I want to study again...

I've been looking for schools that offer a postgraduate diploma or an advanced certificate in Public Relations/Corporate Communications.

Two major reasons why I want to go back to school: 1.) I'm considering going back to the world of PR and CorpComm so I think it'll be good to have a refresher course and 2.) I think having that extra new course will beef up my resume.

There have been no problems in looking for schools with the courses that I want. The problem is with the mode of delivery and of course, the cost.

Since I can only do this part-time, I am open to either online classes or distance learning. If it were up to me, I still prefer for the face-to-face/classroom setting.

As for the cost, the courses I am seeing would need me to sell my kidney just so I can fund my studies. Haha! The big difference is this. If I were a permanent resident or a citizen of that country, the tuition fee I would have to pay is significantly lower and more affordable. Add to that financial aid schemes and other options to fund studies.

I did stumble upon a few courses that are more affordable. The NYU School of Continuing Education offers a Diploma/Certificate in PR/CorpComm and the cost is less than USD5000. The problem is it's not available as an online course. The Institute of Public Relations of Singapore also offers a certificate in PR but the next intake is not yet definite. The cost is quite affordable, too. I also saw two other institutes that offer the course that won't cost an arm and a leg. However, I am not too familiar with the reputation of the schools - one is the PR Academy London and the other one is the SMF Institute of Higher Learning based in Singapore.

The curriculum of SMF seems broader as it also covers journalism and TV production. The course runs for 10 months. Flexible payment schemes are also available. Maybe I should drop by the school one of these days to see the facilities.

SMU has a Master's in Communication/Diploma in Public Relations. The costs is about $20,000. Lol! Where will I get that amount? I did a quick check of available scholarships and most are for undergraduate studies. I'm not sure if the Philippine government offers scholarships for this industry. Even if they do, I don't think they will award a scholarship to a citizen working overseas. Haha!

Anyway, these are all just plans. I still got time to firm up everything.