High Drop-out Rate Alert
46% of students drop out or transfer from this specific course. Consider asking why on an open day.
BA/BSc Open
About this course
The Open degree at The Open University is a distinctive qualification that allows you to construct a programme of study tailored precisely to your own interests, goals, and circumstances. Rather than following a fixed curriculum in a single subject, you choose from a wide range of modules across different disciplines and combine them in ways that make sense for you. You might focus on a single broad area such as the humanities, social sciences, or science and technology, or you might deliberately cross disciplinary boundaries, combining subjects that complement each other in ways that more conventional degrees cannot accommodate. This programme is studied part time via distance learning, which means you have full control over when and where you study. The Open University has pioneered this model for decades, and its materials, tutorial support, and online learning environment are designed for students who balance study with working life, family responsibilities, or other commitments. There is no typical tariff or fixed duration, reflecting the programme's flexibility: students progress at their own pace, choosing modules that build towards their degree qualification. This flexibility makes the Open degree particularly well suited to people who are returning to education after a break, who want to change direction professionally, or who simply have broad intellectual curiosity that cannot be contained within a single conventional discipline. The careers open to Open degree graduates reflect the extraordinary range of subjects and combinations the degree can include. Some graduates move into roles aligned with the modules they have studied most deeply, whether in business, technology, health, education, the arts, or the social sciences. Others find that the self-direction, discipline, and breadth of learning that the Open degree demands are themselves valued by employers, particularly in roles that require adaptability and independent judgment. Some graduates continue to postgraduate study, using the Open degree as the foundation for more specialised academic or professional development.
Syllabus & Modules
Typical curriculumStudent Satisfaction
National Student Survey - 1655 respondents (53% response rate)
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