BA/BSc (Honours) Design and Innovation

Accessibility

Our qualifications are as accessible as possible, and we have a comprehensive range of support services. Our BA/BSc (Honours) Design and Innovation uses a variety of study materials and includes the following elements:

• Online study – most modules are online; some have a mix of printed and online material. Online learning resources could include websites, audio/video, and interactive activities
• Pre-determined schedules – we’ll help you to develop your time-management skills
• Assessment in the form of short-answer questions, essays, and examinations
• Feedback – continuous assessment includes feedback from your tutor and using this to improve your performance
• Using and producing diagrams and screenshots
• Finding external/third-party material online
• Accessing online catalogues and databases
• Specialist material, such as works of art and musical manuscripts
• Specialist software, such as OpenDesignStudio, Computer-aided modelling, CES EduPack database
• Mathematical and scientific expressions, notations and associated techniques
• Online tutorials
• Group-work

Every module has its own Accessibility Statement with more detailed accessibility information – you’ll find these on individual module descriptions.

Visit our Disability support page to learn about our services.

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

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.

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):

You can achieve this degree in as little as three years and have a maximum of 16 years to complete it. Our module-by-module approach gives you the flexibility to complete your qualification at a pace that works best for you.

3-year degree

You can complete this degree in three years by studying at a pace equivalent to full-time. That’s similar to a student at a campus-based university.

• You’ll study 120 credits a year.
• You’ll need 32–36 study hours per week.

For a year-by-year breakdown of modules, take a look at our 3-year degree pathway in the Course details section.

6-year degree

You can complete this degree in six years by studying part-time. That’s roughly half the rate of a student on a full-time course at a campus-based university.

• You’ll study 60 credits a year.
• You’ll need 16–18 study hours per week.

For a year-by-year breakdown of modules, take a look at our 6-year degree pathway in the Course details section.