Bermudians will no longer be able to obtain a Masters in Business Administration or Masters in Management through Webster University classes in Bermuda due to declining enrolment.

It is believed that hundreds of Bermuda residents have taken Webster courses since the St. Louis-based university, which specialises in different forms of distance learning, set up its Bermuda centre in 1981.

The Bermuda website said the Master?s programmes are designed to ?accommodate the working professional whose career advancement and professional growth require the skills and knowledge provided by a graduate degree?. Courses were held on weeknights and weekends to accommodate working professionals.

The site also says that Webster University in Bermuda is an affordable alternative to going abroad to further one?s education.

However, a spokeswoman for the US university said declining enrolment numbers mean that it is no longer cost effective to run the Bermuda Campus. Current students will be able to finish their degrees with the help of teachers but no new students will be accepted. The classes are scheduled to end in May.

Bermudians will still be able to avail themselves of Webster University?s online degrees despite the closure of the local campus.

Webster University is a private, non-profit, accredited university that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in many fields. The university was founded in 1915 in St. Louis and has grown into an international university with 100 campuses around the world.