What self-respecting, tech-savvy, Gen Y, aspiring accountant actually has time to commute to a college in order to qualify or interact face-to-face with a tutor?

If you find yourself nodding in agreement to the sentiment above then you may be interested in a new course that is taught entirely online.

The concept of distance learning isn’t, of course, a new concept. However, BPP Financial Education is in the process of enabling students to complete the CIMA and ACCA qualifications online. Some classes will be pre-recorded, but others will be taught live via a remote connection, so you’ll effectively be attending a lecture from wherever you connect to the internet. A second tutor will be also available to answer any queries from students as it takes place should you become stuck on a particular point.

At the moment, this live system is only available for ACCA’s Skills Module and CIMA’s Operational and Management papers, but the plan is to expand the range of modules during the course of 2012. The full qualification can be attained by a mix of pre-recorded and live lectures. BPP assures us that this is the only programme of its type.

Malcolm Bell, head of distance learning, at BPP says that the new online classroom was “in response to changing demands from students and clients who are finding that their work schedules, personal life and travel itineraries often take over from their studies.”

“Students can study anywhere, so it makes it easier for them to spend more time at the office as they’re not building in a commute to and from the tuition provider,” he says.

Students will require some degree of human activity to gain the full qualification, however – both require a certain amount of work place experience, for example. And recruiters warn that studying entirely online is not without its downsides.

“It is important for aspiring accountants to remember the value of the human touch in their professional development,” says Andy Dallas, associate director at Robert Half Financial Services. “Having a strong mentor – whether a boss or senior colleague – will help them apply their learning to their daily work environment as well as push them to expand their boundaries.”

The other factor to consider is which accountancy qualification is currently most in demand. Our own figures suggest that more employers are looking for ACAs than ACCAs of CIMAs, even if banks’ appetite to recruit them is diminishing.

However, the role of management accountants has become more prominent in financial services organisations recently, which suggests that the CIMA could put you in good stead.

Anyway, online courses should generally be viewed as a flexible way to study rather than a golden ticket to a new job, suggests Dallas.

“Having the option to pursue studies online may be more viable for today’s busy professionals,” he says. “This plays to the strengths of much of the younger ‘generation Y’ trainee accountants who gain on-the-job practical experience while also accessing their studies when convenient.”