The Open Studies Certificate is a part-time modular programme designed to give feedback on your progress and as an introduction to the completion of assessment. It does not mean exams. The award of a certificate is based on the accumulation of 30 credit points at SCQF Level 7 (see Academic Credit section below) from a wide choice of Open Studies classes on offer.
The flexibility of the Open Studies framework means it is possible to select classes which reflect your interests and then accumulate credits at your own pace. For example, students wishing to learn Italian could attend weekly classes for 20 weeks between October and March over three academic sessions. This would result in the completion of an Open Studies Certificate in Language Studies (Italian) in three years. This is the equivalent to ¼ of a first year undergraduate degree. Note that the maximum period of study in which credits may be used towards an Open Studies Certificate is normally 6 years.
The benefits of taking a credit-bearing Open Studies class include:
- access to various University facilities
- evidence of your achievement when you complete a class successfully
- academic credits which you can accumulate for an Open Studies Certificate (a recognised University Award) and onward study towards a Certificate in Higher Education.
You can make your decision about whether or not to undertake assessment to gain academic credit for your class once the class is underway, until the first assessment is issued.
Please also see Academic issues for further information about undertaking a credit-bearing class.