Beginning to study

If you have no experience of higher education deciding to become an undergraduate student can be a big step. Our Openings programme of short introductory courses has been specially designed to give you the chance to test the water before committing yourself.

Short courses

Short courses are for people with study experience but don’t want to commit to a full undergraduate course straight away:

Heritage, whose heritage?
Who decides what should be preserved from the past as our heritage? Who is this heritage for and how should it be presented and explained? How can I engage actively with my heritage and have an impact on it? The course looks at the debate around what to do with places, buildings and things and the memories, myths and traditions associated with them.

Science starts here
Have you ever asked yourself why ice floats on the surface of a pond rather than sinking to the bottom, or why sweating can cool you down? Have you ever wondered how camels can survive for long periods in the desert without water but humans cannot? Do you want to learn more about science but worry that you lack the basic science and maths skills to get started? Then this course could be for you.

Introducing environment
Environmental concerns often appear in the news, and it can be difficult to tell what matters, or what choice we have. Focusing upon scientific and technological aspects of the environment, you will consider the effects of human activities, such as farming.

Life in the oceans: exploring our blue planet:
Discover the challenges faced by living organisms of living in the oceanic environment, how marine ecosystems differ from terrestrial ones, and why some parts of the ocean teem with life and others have seasonal bursts of activity.

Fossils and the history of life
Find out how organisms become fossilized, it will help you to identify common fossils and show you where they fit into the story of evolution.

Level one courses

Already keen? Ready for something more substantial? Try these:

The arts past and present
Structured around four themes, be guided through some of the basic concerns of arts subjects: Reputations; Tradition and Dissent; Cultural Encounters; and Place and Leisure. Your studies will range from poetry to string quartets, and from sculpture to short stories – across a wide variety of cultures and historical periods.

Introducing the social sciences
An ideal introduction to the social sciences – psychology, social policy and criminology, geography and environment, politics and international studies, economics and sociology – through study of contemporary UK society.

Exploring science
Exploring science uses the approaches taken by physicists, Earth scientists, biologists and chemists to develop your understanding of planet Earth.

Engineering the future
From design concepts to the manufacture of products, this is for you if you simply have an interest in what engineering is and how it is practised in modern society; and also if you’re considering studying engineering at higher levels and wish to acquire more specialised skills.

Higher level courses

If you've already completed courses, and want to take your study further, why not consider these?

Environment
This course informs your approach to environmental concerns such a global climate change, anxieties about food, polluted air, management of waste, squandering natural resources, disappearance of species and habitats, concerns over the consequence of our actions for future generation, disquiet over the genetic modification of living organisms.

Environmental science
Interactive, multimedia ‘field trips’ enable you to explore a virtual environment. By the end of the course you will be able to analyse landforms, soils and water flows, identify habitats of flora and fauna, and comment on human influences and their likely consequences.

Environmental science in the field
You will visit a variety of sites where you apply your knowledge of biology, chemistry, earth science and physics to study interactions and feedback in the environment, including landforms, soils, water and vegetation.

Geology
A practical introduction to geology, that introduces you to interpretation of geological maps; identification and description of minerals and rocks; the formation of igneous and metamorphic rocks and their associated structures; and to sedimentary processes, fossils and environment. Includes a returnable home kit comprising minerals, rocks, fossils, a polarizing microscope and geological maps.

The geological history of the British Isles
Intended primarily for current or previous students of S260, this course is based around a week-long residential school that provides field trips to a variety of sites of geological interest in the north of England, supported by laboratory sessions and tutorials.

Energy for a sustainable future
Students consider the sustainability problems of our conventional fossil and nuclear fuel use, and how they might be ameliorated; explores the technological and social possibilities for using energy much more efficiently; and investigates various renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind and biofuels that significantly reduce effects on the environment.

The courses you study with the Open University can count towards an Undergraduate or Postgraduate Qualification such as BSc Hons Environmental Studies, BSc Hons Natural Sciences, BSc Hons Geosciences, MSc Environmental Decision making, MA in Environment Policy and Society.

Content last updated: 08/07/2005

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