College of the Sea

OU qualifications are studied part time, so they take longer than at a conventional university. Each course is worth a certain number of points at a certian level. If an OU course is studied over a year it is normally worth 60 points and is likely to involve sixteen hours study each week. Shorter courses will be worth 30, 15 or 10 points.

In a year, students do not usually take courses totalling more than 60 points (although the total may be nade up of one or several courses). You can vary the number of courses you take each year and it's possible to take time off from studying altogether.

This is what you'll need to get a first (undergraduate) Degree:

Foundation degree 240 points

Ordinary BA or BSc 300 points

BA or BSc with Honours 360 points

To progress from an honours degree or equivalent to a postgraduate qualification you'll need:

MA, MSc or MBA 180 points

For detailed information about points and levels, please refer to the OU website.

Longer courses usually start once or twice a year (February and October for OU courses, May and November for OU Business School courses). You are advised to apply at least three months before the start of a course especially if you want to use previous study towards a qualification or if the course is a particularly popular.

Shorter courses may offer up to four starts a year. Online courses to update professional skills can usually start whenever you like.

Consult the course pages of the OU website to discover the start date(s) for any course in which you are interested.

Staff at the OU's West Midlands regional centre have the most experience of administering applications from serving seafarers. They should always be your first port of call if you want to make sure your application goes smoothly.

The address is:
The Open University in the West Midlands,
66 High Street,
Harborne,
Birmingham B17 9NB
t 0121 426 1661 f 0121 427 9484
email OU West Midlands

Although OU students are not eligible for a mandatory financial award from their local education authority, some authorities do provide discretionary awards, particularly towards residential school fees, so it's worth a try.

OU course fees vary. To give some idea, the present fee for a 60-point course at undergraduate level is typically £565 (£315 for a 30-point course). Fees for courses in business management, languages, health and social welfare are higher. If a course has a residential school week there is an additional fee of about £250.

Consult the OU website or the OU Undergraduate Courses Catalogue to find out the fees, points and levels for each course.

You can pay in full by credit card or debit card or by cheque when you register for a course. Payment by instalment can be arranged by the OU.