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International Relations (R83) BA Hons
By exploring current questions and issues of global importance, you'll develop an in-depth understanding of the development of the international system and interactions between states and other actors.
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Year 1
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Most relevant Student Reviews for The Open University
The Open University
As someone who has certain limitations in day to day life, it is wonderful that I am able to study entirely from home (or a cafe of course) and still gain the full university experience with student unions and clubs as well as career fairs and the ability to interact with my fellow students. read more
The Open University
world renowned for public health. read more
The Open University
I have liked studying through the OU read more
The Open University
For me it has all been good. I started with cert higjher education then BSc psychology and now doing MSc psychology. Tutor's have been great and courses fine to. Problems seem to arise when stuents want to change or cancel courses SO DON'T. I can't moan about my scoring/reults either. Avoid social media groups - I'll say no more.. Keep about two weeks ahead of your study planner. Plan your study ant tell those to you that you need space. read more
The Open University
Amazing and flexible place to study read more
The Open University
The online Univeristy is a great way to balance work like and Univeristy, no travel is needed and all of your uni work can be done online which saves so much time and travel read more
The Open University
I am currently studying towards a degree with the OU and i am in my second year and studying full time. I can say that if i had known what i know now i would have just avoided the OU and gone to a typical university and just worked around my life commitments somehow. The level of support for students leave much to be desired the tutors take days to respond to query emails/text ect if they reply at all that is i have had replies to TMA queries after i have already submitted TMAs because the cut off date and time was sadly not as lacks as tutor communication. Before i ever signed up for my degree i read through the over view ect for each year of the course and what it would entail and i can categorically say that what it said i would be doing is far reaching from what i am actually doing, it also stated that the degree was 100% assignment based and made a point of saying no exams.....year 2 and there's an exam at the end of one of my modules. It also states basic math is needed... i pers read more
The Open University
Tutors are great, is a really good option for young professionals read more
The Open University
The open university has been a fantastic platform for me and has opened many doors already. I am able to study flexibly in my own time and the support I receive is great! read more
The Open University
Open University do not care about your education. Only collecting your fees. I have been really disappointed by the lack of teaching quality on the Postgraduate course I started. Yes I passed the assessments, but was I learning? No. If you are only after specific qualifications or letters after your name then by all means trudge along. But for the extortionate cost you pay you will definitely not get value for money in terms of learning outcomes and support. A significant amount of the effort is geared towards assessment, which is not the same as learning. Tutors appear to be spread too thin, the feedback given is generic and unhelpful to actually learning, just scoring higher on tests. There are so many free online courses that have similar/ superior content to the Open university. There is no need to waste your money on their expensive courses. For £1600 for one module I got: 1 book, website access and 3 faceless 1 hour tutorials. Go elsewhere. read more
The Open University
I am on my second year studying for a (BA) in Business Management and Economics. I cannot complain about the OU at all. The study material is very well developed to support students throughout the learning process, providing books, live and recorded tutorials and video/audio resources available 24/7. I also found that the tutors are generally extremely helpful. read more
The Open University
Love my professors, and my lectures are all very interesting. read more
The Open University
Decent university for being online. Allows work and study read more
The Open University
AVOID !! The worst university ever! No help at all, tutors just re read what you already know from the material and no further explanation, nothing! I wouldn't even recommend the OU to the enemy. As per money, not much difference than a brick uni and at least at a brick uni you do get help,lots of help unlike with the OU. read more
The Open University
I love this university, it's the best decision I have ever made. read more
The Open University
I'm currently in my second year studying towards a Primary Education degree and i regret becoming a student. The tutors offer no help and don't even run tutorials very often. The tutorials you do have are completely pointless and only go over what each of the assignments are going to be about. I could easily find that information by reading the assignment information myself, which is readily available on the OU website. The tutors offer no assistance and are only there to mark your work. They offer no assistance if you're struggling. I never hear from my tutor and receive no help from them. It is entirely down to you to teach yourself the course material and if you don't understand it... well, tough. My assignments are constantly being returned late (i'm talking about 2-3 weeks late) and the excuse is always COVID-19. We're expected to stick to a strict timeline for getting our assignments in, but tutors can bend the rules if it suits them? WASTE OF TIME!! read more
The Open University
Once respected, now in decline. If you're lucky you'll get a halfway decent tutor but roll the dice for incompetent, disinterested or supercilious. Random grading decisions and don't waste your time appealing, they never budge. I got 53% for a TMA I actually thought I did quite well in, the next one I somehow scored 100%? The choice of courses has shrunk and the quality has degraded. 8 years in, 7 modules completed. Not recommended at all. read more
The Open University
In my three years studying with them, I have always found not only a very well structure and guided approach but, also a supportive atmosphere where is easy to navigate through the modules and receive help when needed. If the person is willing to study that's the best place for it, as it allows you to keep developing yourself professionally at the same time. read more
The Open University
I studied M.A History with the OU and it was a huge disappointment. I quit halfway through the two part course. I had studied previously with the OU in 1999 and it was a great experience, interesting, sociable (regular tutor group meet ups) and multimedia (tv programmes etc). This time it was almost entirely on line. The 'teaching' came via a teaching forum (a mess of tutor/student comments) a few flaky Adobe Connect sessions and two day schools (of one day each). The course materials consisted of two binders containing hundreds of pages of dull, uninspiring, printed text. I had to buy all the required text books myself. The final piece of work (the EMA) was a very complex and exacting piece of work which I found impossible without any face to face supervision. The course cost me £4K. A LOT of money for me. On the plus side my tutor was as helpful as she could be. When I quit she admitted that students were being short changed on the course. read more
The Open University
What used to be a very good uni has been ruined by greed. Higher fees every year yet reduced standards of education and now no books whatsoever! Words cannot describe how frustrating it is to be a student, where you are simply just a number! I studied Maths and with 30 credits to go I am looking for any other possible alternatives to finish my degree. No support to students as they cannot handle the amount of students they are taking on - pure greed, I would actively discourage anyone who wants to study with them. There are far better university’s out there. read more
20 aggregated reviews by students studying at The Open University.