England. Change location

Accessibility statement

Shortlist CourseShortlist Register nowRegister Request ProspectusProspectus

Course type: Diploma

Diploma

Widely recognised qualification.

Equivalent to the first two thirds of an honours degree.

Enhance your professional and technical skills or extend your knowledge and understanding of a subject.

Study for interest or career development.

Top up to a full honours degree in just two years.
Credits: 240

Credits

Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.

One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.

You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.

For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
How long it takes
Study method: Distance learning
Entry requirements: Find out more about; Entry requirements

Ask a question

Diploma of Higher Education in Arts and Humanities

: Course code: W59

This diploma of higher education gives you the freedom to combine the study of different subject areas in the arts and humanities. The course offers a deep understanding of the world we live in today, drawing on the perspectives of art history, classical studies, creative writing, English literature, history, music, philosophy and religious studies. You can also combine your study of the arts and humanities with other options including English language, French, German or Spanish, psychology, or social science. As you work through the course, your cultural literacy and understanding of the past will be developed. You'll sharpen your critical awareness and refine the skills of debate and analysis that are highly valued by employers.

Key features

Course details

This arts and humanities diploma has two stages, each comprising 120 credits.

You’ll start Stage 1 with a broad introduction to the arts and humanities followed by up to two modules chosen from a variety of subjects.
Next, at Stage 2, you will choose two modules from a broad range of arts and humanities options.

You’ll begin with a stimulating introduction to the arts and humanities, studying a range of topics from across different periods and civilisations while developing essential study skills. You can build on this with Cultures, which has a particular focus on art history, classical studies, creative writing and English literature, or Revolutions, which focuses primarily on history, music, philosophy and religious studies. Alternatively, you can choose from a range of options, including languages, social science and psychology.

Stage 1 modules
Modules	Credits
You'll start your diploma with:
Discovering the arts and humanities (A111)	60
We recommend you complete Stage 1 with either of these modules:
Cultures (A112)	60
Revolutions (A113)	60
Or choose 60 credits from this list of Stage 1 option modules. If you plan to study French, German or Spanish as part of your diploma, you should choose language modules appropriate to your prior level of study.

As you work through the diploma, you’ll continue to develop your critical thinking, writing and analysis skills. You’ll also begin to work and think more independently in relation to a range of problems and questions posed by your course of study. You will take two modules from art history, classical studies, creative writing, English language, English literature, French, German, history, music, philosophy, religious studies or Spanish.

Stage 2 modules
Modules	Credits
You’ll choose one from:
Art and life before 1800 (A237)	60
Art and visual cultures in the modern world (A236)	60
Classical Latin: the language of ancient Rome (A276)	60
Creative writing (A215)	60
Early modern Europe: society and culture c.1500-1780 (A223)	60
English in the world (L201)	60
Investigating philosophy (DA223)	60
Exploring religion: places, practices, texts and experiences (A227)	60
Exploring the classical world (A229)	60
Literature matters (A240)	60
Music, sound and technology (A232)	60
Telling stories: the novel and beyond (A233)	60
The British Isles and the modern world, 1789–1914 (A225)	60
Understanding music (A234)	60
You’ll also choose:
One from this list of Stage 2 option modules	60

We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available modules – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which the University might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us. This description was last updated on 18 March 2025.

Accessibility

Our qualifications are as accessible as possible, and we have a comprehensive range of support services. Our Diploma of Higher Education in Arts and Humanities 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
Group-work
Specialist material, such as works of art and musical manuscripts
Specialist software, such as Sibelius (a music writing package)

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.

Learning outcomes, teaching and assessment

This qualification develops your learning in four main areas:

Knowledge and understanding
Cognitive skills
Practical and professional skills
Key skills

The level and depth of your learning gradually increases as you work through the qualification. You’ll be supported throughout by the OU’s unique style of teaching and assessment – which includes a personal tutor to guide and comment on your work; top quality course texts; elearning resources like podcasts, interactive media and online materials; tutorial groups and community forums.

Read the detailed learning outcomes here

Credit transfer

If you have already studied at university level, you may be able to count it towards your Open University qualification – which could save you time and money by reducing the number of modules you need to study. At the OU we call this credit transfer.

It’s not just university study that can be considered, you can also transfer study from a wide range of professional or vocational qualifications such as HNCs and HNDs.

You should apply for credit transfer before you register, at least 4 weeks before the registration closing date. We will need to know what you studied, where and when and you will need to provide evidence of your previous study.

For more details of when you will need to apply by and to download an application form, visit our Credit Transfer website.

On completion

On successfully completing this course, we’ll award you our Diploma of Higher Education in Arts and Humanities.

International recognition

If you intend to use your Open University qualifications to seek work or undertake further study outside the UK, we recommend checking whether your intended qualification will meet local requirements for your chosen career. Find out more about international recognition of Open University qualifications.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.

Diploma of Higher Education in Arts and Humanities

Compare this course

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.

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.

The Access module we’d recommend studying in preparation for this qualification is our:

Arts and languages Access module

What you will study

This multidisciplinary module is an ideal starting point if you have little or no previous knowledge of the arts, humanities and languages. It's perfect preparation for your study with The Open University as you'll develop both your subject knowledge and your study skills. From the perspective of its central theme, ‘popular protest’, it explores a range of subjects, including art history, English, English language studies, history, and popular music, all through its central theme of ‘popular protest’. The module also offers an opportunity to explore other subjects, such as modern languages, classical studies, religious studies and creative writing.

View full details of Arts and languages Access module

Y031

Fees and funding

How you'll study

How will I study this course?

With our unique approach to distance learning, you can study from home, work or on the move.

You’ll have some assessment deadlines to meet, but otherwise, you’ll be free to study at the times that suit you, fitting your learning around work, family, and social life.

For each of your modules, you’ll use either just online resources or a mix of online and printed materials.

Each module you study will have a module website with

a week-by-week study planner, giving you a step-by-step guide through your studies
course materials such as reading, videos, recordings, and self-assessed activities
module forums for discussions and collaborative activities with other students
details of each assignment and their due dates
a tutorial booking system, online tutorial rooms, and your tutor’s contact details
online versions of some printed module materials and resources.

If you have additional needs, we can also provide most module materials in alternative formats. Find out more about materials on our accessibility webpage.

Tutor support

You’ll have a tutor for each module, who will introduce themselves before the module begins.

Throughout the module, they will:

mark your assignments and give feedback to help you improve
guide you to learning resources
support you, whether with general study skills or help with a specific topic.

Tutorials

Tutorials usually take place online, and they’re always optional.

Online tutorials are live presentations with module tutors in dedicated online tutorial rooms and are sometimes recorded.

Assessment

Our assessments are all designed to reinforce your learning and help you show your understanding of the topics. The mix of assessment methods will vary between modules.

Computer-Marked Assignments

Usually, a series of online, multiple-choice questions.

Tutor-Marked Assignments

You’ll have a number of these throughout each module, each with a submission deadline.
They can be made up of essays, questions, experiments or something else to test your understanding of what you have learned.
Your tutor will mark and return them to you with detailed feedback.

End-of-Module Assessments

The final, marked piece of work on most modules.
Modules with an end-of-module assessment won’t usually have an exam.

Exams

Some modules end with an exam. You’ll be given time to revise and prepare.
You’ll be given your exam date at least 5 months in advance.
Most exams take place remotely, and you will complete them at home or at an alternative location.
If a module has an in-person exam (that you must take at one of our exam centres) or is invigilated online, we’ll make this clear in the module description.

Progressing to a point where I felt more comfortable writing my assignments, and having my scores reflecting that, made me quite happy because it showed the hard work was being rewarded.
Patrick ‘Ricky’ Skene, BSc (Hons) Sport, Fitness and Coaching

Other support and resources

Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to our subject-specific Student Support Teams.

They’ll help you with any general questions about your study and updates to your OU account.

To help with your studies, you’ll also have access to:

our online library, with high-quality online resources to support your study
other university libraries in the UK and Ireland
the online Help Centre, which has general information about OU study and support, along with study skills advice
free Microsoft Office 365 software
IT and computing support from our Computing Helpdesk.

Find out more about student support and being a part of the OU community.

Careers

Skills for career development

This diploma of higher education will help you practise and refine the skills of argument and analysis, which are valued very highly by employers. As you progress through your studies, you’ll build steadily on your skills, developing a greater perception of understanding and analysing information, and constructing more sophisticated arguments in response to assignments. You’ll also learn to study independently and develop your information literacy. These are all essential transferable skills which are in great demand in the modern workplace.

Career relevance

The breadth of study and the range of cultural texts and objects analysed, combined with clear thinking and communication, make this diploma of higher education course relevant to a wide variety of careers, including:

public administration, local government, the civil service, art institutions, and social services
advertising, journalism, publishing, creative industries and public relations
education
legal work
business, banking and retail
human resources
charities and campaigning.

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. This includes online forums, website, interview simulation, vacancy service as well as the option to email or speak to a careers adviser. Some areas of the website are available to see at any time, 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. Some careers may require further study, training and/or work experience beyond your diploma of higher education:

teacher
museum curator
civil servant
advertising account manager
journalist
publisher
public relations manager
lawyer

charity campaigner
retail manager
human resources manager
politician
librarian
information archivist
accountant
further education lecturer

local government and NHS management
arts administration
advice worker
tourist officer
marketing
business management.

Register for this course

Start dates

Oct 2025 - Registration closes 11/09/2025
Feb 2026 - Registration closes 08/01/2026

Credit transfer: apply by 14/08/2025

Credit transfer: apply by 04/12/2025

Request your Arts and Humanities prospectus

Our prospectuses help you choose your course, understand what it's like to be an OU student and register for study.

Request prospectus

Where do you live?

Please tell us where you live so that we can provide you with the most relevant information as you use this website.

If you are at a BFPO address please choose the country or region in which you would ordinarily be resident.

Please choose the country or region in which you would ordinarily be resident