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Part-time degrees/the Open University (Any experiences? Factual knowledge?)
Hello everybody.
I was just wondering if anyone can give me any information about part-time courses or about the Open University. I'm basically in a situation whereby due to health reasons and other priorities I really can't manage to study at an institution full-time. The thing is though, I would still love to get a degree.
In theory, a part-time degree would be ideal for me. However, at my local university the length of study is 5-7 years and I believe that to be too long a commitment.
The Open University seems flexible enough for me but do they actually do 'real' degrees or do they just offer a completely different qualification and call it a degree? I read on their website that most courses last 6-9 months, does this just mean for each stage of the course?
Also, with a degree from the Open University can you then go on to do a postgrad at a regular university, or do they not recognise it as a proper degree?
(I realise a lot of you in this section are probably 17/18 year olds who will have no idea about this, but I wasn't entirely sure where to post my questions so I just plopped the post here.
If my post in in the wrong place or would get a better response elsewhere then I would be really grateful if admin moves it.) ---ignore this, it got moved to the correct place. Thank you very much. 
I was just wondering if anyone can give me any information about part-time courses or about the Open University. I'm basically in a situation whereby due to health reasons and other priorities I really can't manage to study at an institution full-time. The thing is though, I would still love to get a degree.
In theory, a part-time degree would be ideal for me. However, at my local university the length of study is 5-7 years and I believe that to be too long a commitment.
The Open University seems flexible enough for me but do they actually do 'real' degrees or do they just offer a completely different qualification and call it a degree? I read on their website that most courses last 6-9 months, does this just mean for each stage of the course?
Also, with a degree from the Open University can you then go on to do a postgrad at a regular university, or do they not recognise it as a proper degree?
(I realise a lot of you in this section are probably 17/18 year olds who will have no idea about this, but I wasn't entirely sure where to post my questions so I just plopped the post here.
If my post in in the wrong place or would get a better response elsewhere then I would be really grateful if admin moves it.) ---ignore this, it got moved to the correct place. Thank you very much. Reply 1
Of course the degrees offered by the OU are 'real degrees' otherwise they wouldn't be allowed to award their graduates with BA/BSc status.
Basically with the OU you study individual modules that when added together make up a degree. This can be a named degree (like BA/BSc Geography) or a BA/BSc open degree. Usually modules worth 60 points take 9 months, 30 point modules take between 6-9 months and 10 point modules take around 10 weeks to complete.
You're allowed to study upto 120 points at any one time and to get an honours degree you would need a total of 360 points.
You can transfer previous study as credit towards your degree and an OU degree is recognised for studying a post grad qualification at a traditional uni.
Hope that helps!
Basically with the OU you study individual modules that when added together make up a degree. This can be a named degree (like BA/BSc Geography) or a BA/BSc open degree. Usually modules worth 60 points take 9 months, 30 point modules take between 6-9 months and 10 point modules take around 10 weeks to complete.
You're allowed to study upto 120 points at any one time and to get an honours degree you would need a total of 360 points.
You can transfer previous study as credit towards your degree and an OU degree is recognised for studying a post grad qualification at a traditional uni.
Hope that helps!
Reply 2
That is wonderful, thank you very much. 
Reply 3
thanks Rosie that helped me too.
Reply 5
Well I'm thinking about doing English language and Literature but I'm not sure yet.
Reply 6
They are proper degrees, so go for it. I have been doing mine since 1999.
I can highly recommend it and if you wanted to you could complete it in three years just like a brick uni.
I can highly recommend it and if you wanted to you could complete it in three years just like a brick uni.
Reply 7
mrsbasil
They are proper degrees, so go for it. I have been doing mine since 1999.
I can highly recommend it and if you wanted to you could complete it in three years just like a brick uni.
I can highly recommend it and if you wanted to you could complete it in three years just like a brick uni.
Ah, I was going to ask about doing a course in three years actually.
I've read on the website that to do a course in three years you basically need to be able to study full-time and to take 120 credits. Does this mean that when it comes to registering you register for two modules? I think to start off with I will just do a 60 point introductory module, but it would be handy to know for future reference.
Reply 8
If you want to complete in 3 years you will most likely need to run two 60 point courses at the same time; however, some do have different start dates so you'd have a few months overlapping rather than the whole course. In some cases you can do residential schools, or online project based courses and/or 30 pt courses to add to your degree points.
I work 16 hours a week, and do voluntary work and have a range of other comitments and I am currently doing DD100 and DD201 which I started in October- you don't have to study 'full-time' is what I'm trying to get accross!
Does this make any sense?!
I work 16 hours a week, and do voluntary work and have a range of other comitments and I am currently doing DD100 and DD201 which I started in October- you don't have to study 'full-time' is what I'm trying to get accross!
Does this make any sense?!
tis_only_meee
Hello everybody.
I was just wondering if anyone can give me any information about part-time courses or about the Open University. I'm basically in a situation whereby due to health reasons and other priorities I really can't manage to study at an institution full-time. The thing is though, I would still love to get a degree.
In theory, a part-time degree would be ideal for me. However, at my local university the length of study is 5-7 years and I believe that to be too long a commitment.
The Open University seems flexible enough for me but do they actually do 'real' degrees or do they just offer a completely different qualification and call it a degree? I read on their website that most courses last 6-9 months, does this just mean for each stage of the course?
Also, with a degree from the Open University can you then go on to do a postgrad at a regular university, or do they not recognise it as a proper degree?
(I realise a lot of you in this section are probably 17/18 year olds who will have no idea about this, but I wasn't entirely sure where to post my questions so I just plopped the post here. If my post in in the wrong place or would get a better response elsewhere then I would be really grateful if admin moves it.) ---ignore this, it got moved to the correct place. Thank you very much.
I was just wondering if anyone can give me any information about part-time courses or about the Open University. I'm basically in a situation whereby due to health reasons and other priorities I really can't manage to study at an institution full-time. The thing is though, I would still love to get a degree.
In theory, a part-time degree would be ideal for me. However, at my local university the length of study is 5-7 years and I believe that to be too long a commitment.
The Open University seems flexible enough for me but do they actually do 'real' degrees or do they just offer a completely different qualification and call it a degree? I read on their website that most courses last 6-9 months, does this just mean for each stage of the course?
Also, with a degree from the Open University can you then go on to do a postgrad at a regular university, or do they not recognise it as a proper degree?
(I realise a lot of you in this section are probably 17/18 year olds who will have no idea about this, but I wasn't entirely sure where to post my questions so I just plopped the post here.
If my post in in the wrong place or would get a better response elsewhere then I would be really grateful if admin moves it.) ---ignore this, it got moved to the correct place. Thank you very much. OU courses are excellent. I got my law degree from the OU. Took me 4 years. I'd highly recommend it. Inexpensive and flexible, and YES, they are definately "proper degrees" recognized and validated and perfectly acceptable to go on to do postgrad work at a regular bums on seats university.
Reply 10
Hi Mee,
Sorry to hear about your health reasons for not continuing at a mainstream university. there is a website on line called www.ou.co.uk or go into ask.co.uk and look for the 'Open university'
The open university works on a point system you can do 30 or 60 points a year depending on how fast you want to obtain a degree, to get an ordinary degree without honours is 300 points and obviously 360 for an honours degree
If you do 30 points a year it will take 12 years and 14 for an honours degree.
6O points a year 6 years for an honours degree.
I f you have qualifications from a university or college already you can cash them in on the open university credit system eg. BTEC. HND 120 points.
Hope this has helped some.
If you need anymore advice then dont hesitate to contact me jha1961
Sorry to hear about your health reasons for not continuing at a mainstream university. there is a website on line called www.ou.co.uk or go into ask.co.uk and look for the 'Open university'
The open university works on a point system you can do 30 or 60 points a year depending on how fast you want to obtain a degree, to get an ordinary degree without honours is 300 points and obviously 360 for an honours degree
If you do 30 points a year it will take 12 years and 14 for an honours degree.
6O points a year 6 years for an honours degree.
I f you have qualifications from a university or college already you can cash them in on the open university credit system eg. BTEC. HND 120 points.
Hope this has helped some.
If you need anymore advice then dont hesitate to contact me jha1961
jha1961
Hi Mee,
Sorry to hear about your health reasons for not continuing at a mainstream university. there is a website on line called www.ou.co.uk or go into ask.co.uk and look for the 'Open university'
The open university works on a point system you can do 30 or 60 points a year depending on how fast you want to obtain a degree, to get an ordinary degree without honours is 300 points and obviously 360 for an honours degree
If you do 30 points a year it will take 12 years and 14 for an honours degree.
6O points a year 6 years for an honours degree.
I f you have qualifications from a university or college already you can cash them in on the open university credit system eg. BTEC. HND 120 points.
Hope this has helped some.
If you need anymore advice then dont hesitate to contact me jha1961
Sorry to hear about your health reasons for not continuing at a mainstream university. there is a website on line called www.ou.co.uk or go into ask.co.uk and look for the 'Open university'
The open university works on a point system you can do 30 or 60 points a year depending on how fast you want to obtain a degree, to get an ordinary degree without honours is 300 points and obviously 360 for an honours degree
If you do 30 points a year it will take 12 years and 14 for an honours degree.
6O points a year 6 years for an honours degree.
I f you have qualifications from a university or college already you can cash them in on the open university credit system eg. BTEC. HND 120 points.
Hope this has helped some.
If you need anymore advice then dont hesitate to contact me jha1961
Good God! I couldn't imagine taking 14 years to do a degree. I doubt anybody could stay motivated at that sort of pace!
Reply 12
jha1961
I f you have qualifications from a university or college already you can cash them in on the open university credit system eg. BTEC. HND 120 points.
I f you have qualifications from a university or college already you can cash them in on the open university credit system eg. BTEC. HND 120 points.
Hey - I did not know that - I have a HND from 1982 - would that still count
and would it have to be applied to subjects related to it - e.g if you got the HND in computer programming could it count towards an unrelated course - eg Arts or Social Sciences?
Reply 14
From my own experience, I'd say that OU courses are excellent, and well worth the money you pay. Most of the courses are subsidised by the government anyway, so it's not as expensive as you might think. I've had other people who say they have done both University and OU courses say that in many cases their OU course was better, but of course that's a matter of taste, some people prefer more guidance than others. An OU degree still takes as long as university degree part time, but you can stop and start at certain levels.
You may start for example as I did with a certificate in science(or arts or whatever your looking to study if you don't have A' levels). which enables you to take any science course bar physics without further study. I am currently doing the second part of what would roughly be equivalent to a maths A'level, in order to then start a 6 year or so part time degree in Physics. I can say at least from my experience the OU has been very educational and highly rewarding for me.I am someone who missed out on a University education in earlier life because of health reasons.
Alex I work in Soton myself. What degree are you doing as a matter of interest?
You may start for example as I did with a certificate in science(or arts or whatever your looking to study if you don't have A' levels). which enables you to take any science course bar physics without further study. I am currently doing the second part of what would roughly be equivalent to a maths A'level, in order to then start a 6 year or so part time degree in Physics. I can say at least from my experience the OU has been very educational and highly rewarding for me.I am someone who missed out on a University education in earlier life because of health reasons.
Alex I work in Soton myself. What degree are you doing as a matter of interest?
I'm not studying at OU but Anglia Ruskin. They have a distance learning degree, called Learning, Technology and Research, which is employment-based and can be completed in 3 years. www.ultraversity.net should give you an overview. I'm in Germany and am in the second semester or my first year.
yourjoyismylow
I'm not studying at OU but Anglia Ruskin. They have a distance learning degree, called Learning, Technology and Research, which is employment-based and can be completed in 3 years. www.ultraversity.net should give you an overview. I'm in Germany and am in the second semester or my first year.
I thought you were coming back to the UK?
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