FAQs

For most undergraduate degrees you don’t need any formal qualifications, or to pass an entry test, to study with us.

For postgraduate degrees you will be required to possess an undergraduate degree equivalent to the UK qualification.

Each course page shows details of the specific entry requirements for that course.

For all courses studied you will need to be proficient in English. Please see 'What level of proficiency do I need in English?'

Any higher education level studies you’ve successfully completed elsewhere may count towards your OU degree or other qualification. We enable you to do this by awarding you a certain amount of ‘transferred credit’. By transferring credit gained from previous study, you can reduce the amount you need from OU study to achieve your qualification. Please see Credit transfer for more information.

Definitely – when you start with the OU you automatically become a member of the Open University Student Association (OUSA). OUSA also runs a popular student forum. Once you have gained your qualification, you can join the OU Alumni Association, our vibrant and active alumni community with 280,000 members worldwide. You will enjoy many membership benefits, including regular newsletters, good networking opportunities and access to the alumni website.

You will if some of your course requires residential schools. If your course requires residential schools it will be detailed on the course page in the Courses section. The charge for attending is £250 (in addition to the course fee) which covers the cost of accommodation and subsistence while at the school (not the travel costs).

Full details will be given to you after registration.

Yes, once you are registered as a student you can use the Going Global web service.

You will need your username and password to log in which is given to you when you register. Alternatively you can create a free Open University account - details on the Going Global page.

Going Global is packed with useful career advise; showing a list of employers by country (with contact details) and also live job adverts.

The OU offers a range of ways to pay your tuition fees:

• Pay upfront – for each module – by credit or debit card
• Employer sponsorship – if your study is job or career related your employer may be willing to sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees
• Pay in instalments with Open University Student Budget Accounts. Visit OUSBA for more information.

Follow these steps:

1. Go to the Courses section to view the courses available, ensuring the country dropdown at the top of the page is correct for your location of study.
2. To register for an undergraduate course you will need to select a pathway (for more information on pathways, see 'How do I work towards a qualification?' in this FAQs section).
3. To register for a postgraduate course you will need to select a module.
4. Check the dates of study are suitable and click on 'Register now' and complete your personal details. Payment is not taken at this point – you are simply making a reservation on the course. Payment is taken at a later stage when you enrol.
5. You will receive an email confirming your registration, and a username and password to log in to complete enrolment and payment for the course.
6. If the 'Register' button is not showing the course is not yet open for registration. The date shown is when registration opens for the course. Please return to the site on that date (or close after) to register.

Undergraduate courses

All qualifications are made up of credits:

To register on your course you will need to select a 'Pathway' in the Courses section. Pathways are particular combinations of modules to complete your qualification allowing you to specialise in particular subjects.

Modules are set at different 'levels'. Levels give an indication of a module’s relative complexity and/or depth of learning. Most modules are worth either 30 or 60 credits and are set at Levels 1, 2 and 3 which roughly equates to studying in the first, second and third year at a campus-based university.

So for a typical three-stage honours degree you would study:

120 credits at Stage 1 taking modules worth 30 or 60 credits at Level 1

120 credits at Stage 2 taking modules worth 30 or 60 credits at Level 2

120 credits at Stage 3 taking modules worth 30 or 60 credits at Level 3.

In the example given above, each stage could consist of two 60-credit modules or one 60-credit module and two 30-credit modules, or four 30-credit modules.

Postgraduate courses

Postgraduate qualifications are also made up of credits:

To register on your course you will need to select one of the modules shown in the Courses section. 

Modules are set at different 'levels'. Levels give an indication of a module’s relative complexity and/or depth of learning. Most modules are worth either 30 or 60 credits and are set at different levels. For postgraduate qualifications, most modules will be at postgraduate level, though a small number may be at level 3 which is the equivalent of the final year of a full-time honours degree.

Read about the courses available. For undergraduate courses you will see the pathways available for registration, and for postgraduate courses the modules availlable to register and start your course.

Using OU credit in Europe

The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) can be used to convert credits gained at the OU to credit on higher education courses in the EU. It is used in the EU for measuring study workload. Since the systems don't compare like with like, and ECTS doesn't take account of academic level, direct comparisons are difficult to make. However, broadly, at any given level, 60 OU credits would be worth 30 ECTS points, and 30 OU credits would be worth 15 ECTS points.

Using ECTS points towards OU study

If you have completed study elsewhere, that is recorded in ECTS points, and you want to count this towards your OU qualification, please contact the Credit transfer Centre for advice.

We record your personal information when you contact us and use this to manage registration, study, examination and other services. When you register, we’ll tell you more about how we process and use your personal information.

Our qualifications are designed to be flexible. So if you if you want to vary the amount of time you spend studying from year to year, or even take a break for a while, you can.

NB: The table is for illustrative purposes only – in most cases you can vary the number of credits taken per year and therefore the time taken to complete the course.

Undergraduate courses

Postgraduate courses

An OU degree is equal in academic standard to a degree from any other British university. The University is subject to the same quality assurance procedures, through the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), as all other British universities, and uses external assessors and examiners to ensure comparability of standard and level in its courses. For more information see Entry to Higher Education and employment overseas.

Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a study programme or qualification – one credit represents about 10 hours of study. At the OU, you’ll be awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module. For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded the full 60 credits, never fewer than this. This usually represents 600 hours of study over 9 months, which is equivalent to about 16 hours per week.

Undergraduate courses

The standard fee for 2012/2013 is £5000 for 120 credits of study. Of course you don’t have to study 120 credits a year and the price you pay will be proportionate to the standard fee, so, for example, if you only study 60 credits a year you will pay 50 per cent of the standard fee (£2500).

Postgraduate courses

Postgraduate course fees vary by subject and whether you are studying for a Certificate, Diploma or Masters Degree. The table below gives an indication of the price bands for 2012/13.

Notes to the above tables:

• Prices are approximate and subject to change. Please go to the Courses section for the latest information
• Your course may require residential school visits to the UK. Which courses require this are detailed on the course page in the Courses section. Travel and accommodation for these schools will be your responsibility to arrange and pay for - these costs are not included in the course fees shown.
• If your module has a standard written examination, you will need to apply to sit an overseas examination. There is an additional fee for an overseas examination. For more information go to Assessments and Exams

To find out which courses are available in your country, please go to Courses section, ensuring your country is selected from the menu at the top of the page.

Depending on your disability, long-term health condition, mental health disability or specific learning difficulty, you may need to consider any challenges posed by:

•  the learning objectives: for example, to gain an honours degree in a language you must be physically able to speak the language
•  how the modules are taught: for example, some of our science qualifications require that you complete laboratory work
•  any work-based competency requirements

Choosing the right qualification can be a complex mix of the subject requirements and the support you may need.

The OU is committed to supporting disabled students throughout their studies. We provide alternative formats, such as audio versions of module materials. The Services for disabled students website will give you more information, in particular the Accessible module materials page, which you can use to check the alternative formats that are available for your module. However, please be aware that some services and resources are funded by the UK government for UK-based students only and so won't be available to you.

The Open University’s unique style of distance learning is called supported open learning. This means that you study on your own, either at home or wherever suits you – reading, watching or listening to material supplied, doing activities and assignments with regular support from your tutor. Please see Distance Learning explained.

Whatever the level, each academic subject has its own specialised vocabulary, and many also share a common set of expressions. You will come across both the specialised and shared terms in your reading and will need to use them in your own writing.

You don't need a formal qualification in English to study with the OU but successful OU study does require a reasonable standard of English.  When you apply to study with us, you'll need to confirm that you are competent in the use of English. You will need to be to an IELTS standard of at least 5.5 (although some qualifications will vary - see Courses pages for specific requirements). If you are unsure you will be able to take a free English test as part of the registration process.

Courses typically contain at least two types of assessment:

• continuous assessment, usually made up of assignments you complete during the course
• an examinable component: an examination or a project at the end of the course

For more information, go to Assessments and Exams.

The OU excels in its unrivalled support for students. You will have email and online support from a tutor and you will be able to discuss your study in online tutor group discussions, using our customised learning environment. Our community websites Platform and OpenLearn offer a different perspective on your subject, and a huge range of OU resources on YouTube and iTunes U can expand your understanding. In addition, you can tap into a range of enthusiastic and welcoming OU social network groups on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.

Find out more about Outstanding support for students.

People choose the OU for many reasons, but our main strengths are:

• career transformation
• that we are an internationally respected university
• that we offer outstanding support to students
• the flexibility we offer our students.

With more than 40 years' experience in developing the most effective distance learning methods and harnessing the latest technologies, the OU is able to offer all its students a high-quality experience. This student experience is also reflected in the high-satisfaction ratings in the National Student Survey - appearing in the top three every year since 2005. In addition, the flexibility of an OU degree means students are uniquely placed to continue to earn while they learn, and currently around 70 per cent of OU students continue in paid work while studying for their degree.

For more information see Why the Open University?