BA/BSc (Honours) Design and Innovation

Accessibility

We make all our qualifications as accessible as possible and have a comprehensive range of services to support all our students. The BA/BSc (Honours) Design and Innovation uses a variety of study materials and has the following elements:

• studying a mixture of printed and online material – online learning resources may include websites, audio/video media clips, and interactive activities such as online quizzes
• working with specialist reading material such as design drawings and plans
• working in a group with other students
• using and producing drawings, diagrams and photographs
• undertaking practical work such as 3D modelling
• researching external material online
• using specialist software (for example OpenDesignStudio, Computer-aided modelling, CES EduPack database)
• using mathematical and scientific expressions, notations and associated techniques (Engineering and Environment routes only).

For more detailed information, see the Accessibility Statements on individual module descriptions. If you feel you may need additional support, visit Disability support to find more about what we offer.

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements for this qualification.

At The Open University we believe education should be open to all, so we provide a high-quality university education to anyone who wishes to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential.

If you choose the BSc designation, you’ll have to develop your mathematical skills. We’ll teach you the skills required, but a willingness to learn them is necessary.

Even though there are no entry requirements, there are some skills that you'll need to succeed. If you're not quite ready for OU study we can guide you to resources that prepare you, many of which are free.

Answer a few quick questions to check whether you're ready for study success

How much time do I need?

• Most of our students study part time, completing 60 credits a year.
• This will usually mean studying for 16–18 hours a week.

Find out if you have enough time to study with our time planner

Preparing for study with an Access module

Students who start their study with an Access module are more likely to be successful when they advance to Stage 1 of their qualification. They’re specially designed to give you a gentle introduction to OU study, boost confidence in your study skills, and help you gain a broad overview of your chosen subject area.

You’ll also benefit from:

• feedback from your tutor through regular one-to-one phone tutorials
• support from a dedicated team throughout your study
• detailed written feedback on your work.

Skills for career development

A design and innovation approach can bring value to almost any activity, and is increasingly in demand with employers – for example in education, business, local government, leisure services, engineering, environment, and health.

This degree course will develop your skills in design and innovation so that you can apply them to ‘embedded contexts’ – areas outside the creative industries that are not traditionally thought of as ‘creative’, but nevertheless benefit hugely from design thinking. As an Open University student you have a great advantage over other design students in that your learning can be put into practice as you study. The BA/BSc (Honours) Design and Innovation encourages you to apply the thinking, methods, and techniques you learn to your own context, enabling you to produce a portfolio of highly relevant design work. Additionally, the ability to think critically and responsibly about design problems is greatly valued by a wide range of employers.

Career relevance

Design and innovation play a central role in society, producing solutions to problems of all sizes in every aspect of our lives, not just in the creative industries. A design and innovation approach can bring value to almost any activity, and is increasingly in demand by employers. Graduates with these skills can find jobs in a wide range of fields including education, business, local government, leisure services, engineering, environment, and health.

Accreditation

The BSc route of this degree has been accredited by the professional institution(s) below under licence from the UK regulator, the Engineering Council. Accreditation is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by the Engineering Council in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC). An accredited degree will provide you with some or all of the underpinning knowledge, understanding and skills for eventual registration as an Incorporated (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng). Some employers recruit preferentially from accredited degrees, and an accredited degree is likely to be recognised by other countries that are signatories to international accords.
https://www.engc.org.uk/

Accredited by the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED) on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as an Incorporated Engineer.
https://www.institution-engineering-designers.co.uk/

Other careers

Many graduate-level jobs are open to graduates of any discipline, particularly in business, finance, management consultancy and the public sector. Some careers may require further study, training and/or work experience beyond your degree.

Exploring your options

Once you register with us (and for up to three years after you finish your studies), you’ll have full access to our careers service for a wide range of information and advice – including online forums, website, interview simulation, vacancy service as well as the option to email or speak to a careers adviser. Some areas of the careers service website are available for you to see now, including help with looking for and applying for jobs. You can also read more general information about how OU study enhances your career.

In the meantime if you want to do some research around this qualification and where it might take you, we’ve put together a list of relevant job titles as a starting point (note that some careers may require further study, training and/or work experience):