The University of Reading's ICMA Centre is to offer distance learning on one of its most successful courses.

The Professional Risk Manager (PRM) examinations - the certification programme for the Professional Risk Manager's International Association (PRMIA) - have been running in London since January 2006 in collaboration with 7city Learning and have had a huge take up, largely thanks to the live streaming over the internet, making the course available worldwide.

Candidates in more than 90 countries are actively pursuing the PRM, more than any other risk certification programme globally. With PRMIA members in more than 155 countries, the PRM is also the most broadly recognised qualification for risk managers and is the only one to have received public endorsements from several leading firms.

Now, a distance learning option will be offered by the ICMA Centre, including studio-filmed lectures, animated Excel demonstrations, worked examples and self-assessment/diagnostic tests to prepare professionals for taking the PRM exams.

Professor Carol Alexander, Chair of Risk Management and Director of Research at the ICMA Centre, said: "The PRM certification programme has been developed in close consultation with leading industry players to help meet the growing demand for properly qualified professional risk managers in banks, asset managers, corporates and regulatory bodies. This development is part of our ongoing expansion of PRM training. Our candidates are now able to choose between classroom-based lectures, live streaming or studio recorded lectures."

The ICMA Centre and 7city Learning are also planning to offer classroom-based lectures in New York starting in April 2007.

A demonstration of the system is available at www.icmacentre.ac.uk/courseware/PRM

The move further enhances ICMA's position as a world-leader in the teaching of those who want to pursue a career in the highly-competitive field of financial trading. It comes just a few weeks after further investment in the centre was announced, with an extension and a refurbishment to improve facilities.