The online higher education market is rapidly changing, and COVID-19 has accelerated those changes.  We keep our finger on the pulse of opportunities and trends in the global online market so that we can provide stakeholders with reliable, up-to-date information, and advice on expanding offerings globally.

Market research is an important prerequisite for delivering products to a global market.  Assessing the demand for a programme/course is a critical success factor when competing in a crowded higher education arena. A comprehensive market research will provide information on the best market(s) to target, the audience, as well as the competition. We use our experience to provide guidance in acquiring market research data to inform decision-making regarding programme feasibility. Refer to our Market Research Guidance for additional information.

Moving an online programme/course to the global market is an expensive and resource-intensive proposition.  In the face of fierce global competition, The UWI must harness its collective resources and enter the global market as a single, unified institution instead of as individual campuses.

The OOL will facilitate collaboration between campuses and make the necessary arrangements for the development and delivery of programmes/courses to global markets.

It is important to know the type, number and cost of the resources that are needed to develop and successfully deliver a high-quality online programme/course. The OOL will provide assistance in identifying the resource needs, the cost, as well as advice on feasibility in the global market.

The OOL maintains a database of all online programmes and standalone online courses at The UWI. The database includes both programmes that are currently on offer, as well as those that are in development. Using this data will help you know not only what is being offered, but with whom you could partner to bring an innovative programme to market.

You can access the database at https://apps.uwi.edu/onlineprogrammes/