Description
This version of the Open degree qualification is only available until 31 December 2019.
The version of this qualification (with a code of QD) introduced in 2012, continues to be offered by the OU for the foreseeable future.
For information on study choices go to our student Help Centre.
Our Open Programme is one of the most flexible undergraduate programmes in the UK, letting you build a qualification that’s unique to you. You can:
- tailor a personal qualification around your interests and career needs
- get a degree that focuses on one main subject, but with the freedom to mix in a few modules from other areas
- use successfully completed credit from previous university-level studies elsewhere (for example, from a foundation degree or incomplete studies) leading to savings in the time and costs involved in completing a degree
- easily change direction if you started out studying a particular subject but have now reconsidered
- gain a degree with or without honours.
Highly regarded by employers for its breadth and valued by students for its flexibility, the Open degree equips you with a wide range of expertise, skills and capabilities that are much sought after in today’s highly competitive job market.
More than 40 per cent of OU students who graduate do so with an Open degree and we are rightly proud of this. The Open degree is an important part of what makes The Open University unique.
Planning your studies
There are no entry requirements for the Open degree but – as with all our degrees – you will need time and commitment, and you need to be suitably prepared for study.
Whether or not you're new to the OU we recommend that you start at Level 1. Level 1 modules provide core subject knowledge and study skills needed for both higher education and distance learning, to help you progress to modules at Level 2.
An ideal starting point for this very flexible degree is to study one of our 30- or 60-credit key introductory Level 1 modules listed below in the Modules section.
If you complete 60 credits of key introductory Level 1 study successfully you will already be halfway towards our Certificate of Higher Education (Open) (K05). With an additional 60 credits of study from any OU Level 1 modules, you'll be able to claim the certificate.
And with an additional 120 credits from any Level 2 modules you can go on to gain a Diploma of Higher Education (Open) (E60) on your way to an Open degree with honours.
You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 120 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you (with the exception of an undergraduate-level qualification of less than 120 credits). If you have graduated with an OU BA degree without honours and are continuing your studies on to honours, this minimum requirement is reduced to 60 credits. Before being awarded any intermediate qualifications on the way to your OU honours degree, we advise you to check that you’ll have sufficient new credits to qualify for your degree.
If you wish to, you can complete a shorter 300-credit Open degree, without honours. See the Classification of your degree section for more information.
Career relevance and employability
The flexibility of the Open degree means that a range of careers and industries are open to you. Many graduates choose to enter careers that are not directly related to the subject(s) they studied and this is reflected in the fact that around 70 per cent of graduate jobs are open to graduates of any discipline. What makes Open degree students stand out is the rich view of the world they develop, the perspectives they encounter and the range of skills they develop from having studied a diverse range of subjects.
Regardless of what you choose to study, the Open degree will let you successfully develop a range of transferable skills including:
- adaptability and flexibility
- problem solving
- communication and literacy
- numeracy
- information technology (IT)
- analysis and reporting
- critical analysis.
There is more information about how OU study can improve your employability in the OU’s Employability Statement from our Careers Advisory Service. You can also read or download our publication OU study and your career and look at our subject pages to find out about career opportunities.
Modules
For this 360-credit honours degree we recommend you start with:
60 credits from the following recommended modules (see Planning your studies for more information):
Level 1 optional modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- An introduction to health and social care (K101) or version KYN101
See full description
|
60 |
|
- An introduction to law (W101)
This module examines the role and function of a legal system by considering why laws develop, how laws are created, interpreted and applied, and what role law plays in regulating and administering justice within a society.
See full description
|
60 |
|
- Andante: beginners’ Italian (L195)
Learn to speak and understand Italian in various practical situations, and get a real feel for Italian life with this carefully structured beginners’ module.
See full description
|
30 |
|
- Beginners’ Chinese (L197)
Teaches beginners to speak and understand simple Chinese (Mandarin) in a wide range of practical, everyday situations, and explores aspects of Chinese society and culture.
See full description
|
30 |
|
- Bon départ: beginners’ French (L192)
Learn to speak and understand French in a wide range of practical situations, and explore French life and culture with this carefully structured beginners’ module.
See full description
|
30 |
|
- Career development and employability (T122)
Use your workplace as a context for learning, and develop your ability to apply your learning to improve your practice at work – whatever your chosen career.
See full description
|
30 |
Oct 2024 |
- Childhood studies and child psychology (E102)
Offers a fascinating introductory insight into topics central to the lives of children and young people, exploring their emotional, physical, intellectual, social and cultural development.
See full description
|
60 |
|
- Design thinking: creativity for the 21st century (U101)
Explore the common principles of design, acquire new designing skills and develop an understanding of ways of thinking that lead to innovation and creative solutions.
See full description
|
60 |
Oct 2024 |
- Discovering mathematics (MU123)
Introduces and helps integrate key ideas from statistics, algebra, geometry and trigonometry into your everyday thinking to build your confidence in learning and using mathematics.
See full description
|
30 |
Oct 2024 |
- Environment: journeys through a changing world (U116)
Introduces studying the environment and explores the issues arising from environmental change around the globe and the ways in which these challenges are being addressed.
See full description
|
60 |
Oct 2024 |
- Essential mathematics 1 (MST124)
This university-level mathematics module covers key topics including calculus, vectors, matrices, sequences and functions, and assumes you are confident with the underpinning algebraic ideas.
See full description
|
30 |
Oct 2024 |
- Exploring languages and cultures (L161)
This module provides knowledge of language, linguistics, culture and intercultural commnication, and will develop your intercultural communication skills.
See full description
|
30 |
Oct 2024 |
- Foundations for effective practice in youth justice (K115)
This module will equip you with the knowledge, skills and insights that provide the foundations of effective practice in the field of youth justice.
See full description
|
60 |
|
- Foundations for social work practice (K113) or versions KYJ113 or KZW113
Understand social work and social care standards using a range of case studies to apply to practice – emphasising person led assessment, support and advocacy.
See full description
|
60 |
|
- Introducing the social sciences (DD102)
This module is an ideal introduction to the social sciences – criminology, geography and environment, politics and international studies, economics and sociology.
See full description
|
60 |
Oct 2024 |
- Introducing statistics (M140)
Learn statistical tools and quantitative methods, covering topics such as summarising data; examining relationships; randomness and sampling distributions; probability; testing hypotheses; and estimation.
See full description
|
30 |
Oct 2024 |
- Investigating psychology 1 (DE100)
In this module you’ll explore how psychologists study the human mind and behaviour, as well as the ways in which psychological research investigates real-life issues.
See full description
|
60 |
|
- Management practice (B123)
This module introduces management ideas and uses activities to build on your existing knowledge and skills through the application of management theory.
See full description
|
30 |
|
- Portales: beginners’ Spanish (L194)
Learn to speak and understand Spanish in various practical situations, and get a real feel for Hispanic cultures with this carefully structured beginners’ module.
See full description
|
30 |
|
- Questions in science (S111)
Questions in science is a key introductory science module that encompasses astronomy and planetary science; biology; chemistry; earth and environmental sciences; and physics.
See full description
|
60 |
Oct 2024 |
- Rundblick: beginners’ German (L193)
Learn to speak and understand German in a wide range of practical situations, and explore life in German-speaking communities with this carefully structured beginners’ module.
See full description
|
30 |
|
- Science and health: an evidence-based approach (SDK100)
This module introduces the health sciences by exploring globally important health topics, ranging from nutrition and infectious diseases to pain and breast cancer screening.
See full description
|
60 |
Oct 2024 |
- Technologies in practice (TM129)
Study three areas of computing and IT – networking, operating systems and security, and robotics – to develop skills for future employment in this industry.
See full description
|
30 |
Oct 2024 |
- The arts past and present (AA100)
Study a broad range of arts subject areas (art history, classical studies, English, history, music, philosophy and religious studies) across multiple cultures and historical periods in this university-level introduction.
See full description
|
60 |
|
- Essential mathematics 1 (MST124)
This university-level mathematics module covers key topics including calculus, vectors, matrices, sequences and functions, and assumes you are confident with the underpinning algebraic ideas.
See full description
|
30 |
Oct 2024 |
- Vivace: intermediate Italian (L150)
Develop your confidence in understanding, speaking, reading and writing Italian, while gaining insights into many aspects of everyday life in modern Italy.
See full description
|
30 |
|
- Working and learning in sport and fitness (E113)
Learn how to improve professionalism and effectiveness in the sports workplace, on this practical module covering everything from instructional skills to customer care.
See full description
|
60 |
|
- Working with young people: an introduction (E108)
Understand the key principles and ideas which underpin work with young people, and learn to take a reflective stance towards your own and others’ practice.
See full description
|
60 |
|
- You and your money: personal finance in context (DB123)
See full description
|
30 |
|
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules, A100, A101, A102, A103, AZS103, AZS120, AZX103, B120, B121, BU130, BUXS130, D100, D101, D102, D103, DD100, DD121, DD122, DD101, DD131, DD132, DSE141, E100, E111, E112, E123, E124, E131, EYC660, EZL123, EZL124, EZL131, K100, KYN100, KZX100, L120, L130, L140, L196, LB160, LL120, LL130, LZX120, LZX130, LZX140, LZX192, LZX193, LZX194, M100, M101, M150, MST121, MU120, S100, S101, S102, S103, S104, SDK125, T100, T101, T102, T121, T171, T172, T173, T175, TU100, W100
And 120 credits of free choice from any modules above Level 1
And at least 120 credits of free choice from any Level 3 modules
And a maximum of 60 credits of free choice from any OU modules (including those listed above) to bring your total number of credits to 360. Within the total, you must ensure that you have at least the required minimum of credits at each level and after 31 December 2015 no more than 30 credits from Openings modules or the discontinued Short module Science starts here (S154).
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
If you have successfully completed some university-level study elsewhere, you may be able to count some of it towards your Open University Open degree. You can include up to 240 credits of transferred credit in a 360-credit Open honours degree. (You can include up to 200 credits of transferred credit for a 300-credit Open degree without honours.)
To find out more visit our Credit Transfer site.
If you make a successful claim for transferred credit, it may affect your choice of modules so we advise you to investigate this option as soon as possible.
Got a foundation degree?
If you have successfully completed a foundation degree elsewhere, you can top this up to a BA or BSc Open degree with honours. Foundation degrees can vary in the amount and level of study depending on what and where you studied. Typically, to top up your foundation degree to an Open degree with honours, you will need to study an extra 120 credits at Level 3.
Classification of your degree
On successful completion of 360 credits you will be awarded either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science honours degree.
Whether you qualify for a BA (Hons) Open degree or a BSc (Hons) Open degree will be determined by the number of credits you have from modules suitable for a BA or for a BSc.
For a BA, at least 180 credits must come from modules suitable for a BA (that is with module codes starting with A, B, D, E, K, L, M, U or W). Of these 180 credits, at least 120 must be at Level 2 or above, and at least 60 of these must be at Level 3.
For a BSc, at least 180 credits must come from modules suitable for a BSc (that is, with module codes starting with B, D, E, K, M, S, T, U or W). Of these 180 credits, at least 120 must be at Level 2 or above, and at least 60 of these must be at Level 3.
Your honours degree will be classified either as first-class honours, upper second-class honours, lower second-class honours or third-class honours. The class is determined by the grades you achieve in up to 240 credits from OU modules above Level 1. At least 120 of those credits must come from modules at Level 3.
At the end of your studies you will receive a detailed record of courses you have studied and the results. You will have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony.
Open degree without honours
You may, if you wish, complete a 300-credit Open degree without honours: it takes less time and costs less than an Open degree with honours. However, bear in mind that your degree will be unclassified and this will prevent entry onto postgraduate-level modules and may limit your choice of graduate career paths.
Of these 300 credits no more than 120 can be at Level 1, and at least 60 must be at Level 3. You must also include at least 100 credits that are unique to your Open degree and have not already been counted in any other OU qualification awarded to you.
Whether or not you qualify for a BA Open degree or a BSc Open degree will be determined by the number of credits you have from modules suitable for a BA or for a BSc. At least 150 credits must be suitable for the type of degree you wish to get (either BA or BSc). Of these, at least 60 must be at Level 2 or above.
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