Short courses

Currently there are over 35 OU short courses to choose from.

Taking a short course can be stimulating and rewarding. It could point you in the right career direction, give you a flavour of OU study before you commit yourself to a longer course, or simply give you an insight into a subject that has always fascinated you.

They vary from gentle introductions to in-depth studies, in topics ranging from Leonardo da Vinci to designing for the web, from astronomy to human genetics, and from digital photography to writing fiction. Taking between two and five months to complete most short courses are at Level 1, the entry level suitable for most people. There are a few at Level 2 and Level 3, but these higher-level courses can be quite demanding if you have no previous study experience.

Short courses are usually worth 10 credits. They can count towards an OU degree, but you can also study them as standalone courses.

Timing

Most short courses run over 10–12 weeks and take about 10–15 hours' study a week. Some science short courses can be spread over a longer period. See ‘How much time will it take?’

What can you study?

• Arts short courses include courses covering topics such as Leonardo da Vinci, Shakespeare, music and Welsh history.
• Business, the short courses Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting (B190) and Introduction to financial services (BD131)
• Mathematics, computing and technology short courses – a range of short courses covering ICT, technology, environment and mathematics.
• Science short courses cover a series of contemporary topics in science. Topics covered include Darwin, human nutrition, fossils, astronomy, nuclear energy and elements of forensic science.
• Social science short courses offer the chance to explore an interesting and thought-provoking topic within the social sciences curriculum.