Open University
Milton Keynes
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open university a good alternative?
hi all,
im thinking about dropping my course becasue i feel as if ive made a mistake with the subject im doing, i dont want to go into a job in that field now so ive been looking at doing an open university course. i keep finding all these differing opinions about their courses, so i was wondering;
a) do you think an open university degree is a suitable alternative to a normal degree, employers seem to respect them from what ive been reading
b) do they have enough ooommff to impress people or are they looked upon as a weak degree
c) what is the best subject area you can get a degree, maybe accounting, business, law?
ta!
im thinking about dropping my course becasue i feel as if ive made a mistake with the subject im doing, i dont want to go into a job in that field now so ive been looking at doing an open university course. i keep finding all these differing opinions about their courses, so i was wondering;
a) do you think an open university degree is a suitable alternative to a normal degree, employers seem to respect them from what ive been reading
b) do they have enough ooommff to impress people or are they looked upon as a weak degree
c) what is the best subject area you can get a degree, maybe accounting, business, law?
ta!
Scroll to see replies
They seem dodgy to me because you need no entrance requirements for any OU courses As far as i know
Open University
Milton Keynes
Think of them more as courses. Vocational (for some practical, specific job qualification, like a law course, or an accounting qual), or interest (because you liked maths as a child, but didnt go to uni and now have a job and cant go). It isn't really a degree in the proper sense of the word, just a series of paid-for modules.
I really wouldn't think it'l be considered in the same light as a "proper" degree though, with tutorials/lectures/externally verified exams etc.
Personally I've always been a bit suspicious, I mean, if you are learning remotely, from specific books, how can it be considered anything much better than just teaching yourself at home with internet courses ? (obviously if your situation doesn't allow for anything better, then it's a valuable resource, but I wouldn't consider it competition to a full, rounded degree).
I really wouldn't think it'l be considered in the same light as a "proper" degree though, with tutorials/lectures/externally verified exams etc.
Personally I've always been a bit suspicious, I mean, if you are learning remotely, from specific books, how can it be considered anything much better than just teaching yourself at home with internet courses ? (obviously if your situation doesn't allow for anything better, then it's a valuable resource, but I wouldn't consider it competition to a full, rounded degree).
It's very lonely, I'm doing a 60 credit course with them rn.
alveolus
It isn't really a degree in the proper sense of the word, just a series of paid-for modules.
BA (Hons). BSc (Hons)....yes it is.
Surely a degree is just that at the end of the day, a series of paid-for modules?
I really wouldn't think it'l be considered in the same light as a "proper" degree though, with tutorials/lectures/externally verified exams etc.
There are tutorials. There are lectures. There are external examiners affliated with the university (with some academics associated with the university acting as external examiners for other universities)
Personally I've always been a bit suspicious, I mean, if you are learning remotely, from specific books, how can it be considered anything much better than just teaching yourself at home with internet courses ?
Well you aren't just learning remotely from a few books but also accessing lectures and learning resources from DVDs and Podcasts (check out their section on ItunesU).
Things you have at the Open University which you won't have teaching yourself: -
Tutorials and seminars (these are still occasional tutorials depending on course and your location)
Residential schools
Easy access to an experienced tutor who can offer support and guidance.
You can meet with other students in your area and form study groups or arrange additional "tutorials".
And most importantly a real degree.
obviously if your situation doesn't allow for anything better, then it's a valuable resource, but I wouldn't consider it competition to a full, rounded degree).
Well, I'm afraid you're very much in the minority. I don't know any employers who have any problems with it and it's quite respected in the academic world.
The Open University itself also offers a significant amount of research just like a brick university can with most of its research being of international quality or world leading. It was the Open University who were, alongside Leicester, responsible for Beagle 2.
It has a significant repository in the OU Online literature and publications.
I'm sure it can get a bit lonely at times, one of the reasons why many find it useful to set up local study groups, and you do need a significant amount of self-motivation. But it's not strictly inferior to a brick university in my opinion.
You can pretty much do anything with an OU degree that you could with a degree from elsewhere.
bloomblaze
They seem dodgy to me because you need no entrance requirements for any OU courses As far as i know
Just because almost anybody can do them does not mean that almost anybody can do well. You still get graded for completed work. If someone does a course and they are not "good enough" for that course they will either fail or get a bare pass. However, the OU recognises that sometimes people do not have qualifications but can still do a course. They may not have qualifications because they left school a long time ago but have built up enough experience to cope with academic qualifications now, or there are many other reasons why people may not have qualifications may be able to do well.
You also have to remember that if people are not confident in their own ability they will start with the lower courses. This means that although there may not be official entry requirements most people will have completed the earlier courses as a kind of unofficial entry route. For example, many people on the maths course (MST121) that I recently completed had previously studied the earlier maths course MU123 and even before that had completed the relevant Openings course.
(edited 13 years ago)
Actually, the OU is viewed VERY highly, because it shows that you have a lot more self control than those people who go to universitys and have structured timetables.
The reasons universitys have entrance requirements is so that all of the students are of a certain minimum level- so that the tutors know how to pace the course.
With OU, students work independantly, so it doesn't matter about what everyone else on the course has for their grades. I am looking at OU to do a postgraduate course, and there are minimum requirements for that. To be honest with you, I thought that there were requirements for degree courses as well, but I never looked into that all too deeply so I wouldn't really know.
The reasons universitys have entrance requirements is so that all of the students are of a certain minimum level- so that the tutors know how to pace the course.
With OU, students work independantly, so it doesn't matter about what everyone else on the course has for their grades. I am looking at OU to do a postgraduate course, and there are minimum requirements for that. To be honest with you, I thought that there were requirements for degree courses as well, but I never looked into that all too deeply so I wouldn't really know.
alveolus
Think of them more as courses. Vocational (for some practical, specific job qualification, like a law course, or an accounting qual), or interest (because you liked maths as a child, but didnt go to uni and now have a job and cant go). It isn't really a degree in the proper sense of the word, just a series of paid-for modules.
I really wouldn't think it'l be considered in the same light as a "proper" degree though, with tutorials/lectures/externally verified exams etc.
Personally I've always been a bit suspicious, I mean, if you are learning remotely, from specific books, how can it be considered anything much better than just teaching yourself at home with internet courses ? (obviously if your situation doesn't allow for anything better, then it's a valuable resource, but I wouldn't consider it competition to a full, rounded degree).
I really wouldn't think it'l be considered in the same light as a "proper" degree though, with tutorials/lectures/externally verified exams etc.
Personally I've always been a bit suspicious, I mean, if you are learning remotely, from specific books, how can it be considered anything much better than just teaching yourself at home with internet courses ? (obviously if your situation doesn't allow for anything better, then it's a valuable resource, but I wouldn't consider it competition to a full, rounded degree).
I can see that your 'proper' uni has given you some fantastic research skills.
alveolus
Think of them more as courses. Vocational (for some practical, specific job qualification, like a law course, or an accounting qual), or interest (because you liked maths as a child, but didnt go to uni and now have a job and cant go). It isn't really a degree in the proper sense of the word, just a series of paid-for modules.
I really wouldn't think it'l be considered in the same light as a "proper" degree though, with tutorials/lectures/externally verified exams etc.
Personally I've always been a bit suspicious, I mean, if you are learning remotely, from specific books, how can it be considered anything much better than just teaching yourself at home with internet courses ? (obviously if your situation doesn't allow for anything better, then it's a valuable resource, but I wouldn't consider it competition to a full, rounded degree).
I really wouldn't think it'l be considered in the same light as a "proper" degree though, with tutorials/lectures/externally verified exams etc.
Personally I've always been a bit suspicious, I mean, if you are learning remotely, from specific books, how can it be considered anything much better than just teaching yourself at home with internet courses ? (obviously if your situation doesn't allow for anything better, then it's a valuable resource, but I wouldn't consider it competition to a full, rounded degree).
It's a good job those in the know don't agree with you.
less about the OU and more about you, have you asked your university if you can transfer course? have you thought about attending another university, i know some one who completed 1 year of retail management in brighton and then transferred to leeds to do something businessy for the same reason. talk to your supervisor, it is more than possible...
hmm_what?
And there isn't but why does it matter? Brick unis have entry requirements beacause they have limited places, the OU has no such problem.
It matters due to the following reason.
Brick uni dont just have entry requirements due to limited places- more importantly than limited places, a certain amount of preliminary study is required in order to study something at degree level.
Eg to study a biology related course at a brick uni, you need 3 a levels at a certain grade including biology and preferably chemistry too. If unis didnt have any entrance reuirements for the biology course, people would begin the course without enough preliminary preparation and preliminary knowledge (ie a level biology) to succeed in the biology degree course.
Or to study physics at a typical brick uni, a level maths and physics are required as a prerequisite before beginning the degree.
These subjects are required at a level because the degree builds upon what was learned at a level.
The point im making in the two examples above is that entry rewuirements dont just exist due to unis having limited places, they exist to ensure a student knows enough about a subject to be able to understand it at degree level, and they exist to ensure a student has the academic aptitude to study something at degree level.
Having no entrance reuirements, in theory means someone with absolutely no prior experience in something could start a degree in it, which would be a recipie for disaster for many courses.
With the OU, no entry requirements exist(as far as i know..someone tell me if im wrong) therefore I would question the value of the OU degrees and I have confusion in my head as to how a student can begin to study something at degree level with no prior study reuirement.
Does this line of thought not go through other peoples minds???
-surely im just stating common sense??
Or am i wrong somewhere in my reasoning??
i admit that the OU concept is very appealing but the lack of entrance requirements makes me feel dubious about it
(edited 13 years ago)
bloomblaze
It matters due to the following reason.
Brick uni dont just have entry requirements due to limited places- more importantly than limited places, a certain amount of preliminary study is required in order to study something at degree level.
Eg to study a biology related course at a brick uni, you need 3 a levels at a certain grade including biology and preferably chemistry too. If unis didnt have any entrance reuirements for the biology course, people would begin the course without enough preliminary preparation and preliminary knowledge (ie a level biology) to succeed in the biology degree course.
Or to study physics at a typical brick uni, a level maths and physics are required as a prerequisite before beginning the degree.
These subjects are required at a level because the degree builds upon what was learned at a level.
The point im making in the two examples above is that entry rewuirements dont just exist due to unis having limited places, they exist to ensure a student knows enough about a subject to be able to understand it at degree level, and they exist to ensure a student has the academic aptitude to study something at degree level.
Having no entrance reuirements, in theory means someone with absolutely no prior experience in something could start a degree in it, which would be a recipie for disaster for many courses.
With the OU, no entry requirements exist(as far as i know..someone tell me if im wrong) therefore I would question the value of the OU degrees and I have confusion in my head as to how a student can begin to study something at degree level with no prior study reuirement.
Does this line of thought not go through other peoples minds???
-surely im just stating common sense??
Or am i wrong somewhere in my reasoning??
i admit that the OU concept is very appealing but the lack of entrance requirements makes me feel dubious about it
Brick uni dont just have entry requirements due to limited places- more importantly than limited places, a certain amount of preliminary study is required in order to study something at degree level.
Eg to study a biology related course at a brick uni, you need 3 a levels at a certain grade including biology and preferably chemistry too. If unis didnt have any entrance reuirements for the biology course, people would begin the course without enough preliminary preparation and preliminary knowledge (ie a level biology) to succeed in the biology degree course.
Or to study physics at a typical brick uni, a level maths and physics are required as a prerequisite before beginning the degree.
These subjects are required at a level because the degree builds upon what was learned at a level.
The point im making in the two examples above is that entry rewuirements dont just exist due to unis having limited places, they exist to ensure a student knows enough about a subject to be able to understand it at degree level, and they exist to ensure a student has the academic aptitude to study something at degree level.
Having no entrance reuirements, in theory means someone with absolutely no prior experience in something could start a degree in it, which would be a recipie for disaster for many courses.
With the OU, no entry requirements exist(as far as i know..someone tell me if im wrong) therefore I would question the value of the OU degrees and I have confusion in my head as to how a student can begin to study something at degree level with no prior study reuirement.
Does this line of thought not go through other peoples minds???
-surely im just stating common sense??
Or am i wrong somewhere in my reasoning??
i admit that the OU concept is very appealing but the lack of entrance requirements makes me feel dubious about it
1) there are introductory courses which teach the knowledge that is needed to begin degree level stuff.
2) just because anybody can get onto a course, it doesnt mean that anybody can pass.
Open university degrees are accredited in exactly the same way that other degrees are.
bloomblaze
It matters due to the following reason.
Brick uni dont just have entry requirements due to limited places- more importantly than limited places, a certain amount of preliminary study is required in order to study something at degree level.
Eg to study a biology related course at a brick uni, you need 3 a levels at a certain grade including biology and preferably chemistry too. If unis didnt have any entrance reuirements for the biology course, people would begin the course without enough preliminary preparation and preliminary knowledge (ie a level biology) to succeed in the biology degree course.
Or to study physics at a typical brick uni, a level maths and physics are required as a prerequisite before beginning the degree.
These subjects are required at a level because the degree builds upon what was learned at a level.
The point im making in the two examples above is that entry rewuirements dont just exist due to unis having limited places, they exist to ensure a student knows enough about a subject to be able to understand it at degree level, and they exist to ensure a student has the academic aptitude to study something at degree level.
Having no entrance reuirements, in theory means someone with absolutely no prior experience in something could start a degree in it, which would be a recipie for disaster for many courses.
With the OU, no entry requirements exist(as far as i know..someone tell me if im wrong) therefore I would question the value of the OU degrees and I have confusion in my head as to how a student can begin to study something at degree level with no prior study reuirement.
Does this line of thought not go through other peoples minds???
-surely im just stating common sense??
Or am i wrong somewhere in my reasoning??
i admit that the OU concept is very appealing but the lack of entrance requirements makes me feel dubious about it
Brick uni dont just have entry requirements due to limited places- more importantly than limited places, a certain amount of preliminary study is required in order to study something at degree level.
Eg to study a biology related course at a brick uni, you need 3 a levels at a certain grade including biology and preferably chemistry too. If unis didnt have any entrance reuirements for the biology course, people would begin the course without enough preliminary preparation and preliminary knowledge (ie a level biology) to succeed in the biology degree course.
Or to study physics at a typical brick uni, a level maths and physics are required as a prerequisite before beginning the degree.
These subjects are required at a level because the degree builds upon what was learned at a level.
The point im making in the two examples above is that entry rewuirements dont just exist due to unis having limited places, they exist to ensure a student knows enough about a subject to be able to understand it at degree level, and they exist to ensure a student has the academic aptitude to study something at degree level.
Having no entrance reuirements, in theory means someone with absolutely no prior experience in something could start a degree in it, which would be a recipie for disaster for many courses.
With the OU, no entry requirements exist(as far as i know..someone tell me if im wrong) therefore I would question the value of the OU degrees and I have confusion in my head as to how a student can begin to study something at degree level with no prior study reuirement.
Does this line of thought not go through other peoples minds???
-surely im just stating common sense??
Or am i wrong somewhere in my reasoning??
i admit that the OU concept is very appealing but the lack of entrance requirements makes me feel dubious about it
Why are you equating starting a course with passing a course? They are two very different things. You also fail to realise that knowledge can be accumulated without obtaining little bits of paper. One of the OU's biggest strengths is that anyone can start on a path towards a degree. They're not excluded because of choices they made at 16, you will realise this as you get older.
As I said earlier the people that matter rate OU degrees and that means you should do to. Your skepticism is entirely misplaced due to your lack of understanding how the OU works.
(edited 13 years ago)
uh oh im starting a war 
ohaidani- i dont really want to stay at the uni im at
i would possibly go to one nearer home but i dont really feel uni is for me
i probably will do an ou course im looking at business studies with accounting as it is a good area to get into and the degree is recognised
ive read in alot of places that unless u get a first in a good subject then then an ou course is pretty much equal
ohaidani- i dont really want to stay at the uni im at
i would possibly go to one nearer home but i dont really feel uni is for me
i probably will do an ou course im looking at business studies with accounting as it is a good area to get into and the degree is recognised
ive read in alot of places that unless u get a first in a good subject then then an ou course is pretty much equal
Anecdotal, but I had no problems getting onto Masters courses with my OU BSc (graduated first class). I had unconditional offers from UCL, Bristol and Nottingham.
(edited 13 years ago)
shuvle
You've got to me very self motivated to do an OU course
This would be the main consideration for me. If you aren't sure about your course then the OU is probably the worst solution because you need a great deal of dedication and motivation to complete the course. Maybe it would be a better idea to have some time out and rethink what you want to do, instead of signing up to another course that you might not be sure about.
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