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Courses and qualifications

With no entry requirements for most undergraduate courses, The OU really is open to everyone. You can take a standalone module, or register for a wide range of qualifications. Find out what it’s like to study with The OU.

Courses

Full details of all courses, and how to request a prospectus, are available at www.open.ac.uk/courses. This includes our BA (Hons) Social Work (Scotland) degree, which is particularly popular and relevant to students in Scotland.

Stat graphic: Our students studied 24,645 modules in 2019/20; Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, 9,215; Wellbeing, Education and Languages, 5,125; Arts and Social Sciences, 6,480; Business and Law, 2.965; Access, 860

Tailored courses and pathways

The Open University offers qualifications specifically developed for Scotland’s workforces, sixth-year students at Scottish schools, and credit transfer pathways for college students which reduce the time needed to do a degree. We also provide a range of resources and support to help get carers into learning, or to resume studies they have put on hold. 

Qualifications

Our wide-ranging OU qualifications include certificates and degrees. You can even mix and match any subjects you like with our Certificate of Higher Education Open, Diploma of Higher Education Open and BA/BSc (Honours) Open Degree courses, which are among the most flexible qualifications in the UK. If you already have a degree, The OU postgraduate programme could extend your qualifications.

Credit transfer

If you’ve already completed some higher education level study at another university - or at a college, such as Higher National Certificate or Diploma (HNC/D) - it may be possible to count it towards your Open University qualification through credit transfer.

Funding

Over half of all new students in Scotland qualify for financial support, with most of those whose income is £25,000 or less using a Part-Time Fee Grant to cover the cost of their undergraduate module fees in full. Postgraduate loans are available to Scotland-based students for some postgraduate studies. Find out more here.

Can I do it?

Whether you need help with finding the time, an Access module to ease you into university study, support with a disability or need to test your English or computing skills, we can help you reach your goals.

How to apply

Information about the registration process can be found here.

Still image from 'Off to a good start' video, showing a student, desk, PC and files

Support on your studies

Our ‘Off to a good start’ video is one example of the support that is available to new students.

It provides some tips for people embarking on OU studies.

These include using online forums, contacting your tutor or study advisor, and accessing online study skills resources.

Careers and employability

Find out more about how your study choices relate to different careers and employability areas, and the importance of this in decision-making both before you start and during your studies, by visiting The OU Careers and Employability Service and read about careers' news and events.

Browse our courses