Description
This postgraduate diploma will suit anyone who has a passion for the arts and humanities and is looking for an intellectual challenge. At present our postgraduate diploma allows you to focus on either English or history. The English route explores a rich and varied range of literary texts from ancient times to the present. If you choose to study history, you’ll cover local and regional history at an advanced level.
Please note that this qualification will be withdrawn on 31 December 2023.
Key features of the course
- Deepens your insights into human development, history and culture
- Provides enhanced career opportunities, academic achievement and personal fulfilment
- Focus on English literature or local and regional history
- Good preparation for further study at masters and doctoral level.
Planning your studies
You must hold an honours degree to study for this qualification. Although your degree need not be in humanities, you must have the basic skills expected of a graduate in that area. Both module will bring you up to date with the latest ideas and approaches in humanities but does not offer remedial undergraduate training if your qualifications and/or experience are inadequate.
Before you begin the diploma you must be able to:
- write clear, concise, accurate prose
- read large quantities of text quickly, accurately and critically
- classify evidence precisely and assess its value and reliability
- argue logically, consistently and sceptically
- marshal various sorts of evidence to support a logical argument.
If you would like help to assess your preparedness you can contact us for advice.
How long it takes
You will be able to complete this qualification within 18 months by studying the one module required in that time.
Career relevance and employability
Studying for a diploma course will provide you with an opportunity to build on skills acquired at undergraduate level. It will further develop your capability to read and analyse large amounts of written material and enable you to apply your skills through the production of a project. These transferable skills are in demand in many areas of the public and private sector, such as advertising, marketing and public relations; educational, charity and development; or government and public administration.
Completing the diploma will give you a worthwhile qualification in its own right, and you can also count the credit towards one of our MAs, providing you take account of the unique study rule.
Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.
Modules
For this postgraduate diploma you require 120 credits from either of the following discontinued modules:
Optional modules |
Credits |
- MA English part 1 (A815)
|
120 |
- MA History part 1 (A825)
-
|
120 |
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations the discontinued module A880.
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.
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
You cannot count credit for study you have already completed elsewhere towards this qualification.
On completion
On successful completion of the required modules you can be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Humanities entitling you to use the letters PG Dip (Hum) (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