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What can I study？ Whether you’re open to suggestion or there’s something you really need or want to learn, the OU will leave you spoiled for choice. Because we offer a wide range of courses and subject areas, with everything from short courses to nine-month single topic courses to postgraduate and research degrees. Many OU undergraduate students begin with a one-off course in a subject of personal interest; others start knowing they want to build up a sufficient number of courses to achieve a diploma or degree. You can study within a specified range of courses if you want a qualification in a named subject area - including IT and Computing, Psychology, Humanities, Business Studies, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences. Alternatively, you can choose the best mix of courses to suit your career plans or personal interests, and obtain a BA or BSc that is not in a particular subject. An increasing number of professional bodies also count OU qualifications towards achievement of their own professional awards — including the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE), the British Psychological Society, the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and the English Nursing Board.
Why choose the OU? The OU offers a flexible, high quality learning experience. And if you prefer not to study full-time, the OU is the most flexible way to learn. But, more importantly, the OU is a proven center of academic excellence. At the heart of the OU’s success is its unique study method; OU supported open learning, which we have developed to allow our students to study in a way that fits their lifestyle. This gives you the best chance of achieving your goals. We’re the first to admit that OU courses are no walkover, but you do get help every step of the way. In terms of career development, the OU has the seal of approval from thousands of blue-chip employers all over the country — including BT, British Steel, Lloyds TSB, Scottish Power and Norwich Union. This means the OU qualification you walk away with is a valuable asset. Your current employer may even be interested in sponsoring your diploma or degree. Over 30,000 employers have already sponsored their staff on OU courses.
Your future By studying with the Open University, you can give yourself an advantage in many aspects of your life. You can use an OU course to sharpen your career skills, make more of your personal interests, or simply to enrich your mind. There’s no age limit, no need for previous qualifications and no pressure to perform beyond your own capabilities. With the Open University’s unique study method (OU supported open learning) you can change your life without compromising on your existing commitments. We can help you learn as you earn, without giving up the day job. We can also help you to fit your study around family commitments; to organize your time and pace your studies; to read constructively and effectively; to approach questions analytically and systematically; and to write and produce clear, well-structured arguments. An OU learning experience is second to none — whether you choose just one nine-month course from a range of over 160 topics, or study for an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. The result is the same: a new improved you, with increased self-esteem and the chance to make a real difference to your future career.
How do I choose the right course? Some people join the OU because they want to fill a gap in their lives. Others want to study because it was a ‘missed opportunity’ in earlier years. Still more sign up with the OU as a means of boosting their career potential. Yet the one thing every OU student has in common is that we can help you discover how to absorb and evaluate information quickly — whatever course topic you choose. And there is plenty of choice: 168 single nine-month courses, 30 two-year diplomas and over 20 degrees at undergraduate level — as well as many postgraduate qualifications. For most people, the ideal start is a Level 1 course in a topic useful to their career, or one that personally interests them. These courses, which count towards your degree, are designed to provide the extra support that new students need and will help you to develop good learning and organizational skills.
What support will I get? Far from feeling isolated, many experienced higher education students feel more supported in their studies with the OU. At the OU, you get as much support as you personally need. If you haven’t studied for a while, we’ll help you get started. And even if you have, you’ll still be glad to know help is always at hand. All we ask in return is an enthusiasm for your studies and a willingness to learn. From the start, we will put you in touch with your nearest OU center (we have 13 local offices around the UK) and you’ll be allocated a personal tutor — you can talk over the phone, face to face, via E-mail or computer conference— who is a specialist in the subject you’re taking. As the course progresses, you can also meet and exchange ideas with other students. From then on, regular guidance and assessment by your tutor will keep your studies on track, and help you progress with confidence. Remember, when you join the OU, you’re never alone — more students register every year with the OU than with any other UK university. Just as you want to move your life on with learning, so do we. 75,000 OU students are now on-line, allowing a constant exchange of ideas and views, plus on-going communication between students, other students and their tutors.
Counting your previous study You may be able to claim credit for higher education already successfully completed elsewhere. In some cases, it can be ‘transferred’ to your OU qualification — even if you have not previously completed a qualification. However, the study must be academic in nature; qualifications based on experience or which is a measure of practical or professional skill, although essential in many careers, are not applicable here. If you have studied at higher education level or at university before, and have completed all or part of a degree profile, you can find out more about transferal of study at the Credit Transfer website.
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开放大学( The Open University) 是依据皇家法令于1969年6月正式成立的一所有权予学位的独立的自治的大学。1971年开办正式招生，注册第一批大约24000名学生，2004年在册学生达20万人。自开办以来至今共培养出2百多万名学生，其中研究生30多万人。目前，开放大学是全英最大的大学，拥有欧洲最大的商学院，共有6个系部，2个学院，2个研究所，13个地区中心，总部4000多教职员工，在全英共8000多兼职辅导教师。经过短短30年的发展，开放大学已经成为目前世界上唯一的一间以Distance Learning为主要教学方式的研究型大学。
课程设置 研究生教育：研究生教育是指授予高级学位的教育。在学习形式上，有全日制PhD生，也有part-time研究生。Part-time研究生，主要利用各自生活基地附近的研究设施，同时接受开放大学教师及开放大学指定的当地高等学校教师的指导。 大学学位教育：开放大学学位教育实行学分制。所有的学位课程都组合成全学分课程和半学分课程。学位教育实行相当灵活的自由选课制。学生可根据自己的需要和兴趣自由选择各个学院开设的各种课程组合成自己的学位课程学习计划。开放大学的学分制也充分体现了她开放办学的理念。大学本科毕业总学分为360，每年两学期。学员可根据自己的学习时间选择每学期的课程学分，如每周有14小时以上学习时间的，可选60个学分。如每周有7~14小时学习时间的，可选30个学分。每周只有7小时以下学习时间的，可选15个学分。一年最多的学分为120分。因此，开放大学最短的本科学制为3年，长的可达12年。开放大学非常重视教学资源的建设，高质量的媒体教材是英国开放大学的一大特色，不仅在英国本土深受好评， 而且得到国际教育界的一致推崇。为确保高质量的媒体教材，英国开放大学可谓不惜重金，一门供学生自主学习的系统性教材需投入一千万英镑。 由于Open按照以学生自主学习为中心设计开发的教材、课件等教学资源具有较高的学术水平和易使用性，得到开放大学乃至其他传统高校学生的普遍欢迎，很多名牌高校采用了英国开放大学的课程和教材。 学生学习支助服务 开放大学在“学习者开放、学习地点开放、学习方法开放和观念开放”办学思想指导下，开放大学在英国本土设立了13个地区中心，各地区中心下设若干学习中心，共有250多个学习中心。地区中心和学习中心除少量的专职工作人员外，聘请了一批兼职课程辅导教师。地区中心的主要职能是：聘请课程辅导教师；指导和监控辅导教师的工作；做好与其他机构的沟通联系，保持中心正常运作；降低学生的辍学率等。课程辅导教师的主要职责则是为学生提供课程学习辅导和咨询服务，开放大学的学位学生在第一学年都指定了一位课程辅导教师兼咨询顾问，负责该学生第一学年基础课程的教学辅导，并承担学生攻读学位整个时期的咨询服务，如提供选课建议、指导学习方法等。学生遇到问题随时可以通过各种通讯手段（如：信件，传真，电话，Email等）与指导教师联系。开放大学对学生的学习支持服务既有机构、人员的保证，也有制度、方法和内容的保证，从而使其服务质量能保持高水准。 教学质量 对于申请本科学历的学生，Open没有正式的入学要求，至少1/3的学生的入学水平低于普通大学的入学水平。对于申请硕士学位的人需要有正式的入学要求。学校虽然采用远程教育教学手段，但是并不因此而降低对教学质量的要求。这是开放大学本质上区别于所有远程教育大学的一个关键所在。20世纪90年代中期以来，英国开放大学的教学质量一直跻身于所有英国大学前10名。2003年9月，根据QAA（英国高等教育质量保证署）的评估结果，Open在全英100多所高校中名列第5名，位居Oxford, Imperial , UCL之前。 Open 是一所采用现代远程教育的研究型大学，目前其各个二级学院都非常重视通过严格的质量管理而提升整体形象。例如，商学院(OUBS)获得了英国工商管理硕士专业协会（AMBA）、欧洲管理发展联合会（EQUIS），美国国际管理联合会（AACSB）的三重认证(only 9 schools in the UK，21 worldwide) 。通过参与上述国际权威机构的认证活动，开放大学商学院已经成为具有世界一流水准的、欧洲最大的商学院。 科研质量 然而正如传统大学一样，科研在Open发挥着基础性的作用。这也是开放大学本质上区别于所有远程教育大学的关键所在。过去，人们一直认为开放大学就是采用了新形式的远程教育系统，就是以网络技术代替广播和电视技术来进行标准化课程的传播和考核的机构。英国开放大学以自己的行动改变了这种传统的观念，将科研对开放大学体系的重要性充分地突现出来。Open有一支很强的科研队伍，拥有世界顶尖的学者，例如欧盟首席火星研究专家Colin Pillinger (Fellow of Royal Society)院士和国际地理学大奖的获得者Doreen Massey(Fellow of British Academy)院士。脉冲星发现者 Jocelyn Bell Burnell(FRS)院士也曾长期担任Open 物理系主任，刚于近期调往Bath。此外，开放大学有更多为院士光辉所遮蔽的著名学者，如：Prof. David Hawkridge，英国当代教育技术学的主要奠基人, 英国第一个教育技术研究所的第一任所长。Prof Wetherell，Discursive Psychology主要奠基人, British Journal of Social Psychology 主编。Prof John Storey, 被引用次数最多的Human Resource 专家之一，Human Resource Management Journal前主编等。 根据http://www. 的数据，Open在Nature & Science上的论文发表量列英国第28位，位居众多传统名校之前。Open 在博士生培养上也不惜工本，每年设约五十个全奖，目前Open有200多 Full-time 博士生。在已毕业的博士生中，不乏在剑桥等著名大学任教授的学人： |
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