Arts and Humanities Courses
Human culture, in all its varieties, offers rich possibilities for study. You can explore anything from art history to music, or creative writing to philosophy with one of our arts and humanities courses. Find out where your interests can take you with The Open University.
Arts and Humanities
Degrees
- Also known as an undergraduate or bachelors degree.
- Internationally respected, universally understood.
- An essential requirement for many high-level jobs.
- Gain a thorough understanding of your subject – and the tools to investigate, think critically, form reasoned arguments, solve problems and communicate effectively in new contexts.
- Progress to higher level study, such as a postgraduate diploma or masters degree.
Total of 360 credits
- Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
- One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
- You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
- For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
How long will it take?
Arts and Humanities
Diplomas
- Widely recognised qualification.
- Equivalent to the first two thirds of an honours degree.
- Enhance your professional and technical skills or extend your knowledge and understanding of a subject.
- Study for interest or career development.
- Top up to a full honours degree in just two years.
Total of 240 credits
- Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
- One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
- You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
- For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
How long will it take?
Arts and Humanities
Certificates
- Widely recognised qualification.
- Equivalent to the first third of an honours degree.
- Study for interest or career development.
- Shows that you can study successfully at university level.
- Count it towards further qualifications such as a DipHE or honours degree.
Total of 120 credits
- Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
- One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
- You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
- For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
How long will it take?
Why study Arts and Humanities with The Open University?
Engage with other students across the globe with a qualification in arts and humanities from The Open University. You can study a wide range of subjects, with the opportunity to specialise in one or two disciplines to suit your interests or needs. Alongside the opportunity to develop key, transferrable skills, the OU can offer you:
- Undergraduate modules informed and developed as a result of our world-class research.
- A broad and exciting range of topics and themes in specific subject areas, providing you with new perspectives on culture, society and humanity.
- The opportunity to join the largest and most diverse faculty at the OU, with some 50,000 students on arts and social sciences courses.
Careers in Arts and Humanities
A qualification in arts and humanities will help in sharpening your IT skills, writing and ability to think independently. In today’s competitive job market, these key skills are greatly sought after in the world beyond study – whether you’re already working, volunteering or changing career.
Arts and humanities could lead to a career in:
- Education
- Creative and cultural industries
- Legal work
- Politics/local government
Looking for something other than a qualification?
The majority of our modules can be studied by themselves, on a stand-alone basis. If you later choose to work towards a qualification, you may be able to count your study towards it.
All Arts and Humanities courses
Browse all the Arts and Humanities courses we offer – certificates, diplomas and degrees.
Email us
From exploring the right course for you to helping you register, our advisers can help.
Call us
As part of the OU’s response to Coronavirus, we have temporarily removed this option.
Please use the ‘Email us’ option to contact us.
Write to us at:
Student Recruitment
The Open University
PO Box 197
Milton Keynes
MK7 6BJ
