Description
This qualification is only available until 31 December 2017.
To claim this qualification, you must complete the required 120 credits by this date.
If you have any questions about your eligibility for this qualification, please contact the Credit, Qualifications and Ceremonies Centre on +44(0) 1908 653003 or by email.
Are you interested in what shapes the lives we lead and the decisions we make? Have you wondered why people continue to smoke when they know the risks, or why governments want to reorganise the NHS? Social scientists build theories and conduct research to understand why and how people, groups and institutions respond to change, exercise power and make decisions. The Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences provides a compelling introduction to social science approaches, and a springboard to further study. You’ll gain fascinating insights into everyday life in our communities, personal lives and workplaces, drawing on ideas from sociology, economics, social policy, psychology, geography, criminology, and politics. This certificate course will also develop a range of skills centring on the effective use of analysis and written argument that will be valuable at work and in your personal life. You’ll have your own specialist, subject-based academic support as well as opportunities to join in online communities of other social sciences students for teaching, learning and peer support.
The optional modules in this certificate provide you with an opportunity to broaden your experience by studying subjects that provide skills or knowledge related to social sciences – such as business studies, history, health and social care, English or mathematics.
If you are awarded this certificate, you will have completed study equivalent to the first year of a full-time degree.
Planning your studies
You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 40 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you. Before being awarded any intermediate qualifications, we advise you to check that you’ll have sufficient new credits to qualify for your certificate.
Career relevance and employability
The Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences is equivalent to the first year of a full-time degree. It’s a valuable qualification in its own right, but if you’d like to continue studying, you’ll have a sound foundation on which to build. For example, you could progress to the Diploma of Higher Education in Combined Social Sciences and then to the BA (Hons) Combined Social Sciences, or another of our social sciences degrees.
You’ll find that many skills you acquire by studying this certificate course translate well into the workplace, including:
- clarity of written communication
- critical thinking and analysis
- concise presentation of arguments
- understanding the connection between theories and evidence
- problem solving; time management
- self-motivation
- use of critical feedback to improve work
- basic numerical skills
Employers in all fields place a high value on people who can select from and analyse a large amount of complex information, and then make logical and concise use of it. This certificate course opens up employment opportunities across the whole range of occupations in the public, private and voluntary sectors. These include national and local government, health and social welfare, police, education, charitable organisations, public relations, media, planning and environmental management, the criminal justice system, market research, law, business and commerce.
Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.
Modules
60 credits from the following optional modules:
Level 1 optional modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- Introducing the social sciences (DD102)
|
60 |
|
- Investigating psychology 1 (DE100)
|
60 |
|
- You and your money: personal finance in context (DB123)
|
30 |
|
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued 60-credit modules D103, DD100, DD101, the discontinued 30-credit modules DD121, DD122, DD131, DD132, DSE141
*Can only be studied if you have already studied one of the discontinued 30-credit modules
And an additional 60 credits from the modules listed above or from the following optional modules:
Level 1 optional modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- An introduction to health and social care (K101)
|
60 |
|
- Discovering mathematics (MU123)
|
30 |
|
- English for academic purposes online (L185)
|
30 |
|
- Environment: journeys through a changing world (U116)
|
60 |
|
- Essential mathematics 1 (MST124)
|
30 |
|
- Introducing statistics (M140)
|
30 |
|
- Investigating the social world (DD103)
|
60 |
|
- The arts past and present (AA100)
|
60 |
|
- Understanding the autism spectrum (SK124)
|
15 |
|
- You and your money: personal finance in context (DB123)
|
30 |
|
Subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules A103, AZX103, A173*, A181*, B120, D170*, D171*, D172*, K100, KZX100, MST121, MU120, SDK125, SK183*, T172, T175, TU100, U122, W100, Y151*, Y156*, Y157* Y158*, Y159*, Y160*, Y162*, Y163* Y164*, Y166*, Y176*, Y177*, Y178*, Y179*, Y180*, Y181*, Y182*, Y183*, Y186*
* You may not count more than 30 credits of 10-credit or 15-credit modules toward this qualification.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
Credit for previous study elsewhere
For this qualification, we do not allow you to count credit for study you have already done elsewhere.
On completion
On successful completion of the required modules you can claim the Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences and will be entitled to use the letters CertHE (Open) after your name.
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.
How to register
If you want to study for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of
our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the
module you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that module.
During the registration procedure you will be asked to declare which qualification you are studying towards.
See a full list of modules available for this qualification