History and milestones

The Open University Business School is the management school of The Open University. Founded by Royal Charter in 1969, the OU’s mission was to make a high quality university education available to all through innovative open learning systems and progressive technology. More than two million students later, it has exceeded the expectations of even its most fervent pioneers. Today, the OU is a household name; we are internationally renowned for the quality of our teaching programs; and our materials and study methods are used by universities throughout the land. We’re also the world's leading e-university.

Advancing management education

In 1983, the OU launched The Open University Business School to deliver distance learning management programmes. In our first year of operation, we attracted 1600 students. Our first MBA students enrolled five years later, and almost immediately we became the largest business school in Europe. We began offering law courses in 1997, making a significant impact on legal education as the UK’s largest provider of a qualifying law degree.

In 2009, OUBS had nearly 30,000 students based in 107 countries across the world – and while the University celebrated its 40th anniversary, we congratulated our 20,000th MBA graduate.

And what of the future? In our technological age with its knowledge-driven economy, distance learning is more relevant than ever – and our worldwide network of partners, students and alumni puts us in a unique position to cross national, economic, political and cultural boundaries.

Milestones

1969     The Open University founded

1983     The Open University Business School founded

1987     Funding to develop MBA announced

1989     MBA launched. OUBS offers courses in Eastern Europe

1992     First MBA degrees awarded

1994     OUBS awarded ‘excellent’ rating for business teaching by the UK Higher Education Funding Council

1994     OUBS is accredited by AMBA

1994     The Business School receives an IiP (Investors in People) award

1997     OUBS launches Law programme in partnership with the College of Law

1997     The Business School receives the Queen’s Award for Export

2000     First undergraduate management programme launched – the BA in Business Studies

2002     Launch of Corporate Learning Development Centre (now known as Centre for Professional Learning and Development)

2002     As a founder member of WADE (World Alliance on Distance Learning), OUBS involved in developing online post-MBA international business education programme

2004     Launch of Masters degree programmes

2005     OUBS awarded Certification of e-Learning by the European Foundation for Management Development, in partnership with the Swiss Centre for Innovation in Learning

2007     The OU joins Santander Universities, an international sponsorship scheme. Among other things, it will support an academic and international professorship programme at OUBS

2007     OUBS becomes founding partner of the SEEDA (South East England Development Agency) project to develop a leadership academy

2007     Electronic Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) launched to harness technology-led learning opportunities

2009     OUBS celebrates 20 years of its MBA programme and its twenty thousandth graduate

2010     The Business School launches the new MBA programme

2011     AMBA accreditation retained

2012     Professor Rebecca Taylor takes up the post of Dean of the Business School 

2012     EQUIS accreditation retained