Your Guide to the Open University
Content
Your guide to
The Open University
Inside: your questions answered…
Why nothing should stop you from getting the qualifications you want
INSPIRING LEARNING
Don’t let anything hold you back this year
If you want to improve your prospects with a qualification but don’t know where to start. If you’ve heard of The Open University but aren’t sure how we work, or whether we’re even a proper university. If you’d love a qualification but aren’t sure how you’ll be able to afford it. If you want to get ahead at work and want to know why you should choose the OU. If you want to make 2012 the year you change your life – this guide is for you…
Is the OU for me?
As our name suggests, The Open University is open to everyone. Our flexible approach to learning means you can start studying at a level that’s right for you. So whether you’ve left school without any qualifications or already studied to degree level, we can support you in the right way, every step of the way.
Throughout this guide you’ll hear from people like you who’ve used an Open University qualification to help change their lives:
My career took off in a whole new direction.
Chris Crosby, MA in Environmental Policy
I thought my working days were over – now I’m a Senior Design Engineer!
June Arnold, BSc and BEng (Hons)
A TV show I saw while nannying inspired me to become a scientist.
Sandy Davies, BSc (Hons) Chemistry and MA (Social Policy and Criminology)
From stay-at-home mum to classroom assistant!
Sarah Witts, BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies
I’ve changed my career and doubled my salary.
Chris Swain, BSc (Hons) Information Technology and Computing
If you want to hear more about how OU study helped these students, visit www.openuniversity.co.uk/intro for their stories in their own words.
Study with one of the UK’s finest universities
When you study with The Open University, the standard of education you’ll receive is up there with the very best Britain has to offer. Most of the UK’s biggest universities use OU study materials
We don’t just provide great learning for our own students. Three quarters of the country’s biggest universities use our learning materials too*.
We have more satisfied students than any other university
We’ve been in the top three universities for student satisfaction since the National Student Survey began in 2005 – and given we have over 250,000 students, that means we have the largest body of happy students in the country.
Our modules are created by some of the finest minds of our time
All of our modules are research-based and reflect current workplace practice, and all of our lecturers are experts in their fields.
We’ll support you every step of the way
Whether it’s face-to-face, on the phone or online, when you study with us you get dedicated support from your tutor – many OU students who have studied elsewhere say they’ve been better supported by us than at other universities.
* Based on the 2009/10 HESA list of UK universities ranked by number of students
So what kind of university is it?
Everything you’d expect from a campus-based university or college, you’ll get from us – tutorials, tutors, libraries, a thriving student community…
When we started 42 years ago, learning from home was a radical departure from the norm. Since then, other universities and colleges have adopted our flexible, multimedia approach to learning and have started to deliver their tutorials online, too. We have a wide-reaching and vibrant research and enterprise portfolio, competing with the best in the world. Universities are defined by the quality of the education they offer, not bricks and mortar – ask Chris, below, if he thinks we’re a ‘proper’ university…
As soon as I started my diploma in environmental policy I knew this was the right choice – the materials, the support from tutors and just the overall education was of such a high standard.
Chris Crosby, MA in Environmental Policy
What’s stopping you?
Call today to find out how we could help change your life
0845 300 60 90
www.openuniversity.co.uk/intro
Learning revolves around you
With The Open University, you study in your own time, at home, at work or on the move – wherever it suits you. Our world-class qualifications are delivered using innovative technologies to keep learning interesting as well as flexible, and we make sure you have access to all the support you need to succeed. We are world leaders in flexible learning
We set the standard for flexible learning, blending study materials and tutorial groups with online and mobile media to connect with our students, wherever they are.
Over 70% of our students balance study with a career
One of the best things about The Open University is that you can learn while you earn – there is no need to stop everything to get the qualification you need.
With us, you are never alone
You might study in your own time, but with plenty of tutor support and 24/7 access to our online student communities, there’s always someone to bounce ideas off.
One of the great advantages of the OU is that you fit it around what you’re doing. I do a lot of studying in my lunch hour at work and have often used that time to speak to my tutor on the phone.
June Arnold, BSc and BEng (Hons)
I haven’t got the time – it’ll take over my life…
There’s no doubt that it takes commitment to study for a degree in your own time. But it can be done – 250,000 other people are doing it with us right now – and no-one is better placed to support you than the OU. We’re experts at helping people manage their time and fit study around their everyday life.
Ask our students how they fit it in, and they’ll tell you they study in their lunch hour, or sacrificed one of their favourite TV programmes for the good of their career. It takes a bit of practice, but it’s perfectly possible to achieve a healthy work/life/study balance. If a busy single mum with a full-time job can do it, so can you – see Sandy’s story below.
There’s mutual support among students, and so much of it, especially with online forums. If you’re studying at two in the morning and post a message on the OU’s online subject message boards, you’d be surprised how many people are doing exactly the same thing. It’s a fantastic community.
Sandy Davies, BSc (Hons) Chemistry and MA (Social Policy and Criminology)
What’s stopping you?
Call today to find out how we could help change your life
0845 300 60 90
www.openuniversity.co.uk/intro
It’s more affordable than you might think
We know that the cost of study can be an issue for many people, especially in the current financial climate. We can show you how studying with us can be more affordable than you might think – in some cases, it costs nothing at all. You could get help from a government scheme
Many people qualify for a government-backed scheme, which can dramatically reduce the cost of study, or even enable you to study for free. Arrangements and eligibility criteria depend on where you live but we can make sure you have access to the right scheme for you.
Your employer could sponsor you
Thousands of public and private sector organisations have sponsored OU students. In addition, extra financial support is available to low income learners and those with a disability or specific learning difficulty.
You could pay as you go along
You don’t have to pay up-front. An OU Student Budget Account lets you spread the cost of study across monthly repayments – around 1 in 3 of our students already do.
I am so fulfilled and the OU has brought this out in me. Being at home with the children – although I loved being with them, I sometimes feared my brain had seized up. The OU helped to open it up again.
Sarah Witts, BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies
Is it really worth it...?
Is studying at the OU worth the time, effort and money? The feedback we get from our students and employers is overwhelmingly, yes. A qualification from the OU can make you more employable and boost your earning potential, as Chris demonstrates below.
Many of our students tell us graduating with us increases your confidence and self-belief and gives you an extraordinary amount of personal satisfaction. We’ll open your mind to new ideas and introduce you to new people. And we make sure great learning is also great value, so our tuition fees don’t just cover high quality education; they also include our study materials, support from study and careers advisers as well as access to free online resources and community forums. The benefits go on… Why not give us a call to talk about how we could help you?
Now I’ve got a job as a Data Co-ordinator at a secondary school. It’s a long way from driving forklifts and I’ve more than doubled my salary.
Chris Swain, BSc (Hons) Information Technology and Computing
What’s stopping you?
Call today to find out how we could help change your life
0845 300 60 90
www.openuniversity.co.uk/intro
Get the kind of qualification employers really value
Many of our students choose us because they want to improve their job prospects with a CV that stands out from the crowd. Our degrees are based on current workplace practices and could give you an edge in today’s competitive job market. Employers really value a qualification from The Open University
Our qualifications draw on real business situations and are results driven so your new skills and knowledge can start benefitting your employer.
Over 75% of FTSE 100 companies have sponsored staff with us
Many of the country’s top business brains appreciate the relevance of our training and development modules.
We train more teachers and nurses than any other university
And we work across the public and private sectors, helping everyone get ahead in their careers – childminders, social workers, lawyers, finance managers, engineers, IT managers...
Is a degree from the OU worth as much as one from a traditional university?
Putting it simply, yes. The fact that three quarters of traditional universities use our learning materials shows that what we offer isn’t just as good as traditional universities and colleges – in many cases, it’s actually deemed to be better. And this is without considering the desirable personal qualities a degree from the OU demonstrates – perseverance, motivation, ambition…
Prospective students often ask us whether a degree from the OU looks as good on their CV as a degree from a campus-based university. We asked the Corporate Human Resource Supervisor of Enterprise Rent-a-car, who told us: “OU graduates tend to display a great communication style that generally comes with experience… and typically, for us, they demonstrate a much greater degree of leadership and work ethic.”
The single most important thing I’d like to say to all OU graduates is that there are companies out there who want your talent and want your experience and want your knowledge.
Charlie Leake Corporate Human Resource Supervisor Enterprise Rent-a-car
What’s stopping you?
Call today to find out how we could help change your life
0845 300 60 90
www.openuniversity.co.uk/intro
What’s stopping you?
Call today to find out how we could help change your life
Over 120 ways to change your life
Arts and humanities Business, management and finance Childhood and youth Computing and IT Engineering, design and technology Education and teacher training Environment and international studies Languages Law Mathematics and statistics Nursing and healthcare Science Social sciences and psychology Social work and social care Sports and fitness
0845 300 60 90
www.openuniversity.co.uk/intro
The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391), an exempt charity in England and Wales and a charity registered in Scotland (SC 038302). While we have done everything possible to make sure the information in this publication is accurate, it may change due to regulations or policy, or because of financial or other reasons. Designed by 20:20 Agency. Printed by Belmont Press. Copyright © 2011 The Open University. SUP 029623
Your guide to The Open University
The Open University
Inside: your questions answered…
Why nothing should stop you from getting the qualifications you want
INSPIRING LEARNING
Don’t let anything hold you back this year
If you want to improve your prospects with a qualification but don’t know where to start. If you’ve heard of The Open University but aren’t sure how we work, or whether we’re even a proper university. If you’d love a qualification but aren’t sure how you’ll be able to afford it. If you want to get ahead at work and want to know why you should choose the OU. If you want to make 2012 the year you change your life – this guide is for you…
Is the OU for me?
As our name suggests, The Open University is open to everyone. Our flexible approach to learning means you can start studying at a level that’s right for you. So whether you’ve left school without any qualifications or already studied to degree level, we can support you in the right way, every step of the way.
Throughout this guide you’ll hear from people like you who’ve used an Open University qualification to help change their lives:
My career took off in a whole new direction.
Chris Crosby, MA in Environmental Policy
I thought my working days were over – now I’m a Senior Design Engineer!
June Arnold, BSc and BEng (Hons)
A TV show I saw while nannying inspired me to become a scientist.
Sandy Davies, BSc (Hons) Chemistry and MA (Social Policy and Criminology)
From stay-at-home mum to classroom assistant!
Sarah Witts, BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies
I’ve changed my career and doubled my salary.
Chris Swain, BSc (Hons) Information Technology and Computing
If you want to hear more about how OU study helped these students, visit www.openuniversity.co.uk/intro for their stories in their own words.
Study with one of the UK’s finest universities
When you study with The Open University, the standard of education you’ll receive is up there with the very best Britain has to offer. Most of the UK’s biggest universities use OU study materials
We don’t just provide great learning for our own students. Three quarters of the country’s biggest universities use our learning materials too*.
We have more satisfied students than any other university
We’ve been in the top three universities for student satisfaction since the National Student Survey began in 2005 – and given we have over 250,000 students, that means we have the largest body of happy students in the country.
Our modules are created by some of the finest minds of our time
All of our modules are research-based and reflect current workplace practice, and all of our lecturers are experts in their fields.
We’ll support you every step of the way
Whether it’s face-to-face, on the phone or online, when you study with us you get dedicated support from your tutor – many OU students who have studied elsewhere say they’ve been better supported by us than at other universities.
* Based on the 2009/10 HESA list of UK universities ranked by number of students
So what kind of university is it?
Everything you’d expect from a campus-based university or college, you’ll get from us – tutorials, tutors, libraries, a thriving student community…
When we started 42 years ago, learning from home was a radical departure from the norm. Since then, other universities and colleges have adopted our flexible, multimedia approach to learning and have started to deliver their tutorials online, too. We have a wide-reaching and vibrant research and enterprise portfolio, competing with the best in the world. Universities are defined by the quality of the education they offer, not bricks and mortar – ask Chris, below, if he thinks we’re a ‘proper’ university…
As soon as I started my diploma in environmental policy I knew this was the right choice – the materials, the support from tutors and just the overall education was of such a high standard.
Chris Crosby, MA in Environmental Policy
What’s stopping you?
Call today to find out how we could help change your life
0845 300 60 90
www.openuniversity.co.uk/intro
Learning revolves around you
With The Open University, you study in your own time, at home, at work or on the move – wherever it suits you. Our world-class qualifications are delivered using innovative technologies to keep learning interesting as well as flexible, and we make sure you have access to all the support you need to succeed. We are world leaders in flexible learning
We set the standard for flexible learning, blending study materials and tutorial groups with online and mobile media to connect with our students, wherever they are.
Over 70% of our students balance study with a career
One of the best things about The Open University is that you can learn while you earn – there is no need to stop everything to get the qualification you need.
With us, you are never alone
You might study in your own time, but with plenty of tutor support and 24/7 access to our online student communities, there’s always someone to bounce ideas off.
One of the great advantages of the OU is that you fit it around what you’re doing. I do a lot of studying in my lunch hour at work and have often used that time to speak to my tutor on the phone.
June Arnold, BSc and BEng (Hons)
I haven’t got the time – it’ll take over my life…
There’s no doubt that it takes commitment to study for a degree in your own time. But it can be done – 250,000 other people are doing it with us right now – and no-one is better placed to support you than the OU. We’re experts at helping people manage their time and fit study around their everyday life.
Ask our students how they fit it in, and they’ll tell you they study in their lunch hour, or sacrificed one of their favourite TV programmes for the good of their career. It takes a bit of practice, but it’s perfectly possible to achieve a healthy work/life/study balance. If a busy single mum with a full-time job can do it, so can you – see Sandy’s story below.
There’s mutual support among students, and so much of it, especially with online forums. If you’re studying at two in the morning and post a message on the OU’s online subject message boards, you’d be surprised how many people are doing exactly the same thing. It’s a fantastic community.
Sandy Davies, BSc (Hons) Chemistry and MA (Social Policy and Criminology)
What’s stopping you?
Call today to find out how we could help change your life
0845 300 60 90
www.openuniversity.co.uk/intro
It’s more affordable than you might think
We know that the cost of study can be an issue for many people, especially in the current financial climate. We can show you how studying with us can be more affordable than you might think – in some cases, it costs nothing at all. You could get help from a government scheme
Many people qualify for a government-backed scheme, which can dramatically reduce the cost of study, or even enable you to study for free. Arrangements and eligibility criteria depend on where you live but we can make sure you have access to the right scheme for you.
Your employer could sponsor you
Thousands of public and private sector organisations have sponsored OU students. In addition, extra financial support is available to low income learners and those with a disability or specific learning difficulty.
You could pay as you go along
You don’t have to pay up-front. An OU Student Budget Account lets you spread the cost of study across monthly repayments – around 1 in 3 of our students already do.
I am so fulfilled and the OU has brought this out in me. Being at home with the children – although I loved being with them, I sometimes feared my brain had seized up. The OU helped to open it up again.
Sarah Witts, BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies
Is it really worth it...?
Is studying at the OU worth the time, effort and money? The feedback we get from our students and employers is overwhelmingly, yes. A qualification from the OU can make you more employable and boost your earning potential, as Chris demonstrates below.
Many of our students tell us graduating with us increases your confidence and self-belief and gives you an extraordinary amount of personal satisfaction. We’ll open your mind to new ideas and introduce you to new people. And we make sure great learning is also great value, so our tuition fees don’t just cover high quality education; they also include our study materials, support from study and careers advisers as well as access to free online resources and community forums. The benefits go on… Why not give us a call to talk about how we could help you?
Now I’ve got a job as a Data Co-ordinator at a secondary school. It’s a long way from driving forklifts and I’ve more than doubled my salary.
Chris Swain, BSc (Hons) Information Technology and Computing
What’s stopping you?
Call today to find out how we could help change your life
0845 300 60 90
www.openuniversity.co.uk/intro
Get the kind of qualification employers really value
Many of our students choose us because they want to improve their job prospects with a CV that stands out from the crowd. Our degrees are based on current workplace practices and could give you an edge in today’s competitive job market. Employers really value a qualification from The Open University
Our qualifications draw on real business situations and are results driven so your new skills and knowledge can start benefitting your employer.
Over 75% of FTSE 100 companies have sponsored staff with us
Many of the country’s top business brains appreciate the relevance of our training and development modules.
We train more teachers and nurses than any other university
And we work across the public and private sectors, helping everyone get ahead in their careers – childminders, social workers, lawyers, finance managers, engineers, IT managers...
Is a degree from the OU worth as much as one from a traditional university?
Putting it simply, yes. The fact that three quarters of traditional universities use our learning materials shows that what we offer isn’t just as good as traditional universities and colleges – in many cases, it’s actually deemed to be better. And this is without considering the desirable personal qualities a degree from the OU demonstrates – perseverance, motivation, ambition…
Prospective students often ask us whether a degree from the OU looks as good on their CV as a degree from a campus-based university. We asked the Corporate Human Resource Supervisor of Enterprise Rent-a-car, who told us: “OU graduates tend to display a great communication style that generally comes with experience… and typically, for us, they demonstrate a much greater degree of leadership and work ethic.”
The single most important thing I’d like to say to all OU graduates is that there are companies out there who want your talent and want your experience and want your knowledge.
Charlie Leake Corporate Human Resource Supervisor Enterprise Rent-a-car
What’s stopping you?
Call today to find out how we could help change your life
0845 300 60 90
www.openuniversity.co.uk/intro
What’s stopping you?
Call today to find out how we could help change your life
Over 120 ways to change your life
Arts and humanities Business, management and finance Childhood and youth Computing and IT Engineering, design and technology Education and teacher training Environment and international studies Languages Law Mathematics and statistics Nursing and healthcare Science Social sciences and psychology Social work and social care Sports and fitness
0845 300 60 90
www.openuniversity.co.uk/intro
The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391), an exempt charity in England and Wales and a charity registered in Scotland (SC 038302). While we have done everything possible to make sure the information in this publication is accurate, it may change due to regulations or policy, or because of financial or other reasons. Designed by 20:20 Agency. Printed by Belmont Press. Copyright © 2011 The Open University. SUP 029623
Your guide to The Open University
