Open University (UK) and USA

It now seems to be possible for US based students to study for an MSc in Software Development with the Open University in UK. This programme is essential pure DL. Basic tuition is via printed materials with support from a tutor available by e-mail. All coursework can be submitted electronically.

UK students can attend extra face-to-face sessions (up to three days per course) on payment of extra fees.

I presume that there is some arrangement for taking the written exams in USA.

This information is partly deduced from the fact that my next batch of OU students includes one with a address in USA who has already completed some of the courses for this degree.

Malcolm S Jenner

 

Greetings.

It would be very interesting if an American could study with Open University (UK). Unfortunately, this would seem unlikely.

OU's policy -- as well as UK/EU laws? -- prohibit non-EU members from taking OU courses. (I know, 'cause I asked. I even pointed out how discriminating against Americans was unfair, considering how we prevented their little island from becoming one giant car-park for Jerry tanks. They were quite apologetic, but equally firm. I love the English! <g>) Even if the applicable laws were ammended, OU has clearly demonstrated that it lacks the common sense to offer OU course work to Americans. One need only recall the complete debacle that was their brief, unaccredited, non-UK-OU American OU offering.

Perhaps your student with the American address is an Englishman (German, Frenchman, etc.) visiting America? Or, perhaps he is just clever enough to pull the wool over OU's administration? (Remember, there's a difference between being well educated, and being smart.)

Of course, if you are, as you imply, actuality member of OU, surely you could make discrete enquiries? (It wouldn't be cricket of you to mention your student by name, least you bring the Bobbies down on him. <g>)


Ceerio!
Richard Kanarek

 

Hmmm... goto http://www3.open.ac.uk/near-you/worldwide/

Select "USA" as your country, and you will see this list of courses available:

Advanced database technology (M877)
Applications of Information Technology in Open and Distance Education (H802)
Architectures of Computing Systems (M881)
Distributed Applications and E-commerce (M879)
Language and Literacy in a Changing World (E844)
Learning, Curriculum and Assessment (EZX836)
Object-Oriented Software Development (M878)
Project Management (M865)
Relational Database Systems (M876)
Research Project and Dissertation (M801)
Software Development for Networked Applications using JAVA (M874)
Software Engineering (M880)
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Worldwide (E841)
The Implementation of Open and Distance Learning (H804)
Understanding Distributed and Flexible Learning (H805)
User Interface Design and Evaluation (M873)

I don't know if this is a policy change from OU. I remember poking around their website some time ago and my impression was that no classes were available in the USA. Prehaps the "giant car-park for Jerry tanks" remark caused the OU to change their policy.

 

I suspect OU is teaching out the students who had started with USOU.

 

Prehaps so, but after poking around http://cci.open.ac.uk/ it appears possible for someone in the USA to earn a master's degree from OU. Most of the available classes seem to be from this arm of the OU, the Computing for Commerce and Industry Programme.