The Open University

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by KariS, Mar 21, 2010.

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  1. KariS

    KariS New Member

    I seem to remember that The Open University did not accept students from the USA, but that apparently has changed. Any body know when they started accepting USA students again?
     
  2. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

  3. ITJD

    ITJD Active Member

    Attempting to download their program prospectus for undergraduate learners requires you to identify as a UK resident or non UK resident. Identifying yourself as a non-UK resident results in a request for information page that requires you to identify where you live, country first.

    As of this afternoon, the US was not one of the countries in that approved list. Most all were European. I'd gather this to mean your information regarding programme enrollment is off, but obviously, I'm not certain.
     
  4. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I don't see it either. But, and what might be more to the point that Kari is making, I also no longer see where it says that US residents are NOT able to enroll in degree programs at the OU. In the past it stated this explicitly. Now it doesn't.

    http://www3.open.ac.uk/contact/faq.aspx?t=S&cat=1-1GSR1Z

    Maybe someone ought to actually check with the OU. Report back please. If this turns out to be true, if the OU has opened it's doors to US students then this is reallyreally big news.
     
  5. soupbone

    soupbone Active Member

    Perhaps my google fu skills are rusty but I can't find much on Open University here. Could you type a quick overview of it and why this would be important to us in the states?
     
  6. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

  7. KariS

    KariS New Member

    From: http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/explained/credit-points.shtml
    a masters requires 180 points, which (depending on course chosen) could be as little as 6000 pounds or $9000. That's fairly resaonable for a UK uni.
     
  8. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

  9. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    It's a really big, well respect university that offers degrees in just about everything at just about every level. And they do it in an affordable way.
    That's why.

    http://www.open.ac.uk/
     
  10. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  11. soupbone

    soupbone Active Member

    That's pretty cool. So as someone posted above if a masters is typically 180 points could you piece together a degree with the courses offered to US residents?
     
  12. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    I used to hear from dozens and dozens of readers every year who had enrolled in Open University while living in the US. They did so simply by taking a convenience address in the UK, which forwarded materials to them. When I mentioned this in my book and, in one or two editions even provided a list of mail forwarding services, someone at OU wrote me an annoyed (but not threatening) letter, saying that they wished I wouldn't do this. As I recall, I did remove the list, but kept reporting the fact of some people doing this, and I strongly suspect they still do.
     
  13. japhy4529

    japhy4529 House Bassist

    Hi John,

    Perhaps I have been living under a rock, but I have never heard of such a thing as a convenience address. What exactly is this and how would a US citizen go about obtaining one in the UK? Just curious. I'm not looking to circumvent the Open University regulations.

    Thanks,
     
  14. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    If you look at the list of courses I think you'll quickly see that the answer is no.
     
  15. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    check this out:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail_forwarding

    a simple google search will reveal many British mail forwarding services.
     
  16. japhy4529

    japhy4529 House Bassist

    Yes, I figured it out. I had just never heard of calling a mail forwarding service a "convenience address."

    Thanks,
     
  17. AV8R

    AV8R Active Member

    Does Open University have US regional accreditation? The Wikipedia entry for OU (yeah, yeah, I know...not reliable) states an "affiliation" with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_University
     
  18. major56

    major56 Active Member

  19. AV8R

    AV8R Active Member

    Interesting indeed. I noticed that OU offers AACSB accredited doctorates. Does this mean that US students can now go through OU to earn an AACSB Ph.D.?
     
  20. Jayzee

    Jayzee New Member

    Av8r, the answer is Yes, as I have tried this myself. It is a long process though as you have to run after the professors to see if they will accept you under their supervision. In my case, the reason it did not work out was due to the fact that I could not find any professor whose research was an EXACT match to mine.
     

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