Overview
The Open University (OU) is a public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by number of students.The majority of the OU’s undergraduate students are based in the United Kingdom and principally study off-campus; many of its courses (both undergraduate and postgraduate) can also be studied anywhere in the world. There are also a number of full-time postgraduate research students based on the 45-hectares(110 acres) university campus at Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, where they use the staff facilities for research, as well as more than 1,000 members of academic and research staff and over 2,500 administrative, operational and support staff.
It is the largest academic institution in the United Kingdom (and one of the largest in Europe) by student number, and qualifies as one of the world’s largest universities. Since it was founded, more than 2.3 million students have achieved their learning goals by studying with the Open University. It was ranked 601th in the world by the Center for World University Rankings in 2022.
The Open University is also one of only two United Kingdom higher education institutions to gain accreditation in the United States of America by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. It also produces more CEOs than any other UK university.Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell, broadcaster Anna Ford and actress Glenda Jackson are among those who have tutored for the OU.
25,000 Students
Location
Learning
TEF Rating
Courses Available
- Accounting, Business, Management and Marketing
- Architecture, Building, Planning and Design
- Biology and Biomedical Sciences
- Computer Science and Information Technology
- Engineering
- Foreign Studies (Language, Literature and Linguistics)
- Health Professions
- Humanities and Social Sciences
- Law and Legal Studies
- Mathematics and Statistics
- Natural Sciences
- Recreation, Sports and Fitness Studies
- Theology
- Visual and Performing Arts
Applying
How to Apply?
For International Students
Deadlines and Important Dates
Cost and Scholarships
Types of Scholarships Available
Scholarships
Open Futures Sanctuary Scholarship
| Total Worth | covers up to 360 credits of OU undergraduate credit-bearing study, paying for the full tuition cost of these credits, up to 120 credits each seasonal academic year. |
|---|---|
| Eligibility and Requirements | Be ordinarily resident in the UK Hold no existing higher education qualification attained in the UK Be a new student to The Open University in the academic year 2024/25 |
| Available for International Students | No |
| Application Deadline | -- |
| Other Details | 10 free 30-credit Open University Access module places starting in October 2024 will be available to applicants unsuccessful for a full scholarship. |