By taking an Evening and Weekend Programme or a Learning in Later Life Programme class at the University of Strathclyde , you are joining over 8,000 adults who enjoy the satisfaction of exploring a subject in depth or getting to grips with something new. When you enrol on a credit-bearing Open Studies class you become a registered Centre for Lifelong Learning student. The benefits of taking an Open Studies class include:
* access to various University facilities such as the Language Centre and Library;
* evidence of your achievement when you complete a class successfully;
* academic credits which you can accumulate for a University Certificate.
Open Studies classes may be taken either as free-standing modules or as part of a series chosen from over 120 different classes offered in the evenings, daytime and at weekends. Classes offered this session are listed on the Centre's website. Each class is briefly described in the Evening and Weekend Programme or Learning in Later Life Programme brochures and further details are available from the Centre for Lifelong Learning.
Open Studies classes carry academic credit awarded by the University of Strathclyde . The credits attached to a class reflect the amount of effort required by an 'average' Centre for Lifelong Learning student to achieve the stated aims, or 'learning outcomes', of the class. Each programme brochure contains details of the credit assigned to Open Studies classes expressed in terms of their Scottish Credit Qualification Framework (SCQF) equivalent. Most classes are offered at Level 7 i.e. first year undergraduate level. The SCQF framework is designed to make it easier for students to understand the level at which they are studying and where this credit can be used.
10 SCQF credit points equates to 100 hours of 'notional student effort'. By notional student effort we mean all aspects of learning including attending classes, private study, discussion, completing assignments and so on.
For example, if an introductory-level lifelong learning class in Spanish is assigned 10 credit points at SCQF level 7 this means that an average student should be able to achieve the learning outcomes as stated in the class descriptor with 100 hours of attendance and private study.
In some cases students already registered on an undergraduate degree course can have credits from Open Studies classes recognised as part of their degree. Anyone who wishes such recognition of credits from Open Studies classes must seek advice/information from their own Advisor of Studies before contacting the Programme Administrator.
The University of Strathclyde also participates in the European Credit Transfer Scheme (ECTS).
ECTS is a Europe-wide credit transfer scheme.
10 University of Strathclyde credits = five ECTS credits = 10 credit points at SD1/SCQF Level 7.
The aims, learning outcomes and content of Open Studies classes are outlined in class descriptors which students receive at the start of a class. In addition to the stated learning outcomes for a class, Open Studies classes will help to develop the transferable skills that students normally expect to develop by taking any first year undergraduate degree class in the University, such as communication, planning and organising, adapting to change and personal effectiveness.
Further information on the Open Studies Certificate can be found in the Useful Information section of this site.