The Open University in Scotland

We are the most popular university in Scotland for flexible, part-time study. Social justice is at our core: our high quality education is accessible to all, regardless of age, income, qualifications or geography.

Working with our partners, from employers and trade unions, to schools and voluntary sector groups, we can deliver personalised, supported open learning to a wide range of people at every stage of life.

About us

The Open University in Scotland has 15,000 students from Shetland to Stranraer, who are supported by around 450 tutors across the country. Over 120 academic, academic-related and support staff are based at our Edinburgh office.

Courses and qualifications

The OU really is open to everyone: our students live in every Scottish parliamentary constituency and most undergraduate courses have no entry requirements. Students can take a standalone module or register for a wide range of qualifications, and study at a time and place that suits them.

Meet our students and alumni

We support students in personalised open learning across Scotland. Our flexible programmes and wide range of qualifications allow learners to pick the study route that’s best for them. Read about a variety of OU in Scotland journeys and experiences from some of our learners and alumni.

Strategy and policy

We work with the Scottish Government, Scottish Funding Council, politicians and key external organisations in Scotland on a range of issues relating to part-time study and student support, to ensure higher education policy takes into account the needs and interests of our learners.

Free online learning

It doesn’t matter if you’re into art or zoology, whether you have 5 minutes or 50 hours, or if you want to brush up on skills or to learn for leisure. We’ve got a huge range of free online learning to explore, including resources on Scotland and MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses).

Work with us

We work with organisations across Scotland to open up learning opportunities, including employers, unions, charity and voluntary sector groups, sports bodies, universities, colleges and schools. Our Young Applicants in Schools Scheme (YASS) lets S6 students in Scotland study university-level modules.