Entities

The Open University

Acronym
OU
Entity Type
Location
Founding Date
1969

The Open University was the world’s first higher education distance learning institution. It offers flexible part-time study, supported distance, and open learning for undergraduate and postgraduate courses and qualifications. With nearly 180,000 current undergraduates, postgraduates and students on validated programs, OU is considered the largest academic institution in the United Kingdom today.

  • Since its inception, OU has welcomed over 1.8 million students.
  • It has a network of more than 5,000 tutors and uses communications technology to deliver teaching and assessment. 
  • It also runs group tutorials, day schools, and residential summer schools.