The Open University (OU) is the United Kingdom's only university dedicated to distance learning.

Visit the New to the OU website to read how with most courses there are no previous qualifications required to study, you have to be aged 16 or over when your course starts but there is no upper age limit.

We have around 150,000 undergraduate and more than 30,000 postgraduate students. 10,000 of our students have disabilities.

The Open University's style of teaching is called supported open learning.

Nearly all students are studying part-time. About 70 per cent of undergraduate students are in full-time employment. More than 50,000 students are sponsored by their employers for their studies.

11,000 people are currently studying for OU Higher Degrees.

Most OU courses are available throughout Europe. Some of them are available in many other parts of the world. More than 25,000 OU students live outside the UK.

A third of our UK undergraduate students have entry qualifications lower than those normally demanded by other UK universities.

Also see Flexible learning.