To gain this qualification, you need 180 credits as follows:
Stage 1 (120 credits)
60 credits from:
Plus, 60 credits by completing either:
- four postgraduate OU microcredentials
Microcredentials are 10–12 week professional development courses. Learn more about each microcredential and explore how they can count towards OU qualifications, including the MA in Online Teaching (F98).
or one postgraduate module:
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules EE811 and EE814.
Stage 2 (60 credits)
You'll complete your qualification with 60 credits from the below. This must be the final module studied.
You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.
Credit transfer
If you’ve successfully completed some relevant postgraduate study elsewhere, you might be able to count it towards this qualification, reducing the number of modules you need to study.
You should apply for credit transfer as soon as possible, before you register for your first module. For more details and an application form, visit our Credit Transfer website.
On completion
On successfully completing this course, we’ll award you our Master of Arts in Online Teaching. You’ll be entitled to use the letters MAOT (Open) after your name.
If your masters degree is awardable with a distinction or a merit, the qualification regulations explain how you can achieve these.
You’ll have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony.
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.
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.
Career relevance
The MA in Online Teaching is closely focused on developing knowledge and skills that can immediately be applied to professional practice. You will explore the implications of learning design and educational technology choices made across a wide range of contexts and organisations, both formal and informal, and for diverse learners. You will advance your skills in selecting and designing with educational technologies and your understanding of how educational technologies can be evaluated.
This qualification is relevant for professionals, including teachers, trainers, lecturers, educational technologists, learning designers, librarians, project managers, entrepreneurs and practice educators in nursing and other subjects.
Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.