment process."

Ian's experience shows why many people are returning to university to take a course at master's level - it can kickstart a whole new career. And it's easier than you may think. Many don't realise how much is on offer through postgraduate study right on their doorstep at their local university.

The massive expansion in university education in recent years hasn't been confined to undergraduate study - opportunities have mushroomed at master's level as well. Oxford Brookes offers a range of courses across all disciplines. Most of them are available part-time, which helps spread out the costs and enables students to work at the same time. Most courses are in specialist areas related to employment, offering students either the opportunity to choose a different area of study from their first degree, or to go into a chosen subject in greater depth.

Taking a second degree can also help mature students ease their way back into employment after taking time out. Technology is moving on at such a pace that it is easy to feel too old' or out of practice' after even a couple of years. Equally, the flexible nature of Brookes's degree programmes enables students in employment to undertake research connected with their own work.

Going back to university was probably the last thing on the mind of Deirdre Considine, 42, from Headington, who had been looking forward to resuming her career in computing after a five-year break to start a family. Previously an IT project manager for Oxfam, she found herself turned down by employers, as the job market had moved on even in this short space of time.

She said: "Eventually, I was offered the job of intranet manager at a local school, even though I had no background in the web. I soon realised I needed to update my skills. I discovered there are a great range of computer courses at Brookes, just down the road from me."

Deirdre is studying an MSc in web technologies over two years, while working part-time at Matthew Arnold School. "It's a great course, and has really helped me develop the school website. My tutor at Brookes has been so encouraging over the past 18 months. What's even better, I've been awarded a bursary by BOCC, an Oxford computer company."

As well as being a centre for the IT sector, Oxford is a hub for tourism, so it's not surprising that Oxford Brookes has one of the leading hospitality and tourism departments in the world.

Nicola de Luca, originally from Italy, was the first part-time MSc student to graduate from the international hotel and resort management programme, and has secured a good job at the Randolph Hotel, in Oxford. Brookes has 14 part-time students, from Britain and across Europe, working in local hotels and tourism companies while they study.

Tomasz Mendelski, 28, from Poland, holds down a full-time job as duty manager at the prestigious Cliveden House Hotel, near Maidenhead, while studying every moment of his spare time. "The course is giving me so much confidence, and I am sure I will get a better job as a result," he said.

David Bowie, principal lecturer in marketing, says the success of the course is due to "very high academic standards, and integrating both theory and practice".

"Hotels are very complex organisations, and some groups operate across five continents. We teach our students how to understand the huge mix of cultures across the industry.

"We give them the tools to develop the strengths to become tomorrow's leaders in industry," he added.

If you want to find out more about the range of postgraduate courses, and the different levels of study available, staff at Oxford Brookes will be pleased to help you at the University's postgraduate fair on Wednesday, 4pm-6pm, at Headington Campus, or at the Business School's open evening on Wednesday, July 16, 5.30pm-8pm, at Wheatley Campus.