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The Open University

Undergraduate

The Open Programme

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An image to illustrate studying an Open degree with The Open University

Our unique Open Programme gives you the freedom to choose the courses that make up your undergraduate qualification. There are no compulsory courses or set lists of optional courses that you have to choose from. Instead you can tailor your qualification to meet your own requirements. You have over 300 courses to choose from and each one is designed to stretch your mind and fire your imagination.

The Open Programme is ideal for any of the following scenarios:

- You want to build a unique and personal qualification around your interests and career needs.

- You want to study subjects in tailored or unusual combinations.

- You want a degree and would like to focus on one main subject, but find the pathway through a named degree too restrictive or you want the option to mix in a few courses from other areas.

- You want to use successfully completed credit gained from previous university-level studies elsewhere (for example, from a foundation degree or partly completed studies).

- You started studying a particular subject but now want to change direction.

The Open degree qualification description contains sample study routes illustrating some of the above scenarios.

Where to start in The Open Programme

Wherever you start, it is a good idea to think about the courses and subjects you may want to study in the future. At the OU, courses at Level 2 build on Level 1, and courses at Level 3 build on Level 2. It is therefore common for courses at Level 2 and 3 to recommend or require you to have previously studied specific courses. Don't forget, you can talk to an adviser if you need help considering options.

Starting at Level 1
If you haven't studied at university level before, you should start with a Level 1 course. Our Level 1 courses are designed to introduce you to Open University study and to help you develop distance-learning skills while gaining a solid grounding in a particular subject.

Possible Level 1 courses include:

If you intend to study a particular subject as part of your Open Programme studies, use the subject links on the right of this page and look for the ‘Where to start’ recommendations for Level 1 courses associated with that subject.

Starting at Level 2 or 3
If you have already studied at university level, you may be able to start with one of our Level 2 or 3 courses, but we strongly recommend that you talk to an adviser first.

Openings courses
If you are worried about your ability, the time it will take and you're resident in the UK, then you could start with our Openings courses: short courses with lots of support and no exams, giving you a gradual introduction to your subject and the world of studying.

Alternatively, see How to go about choosing your first course.

Degrees in The Open Programme

  • BA/BSc Open degree
    The BA/BSc Open Degree provides a flexible way to combine a range of courses from different subjects either to suit your particular career or personal interests, or to complete studies you have started elsewhere.

Courses in The Open Programme

Any undergraduate OU course can be counted towards the Open Programme, view courses by undergraduate subjects.

Spotlight on The Open Programme

Got some study under your belt?

If you’ve dropped out of full-time education you could still complete your studies with an Open degree, and save time and money by transferring credit from previous study you’ve successfully completed.

Interested in a range of subjects?

Interested in history, politics and science? Or French, statistics and biology? An Open degree would enable you to combine all your passions.

Qualifications for prior learning

Are you in paid or voluntary work and without formal qualifications? Make your experience count (U122) could be just what you’re looking for – the opportunity to gain credit towards higher education qualifications by drawing on your prior learning experiences.

Got a question?

Contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service
Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90

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