Open University

The Open University (OU) is the British 'open' learning university, established in 1969. The majority of students are based in the UK however its courses are also studied in the rest of Europe, in Africa and the Far East. The administration is based at Walton Hall, Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire although it has offices in each of its thirteen regions around the UK. It awards undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, diplomas and certificates.

Undergraduate degrees

An OU undergraduate degree requires 300 credit points (360 for honours), with each course being attributed a number of points (usually 30 or 60) depending on the content. One point is generally considered to correspond to ten hours of student time (studying, attending optional lectures, and revising). Courses are also rated as levels 1, 2 or 3, roughly equating to first, second or third, and final year courses at traditional universities. Students generally do not undertake more than 60 points per year, meaning that an undergraduate degree will take at least six years to complete. With the exception of some degrees in fast moving areas (such as computing) there is generally no limit on the time which a student may take, although courses cannot be counted after a great number of years. 120 points is considered the equivalent of a year of full-time study. Students need special permission to take more than 120 points in a single year; such permission is not always granted.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Many OU faculties have now introduced short courses worth ten points. Most of these courses are taught online, and start on different dates throughout the year. They typically provide an introduction to their subject studied over a period of ten weeks. A few ten-point courses consist of one-week residential schools, with preparatory work, and a follow-up assignment after the school.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In addition to traditional academic degrees, the OU has a number of specialist courses for industry and the professions including teaching and the law.

Related Topics:
Teaching - Law

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~