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Short Course Prospectus 2011/2012
INSPIRING LEARNING
A world apart from any other way of learning

Welcome to The Open University. A place where learning is open to everyone. You can choose from around 600 fascinating courses which allow you to study in a flexible way that fits around you.
Bringing learning to life
Weve taken distance learning to a whole new level by using technology such as podcasts, online forums and interactive media to make learning more engaging and inspiring than ever before. Today, we have a vibrant community of 250,000 students using our unique learning methods to achieve their goals.
Dont let anything stand in your way

Learning can be more affordable than you think last year we helped around 42,000 people with study costs. Worried about taking on too much? Dont be. We offer a choice of levels from introductory and short courses to undergraduate and postgraduate certificates, diplomas and degrees. And if you have a disability or medical condition youll find a range of support services designed with you in mind. Does it work? Our students seem to think so because for the fifth year running theyve ranked us amongst the top three UK universities for student satisfaction1.
Discover Britains favourite university for yourself
National Student Survey 2010.
Contents
Why choose an Open University Short course? 2 Becoming an Open University student
Studying with The Open University Registering for a course Course fees Financial support (UK students only) What else you should know
44
44 45 45 46 47
Courses and qualifications explained 3 How to get started Arts

10-credit, 12-week courses 15-credit, 15-week courses
5 6
7 11
How to complete your Registration agreement

Registration agreement
48
51
Business Mathematics, computing and technology

ICT Technology Environment Mathematics
14 18
20 22 25 25
Financial support guidance notes and application form (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) Financial support guidance notes and application form (Scotland) Ordering other prospectuses Contact points for advice and registration
53
55 57
Science Social sciences
26 42
Back cover
As soon as I started with the OU it broke many of my barriers to learning and inspired me not only to continue my degree, but also to study in other places.
Ann Marriott, OU student
Open access: other ways to read this publication

You may find it easier to access information from our website at www.open.ac.uk/study. If you would like this publication electronically, please call +44 (0)845 300 60 90 or email us at general-enquiries@open.ac.uk quoting Alternative format in the subject box. Other alternative formats are available on request.
Click www.open.ac.uk/study or call +44 (0)845 300 60 90
Why choose an Open University Short course?
Why choose an Open University Short course?

Open University Short courses will broaden your thinking, widen your horizons and stretch your imagination.
Short courses are offered in arts; business; mathematics, computing and technology; science; and social sciences. They offer the chance to explore a subject of special interest to you. Many people find these courses a great way to experience Open University (OU) study and some students take Short courses between longer ones for a change of pace or subject. All courses earn credits, so if you subsequently decide to continue your studies, you may be able to count your Short course as a module towards an OU qualification.
Excellent value for money

Short courses start at just 155, and if you rely on state benefits as your main source of income, we may offer financial support to cover the full fee (terms and conditions apply).
Choosing a Short course

This prospectus will give you more information about studying with the OU, and about how taking an OU course can benefit you. Currently there are over 35 Short courses to choose from (see pages 643) and around 600 longer ones. The list is constantly growing click www.open.ac.uk/study for the latest information on all our courses. Taking a Short course will be stimulating and rewarding. It could point you in the right career direction, or simply give you insight into a subject that has always fascinated you. Read on and discover the wealth of opportunities available.
Flexibility
Study options are flexible. Most Short courses have more than one start date a year some have four. So you can choose the one thats most suitable for you.
Courses and qualifications explained

Before we tell you about the various Short courses on offer, please read the following pages on course levels and qualifications, which will be particularly relevant to you if you are planning further study with us.
There are no selection procedures or entry requirements for most of our qualifications but that doesnt mean that all courses will be suitable for you. Thats why we try to offer you as much information and advice as possible early on to help you to make the best choice. If youre thinking of starting with a Level 2 or 3 course perhaps youve studied at undergraduate level before or have a professional qualification we strongly advise that you get some more information about what to expect. Click on our website at www.open.ac.uk/study or talk to staff in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service see back cover for contact details.
What are course levels?

Levels are used in education to give an indication of how difficult a course is. At the OU there are three undergraduate levels 1, 2 and 3 that are roughly equivalent to studying in the first, second and third year at a campus-based university. Most of our Level 1 courses are accessible and manageable, even if you have no prior knowledge of the subject. They introduce you to a particular subject and help you to develop the necessary skills you need to go on to a higher-level course. We find that students are most successful when they progress from a Level 1 course and work their way up. So we strongly recommend that you work progressively through the levels to build up your knowledge and skills. If you dont think you are ready for Level 1 study, please call our Student Registration & Enquiry Service to find out what other options are available to you see back cover for contact details.
What is credit transfer?

You can complete a qualification more quickly if you claim credit for study youve done before. For more information on how you could claim credit for previous study, click www.open.ac.uk/credit-transfer.
Qualifications
Certificates
A certificate our shortest qualification is a 60-credit OU qualification that recognises achievement in a specific subject area. It can be a first-step qualification in its own right, a way to update your professional skills, or a milestone on the way to a degree. Successful completion of six science Short courses will entitle you to claim a Certificate in Contemporary Science (C70). A Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE) is longer than the OU certificate, and is a 120-credit nationally recognised qualification for study that is equivalent to the first year of a full-time degree.
What are credits?

Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a study programme or qualification. One credit represents about ten hours of study, so the 10-credit Short courses in this prospectus will take you approximately 100 hours of study and each 15-credit course approximately 150 hours of study. Our longer courses at undergraduate level are worth 30 to 60 credits, so if you are thinking of taking a degree, you may need to consider the best way to plan the integration of these 10- or 15-credit courses into your degree profile. Youll need to take a Level 1 course for most of our degrees. These courses are not preparation for degree-level study, theyre part of it and the credits will count towards a degree. Some courses at Level 1 can earn you a certificate.
Diplomas
OU diplomas, like our certificates, are valuable qualifications in their own right and give a good base from which to go on to a degree. Each OU diploma is made up of courses adding up to 120 credits. Most OU diploma courses are at Levels 2 and 3, so its usually best to study for a diploma only after youve done a Level 1 course. We also offer a number of nationally recognised 240-credit Diplomas of Higher Education (DipHEs) equivalent to the first two years of a full-time degree.
Foundation degrees
These 240-credit degrees are work related so you must currently be working either as a paid employee or as a volunteer in a related work setting. They are designed and developed with employers, and highly valued. A foundation degree could open up opportunities for you to gain professional recognition. And with further study, you could convert your foundation degree to a full honours degree. Most of our foundation degrees are also offered as a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE).
Being a small place Orkney has limited further and higher education provision but I still wanted a degree so the OU suited me perfectly. I could study without even leaving my house!
Lorraine Cormack, OU student
To sum up:
whatever qualification youre studying, its best to start with a Level 1 course 10 credits is approximately 100 hours of study; 15 credits is approximately 150 hours of study you can count Short courses towards an OU qualification, as long as you comply with the other requirements for the qualification you normally need 60 credits for an OU certificate or 120 credits for a CertHE most qualifications are obtained by studying a combination of courses 120 credits are needed for an OU diploma 240 credits = a foundation degree / DipHE 300 credits = a degree without honours 360 credits = a degree with honours you may be able to get credit for higher education already completed most people only study one course at a time, but if your circumstances allow it, you could study a maximum of 120 credits per year remember that any of our courses can be taken on their own as part of personal or career development.
Degrees
An undergraduate degree is a widely recognised highereducation qualification. Degree-level study will demonstrate that you can understand complex information, meet deadlines, work independently and in a team, solve problems and communicate with confidence. If you want to be able to vary the amount of time you spend on study from year to year, or even not study at all in some years, an OU degree programme is for you. There are very few restrictions on the time you can take to complete an OU degree you can even have time off between courses if you want it. Youll need a minimum of 300 credits for a degree without honours and 360 credits for a degree with honours. Most students take no more than one course at a time. But if your circumstances allow it, you could study a maximum of 120 credits per year.
Open degrees
Unlike a degree in a named subject, for example in psychology or humanities, this type of degree lets you choose the combination of courses you study. Its our most popular degree and often enables students to explore a huge range of options and study in the arts, sciences, or both. These degrees are available with or without honours. For further information, click www.open.ac.uk/study-open.
How to get started
How to get started

It pays to register well before your course start date. Youll have more time to organise yourself and plan your studies.
Heres how you can become an Open University student
Step 1: Browse
Take some time to read this prospectus to discover what studying a Short course with the OU means and how it all works. If theres anything youre not sure about please call our Student Registration & Enquiry Service on +44 (0)845 300 60 90.
Step 2: Choose
Decide on the course thats right for you. If you need help to choose, call our Student Registration & Enquiry Service on +44 (0)845 300 60 90 or click www.open.ac.uk/study.
Step 3: Register
Online at www.open.ac.uk/study. Or by phone: England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and British Forces Post Office (BFPO) addresses outside the UK: +44 (0)845 300 60 90 Northern Ireland: 028 9032 3722 Republic of Ireland: (01)6785399 or +44 28 9032 3722 Other EU countries, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland: +44 191 477 6100 Elsewhere: +44 845 300 60 90. Or by post: By completing the Registration agreement on page 51 of this prospectus. This is the registration route you must take if you are applying for financial support, see page 46.
Step 4: Pay your fees

Youll need to pay when you register, unless youre applying for financial support. Please see the enclosed list of course fees and the section Becoming an Open University student on page 44.
Arts
Arts
Arts Short courses are introductory and taught online and do not assume any prior knowledge of the study topic. They develop learning and writing skills that can be usefully applied to courses demanding more extended study.
10-credit, 12-week courses Perspectives on Leonardo da Vinci (A178) Shakespeare: an introduction (A177) Start listening to music (A179) Start writing fiction (A174) 15-credit, 15-week courses Ethics in real life (A181) Heritage, whose heritage? (A180) Small country, big history: themes in the history of Wales (A182)
7 7 8 9 10 11 11 12 13
These courses will give you a good grounding in basic study skills (e.g. essay writing). This will be especially useful if you have never studied before or your study of the arts has been limited. As the courses are taught online, some familiarity with using a computer for learning will make them easier for you to study. If you have any doubt about the suitability of an arts Short course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service on +44 (0)845 300 60 90. If you would like further information about arts Short courses please click www.open.ac.uk/arts/short-courses.
Qualifications
Arts Short courses can count towards most of our degrees at bachelors level. For more information please click www.open.ac.uk/study.
Youll need
For all courses you will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. For further information, see the individual course descriptions on our website www.open.ac.uk/study.
Can I study outside the UK?

The following courses (A174, A180, A181 and A182) are available throughout the world, except South Africa. All other courses (A177, A178 and A179) are available in the OUs general study areas. Please see page 44.
What support will I get?

Youll be allocated to a tutor with a group of about 25 other students. Your tutor will run online tutorials and will mark and comment on your written assignments. You can contact your tutor through email and the online forum. If youre new to the OU, youll find that your tutor is particularly concerned to help you with your study methods. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with the OU before you register.
Entry
There are no entry requirements for these courses. If you have any doubt about the level of study, please seek advice from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Arts
If you have a disability or additional requirement

Please contact us for advice if you have concerns about taking a course, or about the support that could be provided. For more information, click www.open.ac.uk/disability. If there are features specific to a course, they are given in that course description.
This again points to the combination of careful sifting of evidence and imagination that contributes to the writing of history, and to the always provisional nature of conclusions reached. The course also considers Leonardos anatomical sketches, his understanding of light and optics, his experiments with artistic materials, and his fascination with geometrical design.
Youll need
Frequent access to a computer with an internet connection.
How will I be assessed?

These Short courses have no examinations. On each course, there are two or three assignments, either tutormarked assignments (TMAs) or interactive computermarked assignments (iCMAs), which can be submitted and returned electronically. Assessment is an essential part of the course, and youre strongly advised to complete all the assignments. Youll be sent more detailed information about the assignments when you begin the course.
If you have a disability or additional requirements

Youll need to spend considerable amounts of time using a personal computer and the internet. We provide a range of support services but some may take several months to arrange. Please contact us for advice if you have concerns about taking this course, or about the support that could be provided.
10-credit, 12-week courses

Perspectives on Leonardo da Vinci (A178)
Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 2 TMAs. No examination 07 May 2011 register by 4 weeks before start date 12 weeks
Course materials
Course books, other printed materials, web pages.
I liked the use of online teaching and found that the support and discussion available in the tutor group and online forums helped me discover new angles to look at whilst giving me the motivation and encouragement I needed.
A178 student
This course is expected to start for the last time in May 2011. This online course introduces the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci, placing him in historical context and examining selected examples of his work in what later became known as the fields of art, science and technology. The course begins by introducing some of the historical sources of knowledge about him, and hence the methods historians use to piece evidence together to try to form a coherent picture. In the process, key features of Leonardos context are introduced, including the patronage system he depended on for his livelihood, the traditions of arts and crafts he drew on, and the ideas that were circulating in the early Renaissance city states in which he lived. A number of his creative products paintings, sculptures, anatomical illustrations, sketches of various contraptions and devices are then examined by specialists from different subject areas. As well as examining his work in an historical context, the course considers how some of Leonardos ideas for practical projects have been revised, developed and even practically realised. For example, plans for the Galata bridge to link Asia and Europe at the Bosphorus were later realised in twentieth-century Scandinavia. Examining Leonardos plans illustrates the difficulty of piecing together his intentions from fragmentary evidence, while considering some of the challenges that designers face in building bridges, and how theyve learned to cope with these challenges. Another case study is the historical puzzle about two versions of his painting The Virgin of the Rocks, now in London and Paris.
Arts
Shakespeare: an introduction (A177)

Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 2 TMAs. No examination 07 May 2011, 29 Oct 2011, 04 Feb 2012 register by 4 weeks before start date 12 weeks
Youll need
Frequent access to a computer with an internet connection. Youll also need a television and a DVD player.

A performance of one of the set plays on DVD forms an important part of the course. Youll need to spend considerable amounts of time using a personal computer.
This course is expected to start for the last time in February 2012. This online course provides an introduction to Shakespeares drama through close study of two of his most interesting plays: The Taming of the Shrew and Romeo and Juliet. It considers the plays in terms of their language and themes, their relation to the time in which they were written, and the possibilities they present for performance. Shakespeare: an introduction is suitable both for students who want just a taste of OU study and for those intending to proceed to further study at university level. It is designed to equip you with the skills you will need for other OU literature courses at Levels 1, 2 and 3. You will acquire skills of close reading and analysis and become familiar with some of the main characteristics of comedies and tragedies. You will also learn how to develop a sound critical argument supported by textual evidence and to present that argument in a correctly referenced academic essay. The course will help you to develop valuable study skills such as note taking and time management and give you experience of studying online. The course is divided into three blocks. It begins with An introduction to reading Shakespeare, which is designed to help students with Shakespeares language, to develop skills of close reading and to consider plays not only as texts to be read but also as works written to be performed. The course then moves on to the study of a Shakespearean comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, one of the most controversial plays Shakespeare ever wrote. The course teaching material looks at the lively critical debate that has surrounded the play and asks whether we should see The Shrew as little more than a crude endorsement of male dominance or defend it as a complex work that is more sympathetic to women than might at first appear. You will examine the plays treatment of shrew taming in relation to its genre and structure and in the context of sixteenth-century ideas about women and marriage. The course material includes a DVD performance of the play, which will help you to consider to what extent the plays meaning depends on how it is translated from the page to the stage or screen. The final section of the course looks in detail at the Shakespearean tragedy Romeo and Juliet. You will analyse the play as a tragedy, examining Shakespeares portrayal of his young lovers and the world they live in. You will consider in particular the role of the feud in the plays tragic events. The teaching material gives close consideration to the plays social and cultural contexts, its language and style, its treatment of gender issues and the play in performance.
Course materials
The two set plays, each with a substantial critical introduction, Sean McEvoys book Shakespeare: The Basics, which provides a good general introduction to studying Shakespeare, a study guide, a DVD performance of The Taming of the Shrew, and a DVD performance of Romeo and Juliet. These materials will provide you with interpretations of the plays and examples of how to analyse and discuss specific passages and themes. They will help prepare you for the written work you will undertake on the course. Online forums are also included.
I enjoyed this course a great deal and found it stimulating and thoughtprovoking, not only with regard to Shakespeare and the plays studied, but other literature as well.
A177 student
Arts
Start listening to music (A179)

Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 2 TMAs. No examination 29 Oct 2011, 04 Feb 2012 register by 4 weeks before start date 12 weeks
Block 3 explores how musical sounds are produced. You will learn to recognise different types of instruments and voices, and to identify various techniques of producing sounds through them. Block 4 introduces you to a variety of musical styles and repertoires. Building on the work you have done in Blocks 13, you will learn about how different musical traditions have features and values that help us to identify pieces as belonging to a particular style or repertoire. Block 5 asks you to examine how the way that you hear a piece of music can be informed by the social, cultural and historical contexts with which the music is, or has been, associated. During the 12 weeks of this course, you should expect to spend around six and a half hours each week on study time. Time online will be at your discretion, but the course tuition is delivered via an online forum and you will be given around ten hours of online tutorial time spread across the 12 weeks.
This course was developed in conjunction with the Centre of Excellence for Teaching and Learning (CETL): Music and Inclusivity. How do you listen to music? Through an exciting and diverse array of musical examples, this short online course introduces you to new ways of listening to music and offers a guide to the principles of perceptive listening. Perceptive listening is a key skill that is central to several areas of the general music curriculum such as analysis, stylistic and historical awareness, orchestration, composition, performance, and music engineering. Musical examples used in the course range from Handel to The Doors and include examples drawn from classical, jazz, popular, folk and world musics. As you progress through this 12-week course, you will learn how to identify and discuss individual elements that contribute to a piece of music, including metre, rhythm, structure, timbre, and texture. You will also learn about the relationships between musical sounds, styles and repertoires as well as the cultural, social and historical contexts in which different styles of music have originated, been performed and been listened to. This course provides a solid foundation for anyone wishing to pursue music courses at Levels 2 and 3. This 12-week course consists of five blocks: Block 1 asks you to think about the ways in which you listen to music. Here you will learn about some of the different ways that you can listen to a piece in order to gain a greater understanding of it. In Block 2, you will encounter some of the basic methods by which pieces of music are put together. You will learn about some of the basic components of a musical work: pulse, rhythm and melody.
Youll need
An audio-CD player as well as internet access and a computer.

This course involves study of the aural aspects of music. The course material includes listening activities and these are assessed in tutor-marked assignments.
Course materials
Online course materials, music examples on three audio CDs, and online forum facilities.
10
Arts
Start writing fiction (A174)

Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 2 TMAs. No examination 07 May 2011, 29 Oct 2011, 04 Feb 2012 register by 4 weeks before start date 12 weeks
Genre and subject matter identifies the many different genres and cross-genres in fiction writing and also suggests possibilities for finding your themes. Plot, narrative, and time defines the difference between plot and story and looks at the impact of different timeframes on your stories. Point of view helps you decide who is telling your story; to whom; and with what degree of reliability (how much does your teller know, and are they telling the truth?). Beginnings explores and gets you to practise ways of hooking the reader at the outset of your stories.
This course is expected to start for the last time in February 2012. Have you ever thought of writing short stories or trying your hand at a novel? This 12-week online course will show you how to fire your creativity and imagination as well as equipping you with the basic narrative strategies. You will study and practise plot and story structure, character creation, place and voice. You will be encouraged to build up a regular practice of writing by keeping a writers notebook, doing warm-up exercises, and reading as a writer, adding to your repertoire of techniques by examining other writers methods. Online discussions with your tutor and group will help you to develop and revise your work. There will be two assessed pieces of work: the first one a set of exercises written to a given theme; the second an entire short story or the beginning part of a longer narrative. The course is written by a novelist and is supported by an audio CD containing interviews with several novelists talking about their own inspirations and methods. The course consists of five blocks: Setting out will show you how to keep a notebook as a seedbed of ideas, how to discover your kind of writing, and to learn by doing. It will encourage you to read as a writer, learning techniques, tricks and solutions from other writers.
Youll need

You will need to spend considerable amounts of time using a personal computer and the internet. If you use special hardware or software you should find out, well before the beginning of the course, whether it is compatible with the course software. The course materials are available on audio-cassette and written transcripts are available for the audio-visual material.
Course materials
Course website, online forums, online library access, audio CD, printed course guide.
Arts
11
15-credit, 15-week courses

Ethics in real life (A181)
Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 15 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 2 TMAs, 1 iCMA. No examination 08 Oct 2011 register by 4 weeks before start date 15 weeks
Block 4: Using other peoples words: the ethics of plagiarism and copyright infringement. Should ideas be free for other people to use? Or, if someone has an idea, do they own it, as they might own their car? Can they bequeath their ownership to others, and, if so, for how long? Is there such a thing as the theft of ideas? The ethics of plagiarism and copyright infringement has become a much-discussed topic recently, particularly with the growth of the internet. This block will explore these and related issues. Block 5: Business responsibility. Anyone who runs a company that is owned by its shareholders is running an operation using other peoples money. Does this mean that they are under an obligation to do their best by those people? Or do they have a broader responsibility to society? This block explores the shareholder and the stakeholder models of business responsibility.
This course is expected to start for the last time in October 2011. This online course will help you to understand ethical problems that arise in work and professional life. It deals specifically with decision making with respect to the end of life, with ethical issues of plagiarism and copyright, and issues concerning the responsibilities of companies and shareholders. These discussions are set within a theoretical framework, designed to make us better decision makers. The course has been designed to be of interest to everyone, and goes well beyond these particular issues into the role of ethical thinking in work and daily life. It is taught online, and has one audio CD. The focus of the course is on exploring some aspects of life that bring forward difficult ethical problems, and how to think through those problems to a solution. Its divided into five blocks of work. Block 1: Professional ethics. Many jobs (especially those known as the professions) have a code of ethics. These codes perform many functions, one of which is to guide peoples ethical decision making. Does this mean we can do without thinking for ourselves? This block explores the nature and limits of this approach. Block 2: Ethical theory. If we do need to think for ourselves, how do we go about it? This block draws on the best philosophical writing to explore some of the frameworks of ethical decision making. It considers why appealing to such frameworks might be necessary (or why they might simply be more trouble than they are worth). Block 3: Health and social care: euthanasia and end-oflife issues? There are some very difficult ethical decisions involved in the provision of health care. This block looks at how we identify an ethical issue in health care, and then at one particular structure for deciding on practical action. Youll then apply what you have learned to the difficult areas of treatment decisions, care at the end of life, and issues around patient dignity.
Youll need

Written transcripts of any audio components and PDF versions of printed material are available. Some PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Large print versions of the course material can be provided on request. The website www.open.ac.uk/disability has the latest information about availability.
Course materials
Website, online forums and an audio CD.
12
Arts
Heritage, whose heritage? (A180)

Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 15 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 3 TMAs. No examination 08 Oct 2011 register by 4 weeks before start date 15 weeks
Part 4: Museums and heritage. Museums present particular problems and issues. It is no longer safe to assume that the prime function of a museum is to store precious objects and preserve them for posterity. Museums now have to engage with a wide variety of social and political debates about how to build their collections and present and interpret them to the public. We look at a number of museum collections with very different approaches to these tasks. Part 5: Evaluating the issues and deciding what should be done. Here we consider the problem of how to manage heritage. What motivates government to invest in heritage and what does it expect in return? How can expanding visitor participation and tourism be made compatible with conserving the authentic quality of fragile objects, buildings and places? We will offer a number of specialised case studies that you can select to help you with your assignment.
This course is expected to start for the last time in October 2011. This course will help you to identify and understand the key issues affecting heritage decision making. For example, who decides what should be preserved from the past as our heritage? Who is this heritage for and how should it be presented and explained? How can I engage actively with my heritage and have an impact on it? It looks at the debate around what to do with places, buildings and things and the memories, myths and traditions associated with them, and enables you to be more effective in pursuing your enthusiasms and meeting the objectives of groups committed to changing policy on heritage matters. The 15-week course is organised into five parts, with the teaching material delivered online. You will require a computer and regular online access to complete the course. Part 1: Definitions and institutions. What meanings are associated with the word heritage and what are the issues they raise? Youll interrogate a range of buildings, places and things considered worthy of protection as heritage. Youll think about heritage in terms of inheritance, public and private memory, judgements of value, conservation of nature, and public access. What issues do these criteria raise? How do heritage sites deal with human experience and memories? Youll look at open air museums and collections that preserve the traces of peoples lives. Part 2: The processes of listing, protecting, conserving, interpreting and managing heritage sites. How is heritage managed in the UK and elsewhere? What are the key official and private organisations that influence decision making and how do they interact? What are the key values that influence decision making in heritage organisations? Part 3: Processes of inquiry, documentation and evaluation. Here youll look at the processes of documenting, listing, conserving and interpreting objects of heritage first as a set of case studies and then as a step-by-step procedure that you can follow. How do I find out about something that interests me? What is significant about it? To whom is it significant? Who do I need to contact? What issues does it raise and what do I think should happen? Questions like these will be discussed and will guide you through the exercise in preparation for the final tutor-marked assignment in week 15.
Youll need

Written transcripts of any audio components and PDF versions of printed material are available. Some PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. There are sections of the course which make heavy use of illustrations, but assessment is not based on visual discrimination.
Course materials
Website, printed materials, online forums and an audio CD.
Arts
13
Small country, big history: themes in the history of Wales (A182)

Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 15 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 3 TMAs. No examination 08 Oct 2011, 07 Apr 2012 register by 4 weeks before start date 15 weeks
Nationhood, the final theme, addresses the way that expressions of Welsh identity might be explored by looking at two contrasting periods and perspectives: the conquest (some have called it a colonisation) of Wales by the English King Edward I in the thirteenth century, and how far it stimulated a sense of shared identity among native Welsh people; and the extent to which the Welshness of Wales great international statesman, David Lloyd George, was evident in both his actions and his attitudes.
This online course introduces you to themes in the history of Wales and to the methods that historians have used for understanding Welsh history. The course is divided into four parts, an introduction followed by three blocks, each devoted to a different theme. In each part you will encounter case studies; these case studies are contained in a Reader, a collection of essays and writings about Wales dating from the thirteenth century to the late twentieth century. The format is identical for each case study. A brief introduction provides some context for the topic; this is followed by an essay written by an eminent historian of Wales, to which is appended a collection of sources that provided the raw materials for the historians essay. Mythology and tradition, the case study used for the introductory block, deals with the way that the history of Wales was written and understood in the eighteenth century. It covers the fundamentals of historical sources and the challenges that modern historians have to face when using them. The remaining case studies are grouped into three thematic blocks: Culture, Society and Nationhood. Culture, the first of our themes, can be understood in many ways. One meaning suggests the highest intellectual and artistic products of a society, but this is not the meaning we are using. Here, culture should be taken to mean the values and preoccupations that are commonly understood and shared by large sectors of the people. The first case study, Popular culture, provides a good illustration of this meaning by examining the importance of sport, music and other leisure activities in bringing people together to create common opinions and dialogues. The theme is then applied to the way that a shared set of values and sentiments led to apparently spontaneous popular uprisings in the nineteenth century. The final case study in this block, Religion and belief, looks at the way that religious belief provided a common element in the culture of Wales in the sixteenth century. Society provides the second theme. Here, two case studies reveal very different aspects of how Welsh society was shaped. The move from the land examines the great population shift that saw the movement of a large proportion of the people of Wales from a rural, agricultural society to one based increasingly on heavy industry. This topic contrasts sharply, but with no less relevance, with an examination of the place of women in Welsh society between the two World Wars, in Women between the wars.
Youll need

PDF versions of printed material are available. Some PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Large print versions of the course material can be provided on request. The website www.open.ac.uk/disability has the latest information about availability.
Course materials
Course website, study guide, course reader.
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Business
Business
The Open University Business School is dedicated to providing high quality, practical, work-related learning in business and management. Our Short courses enable you to try out a specific subject to study by distance learning before committing yourself to a longer course or to top up your knowledge and skills between longer courses.
Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting (B190) Introduction to financial services (BD131)
15 16
How much time does it take?

Each course consists of around 100 hours of study. The courses can be studied over a flexible period of time from 12 weeks up to 24 weeks. It is up to you. Studying at the usual rate for material at this level would take 12 weeks requiring approximately nine hours a week, but if that does not fit into your schedule you can choose to take longer.
Youll need

Once you start a course you will be given access to a course-specific website including an online discussion forum moderated by specialists who will help with academic questions and provide advice about assessment and how to study. You can also contact other students on your course via the online forum and get information about additional resources and events that may be useful to your studies. These support arrangements are different from those we offer for our longer Level 1 Open University Business School courses where you will be allocated a tutor and which usually include tutorials held at regional or national centres. If you would like to know more about studying with the OU, contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service on +44 (0)845 300 60 90.

Both courses are available for study in the OUs general study areas. Please see page 44.
When can I start?

These courses are presented four times a year in February, May, August and November. You can expect to receive the course material in the week prior to the course start date, unless you register late. Because of the flexibility of the study period, you can register by telephone, in some cases, up to two weeks after the start date of the course, providing that places are still available.
Business
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Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting (B190)

Credits: Assessment: Start: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 1 End-of-module assessment. No examination 01 May 2011, 01 Aug 2011, 01 Nov 2011, 01 Feb 2012, 01 May 2012 register by course start date 1224 weeks
Youll need
The use of a basic calculator and frequent access to a computer with an internet connection, and the facility to work with CD-ROMs.
Assessment
To earn the 10 credits for your Short course, you will need to complete one end-of-module assessment to an acceptable standard and submit this electronically at the end of the course. There is no examination. If you decide that you need more time to complete the course, you can submit your assessment in the subsequent presentation of the course but you will need to complete the assessment questions for the subsequent presentation not those of the presentation you registered for.
Length:
In this 12-week course you will gain practical skills in spreadsheets and double-entry bookkeeping, both manual and computerised, as well as knowledge and understanding of the essential principles, concepts, ethics and limitations that underpin bookkeeping and financial accounting. The course is accredited by the International Association of Book-keepers (IAB) and can be counted towards an undergraduate degree. It is a recommended preparatory course for our 30-credit Level 2 course Financial accounting (B291).
Qualifications
Successful completion of Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting will entitle you to 10 credits that can count towards the: Certificate in Business Studies (C63); BA (Hons) Business Studies (B04); Foundation Degree in Business (G07); Diploma of Higher Education in Business (E42); Foundation Degree in Leadership and Management (G08); Diploma of Higher Education in Leadership and Management (E43); BA (Hons) Leadership and Management (B54); Foundation Degree in Financial Services (G16); Diploma of Higher Education in Financial Services (E54). We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which the course can count towards these qualifications, because from time to time the structure and requirements of a qualification may change. For further information please click www.open.ac.uk/study.
Entry
Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting caters for people who want a good grounding in double-entry bookkeeping and the production of basic financial statements as well as anyone who wants to proceed to professional qualifications as bookkeepers, accounting technicians or fully qualified accountants. The course is suitable for applicants who are ready for study at higher-education level, and is open to all. To cope with the printed material you should be able to understand in outline the sort of articles printed in quality newspapers, and you should be able to write your thoughts down comprehensibly. Mathematically you need only to be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide simple numbers. A short maths skills section is provided in the course guide to help you with, for example, fractions, percentages, reading graphs and tables, as required by the course. You should be aware that due to the nature of this subject, this Short course may be challenging for some students. If you have any doubt about the level of study, please seek advice from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

The printed course materials are available in PDF format. However, some of the CD-ROMs may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader, and bookkeeping and accounting spreadsheets may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Please contact us for advice if you have concerns about taking a course, or about the support that could be provided.
Course materials
A study book, a course guide (in hardcopy and online), two CD-ROMs and spreadsheet exercises (available online).
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Business
Introduction to financial services (BD131)

Credits: Assessment: Start: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 1 End-of-module assessment. No examination 01 May 2011, 01 Aug 2011, 01 Nov 2011, 01 Feb 2012, 01 May 2012 register by course start date 1224 weeks
Course materials
The study materials will be online, studied through a course website with resources designed to support your learning. The online resources for this course include an online discussion forum, and interactive quizzes along with downloadable PDF versions of the course material. Periodic podcasts will be provided as an additional resource to the course material.
Length:
Youll need
This 12-week course examines the history of the development of financial services in the UK and the ways in which the sector is regulated. It will help you to understand how financial crises affect the UK and most other major economies particularly given the roles played by the financial services organisations in such crises and the consequences for the sector. Although the course covers a number of subjects that are international in nature and certainly many that have an EU context the focus of the course is on the structure, operation and regulations of the UK financial services industry. This course is particularly relevant if you wish to study towards the Foundation Degree in Financial Services (G16) /Diploma of Higher Education in Financial Services (E54) or you can choose it as an optional course in our business studies programme.
Assessment
To earn the 10 credits for your Short course, you will need to complete the end-of-module assessment to an acceptable standard and submit this electronically at the end of the course. There is no examination.
Qualifications
Successful completion of Introduction to financial services will entitle you to 10 credits that can count towards our Foundation Degree in Financial Services (G16) or Diploma of Higher Education in Financial Services (E54) and also towards these qualifications: Certificate in Business Studies (C63); BA (Hons) Business Studies (B04); Foundation Degree in Business (G07); Diploma of Higher Education in Business (E42); Foundation Degree in Leadership and Management (G08); Diploma of Higher Education in Leadership and Management (E43); BA (Hons) Leadership and Management (B54). We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which the course can count towards these qualifications, because from time to time the structure and requirements of a qualification may change. For further information please click www.open.ac.uk/study.
Entry
This course is for students aiming for a career in the financial services industry and for those already employed within the sector. You will need basic computer skills and should be familiar with basic financial documents and records.

As the majority of this course is taught online and through resources such as an online discussion forum you will need to spend considerable amounts of time using a computer and the internet. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in operating a computer or the internet and have any concerns about accessing the types of materials described you are advised to talk to our Student Registration & Enquiry Service before enrolling for the course about the support which can be given to meet your needs. Transcripts of any audio-visual components will be available and PDF versions of online material are available to download from the course website. Some PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Other alternative formats of the course materials may be available in the future. The website www.open.ac.uk/disability has the latest information about availability.
I love the learning, which enables me to travel all over the world without leaving my home!
I worked in a factory and retail before turning to office work to try to improve myself and my skills. But I suffered anxiety and depression and as a result Ive been unable to work for the last ten years. I got in touch with The Open University and spoke to an adviser because I wanted to establish if I was capable of studying at academic level. I told her I wanted to do a science course as I was inspired by Sir David Attenborough and Charles Darwin but had a real blind spot about maths, so she suggested an Openings course. Hazel Gray, Open University student When I found Id passed the Openings course it was an unbelievable feeling. My adviser asked me if I was ready for a degree. I said no, but then my tutor suggested I try a few science short courses. I did five, on subjects including fossils, planets, and Darwin and evolution. I passed them all, two with distinctions. My mental health issues meant I spent a lot of time indoors, but these courses built my confidence and I then did a digital photography course to get me out of the house. My OU adviser said I was doing so well I should think about a degree, so finally I started a longer Level 1 course Environment: journeys through a changing world (U116). I found all the subjects covered by the science and the environment courses fascinating, because they included every one of my passions biodiversity, conservation, climate change and sustainability. I even learned how to measure my carbon footprint. I love the learning, which enables me to travel all over the world without leaving my home. I used to log into the forums but didnt have the confidence to make a contribution. Now I find Ive started posting messages, swapping information with other students. The OU is helping me to overcome my mental illness. It has made a huge difference to my life. I can foresee a time when I am able to get a career and the confidence that I can do that is entirely down to the OU.
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Mathematics, computing and technology

The Faculty of Mathematics, Computing and Technology has nine fascinating Short courses at Level 1 in ICT, technology, environment, and mathematics. They are all delivered electronically with minimal printed support material and require extensive use of internet and electronic communications.
ICT Design and the Web (T183) Digital worlds: designing games, creating alternative realities (T151) Linux: an introduction (T155) Technology NEW Digital audio (T150) NEW Digital film school (T156) Digital photography: creating and sharing better images (T189) Robotics & the meaning of life: a practical guide to things that think (T184) Environment Sustainable Scotland (T123) Mathematics The story of maths (TM190)
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You will have access to moderated national online forums where you can ask for help and advice.
Assessment
These Short courses have no examinations. On each course there will be an end-of-module assessment (EMA) which youll submit electronically. Some courses may also include a computer-marked assignment (CMA) or interactive computermarked assignment (iCMA). Well send you more detailed information about assessment when you begin the course.
Qualifications
All of these courses can count towards most of our degrees at bachelors level, and are equally appropriate to a BA or BSc. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which the course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements of a qualification may change. It is up to you to ensure that you are properly informed about the circumstances in which the course can count towards these qualifications. You should think carefully about fitting 10 credits into a programme of study that consists mostly of 30- and 60-credit courses.

All courses are available throughout the world, except South Africa.
Start dates
Courses start on 1 May and 1 October each year and are ten weeks long, except for Sustainable Scotland (T123) which starts on 1 February and 1 October each year and is 15 weeks long. You may register up to one week before the course start date but you are strongly advised to register earlier.

If you use special hardware or software you must, well before the course begins, find out whether it will work with the course software. We provide a range of support services but some may take several months to arrange. Please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service for advice if you have concerns about taking a course, or about the support that could be provided.
Entry
There are no entry requirements for these courses. If you have any doubt about the level of study, please seek advice from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service on +44 (0)845 300 60 90. We strongly advise against studying two or more courses at the same time.
Youll need
These courses are all delivered electronically with minimal printed support material and require extensive use of internet and electronic communications. You need to be a fairly confident computer user, able to install software, use office-type applications and browse the internet. Details of the specifications for the computer requirements for each course can be found on our website, click www.open.ac.uk/study.
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Design and the Web (T183)

Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 1 iCMA, 1 EMA. No examination 01 May 2011, 01 Oct 2011, 01 May 2012 register by 1 week before start date 10 weeks
The course is intended for three types of student: those who know little or nothing about design or the creation of websites; those who may know a lot about design but little about the creation of websites; and those who may know a lot about creating websites but little about design. Expert web designers may find the level very elementary, but still find the discussion of design principles illuminating. The course aims to: teach design theory and principles and show how they apply to the web teach some basic technical skills enabling novices to publish their own websites teach you how to critique web pages and websites from a design perspective let you experiment with design principles to create well-designed websites.
This course is expected to start for the last time in May 2012. This ten-week online course shows how design principles can be applied to the creation of web pages and websites. It explores the elements of web page design, text, colour, images, and assembling them as layout. The course also covers usability issues such as navigation, access, interactivity, and designing virtual experiences. Creating your own website can be great fun youll publish a website within a week of starting the course. Youll use a web page editor, which we explain how to use in detail. Tuition is via an online forum, where you can seek help and advice from the academic moderators, and exchange opinions with fellow students.
This has to be the first step in web design. It gives you a good start and has lots of practice at building web pages. I enjoyed this course so much.
T183 student
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Digital worlds: designing games, creating alternative realities (T151)

Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 1 EMA. No examination 01 May 2011, 01 Oct 2011 register by 1 week before start date 10 weeks
Linux: an introduction (T155)

Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 1 EMA. No examination 01 May 2011, 01 Oct 2011, 01 May 2012 register by 1 week before start date 10 weeks
This course is expected to start for the last time in October 2011. From the earliest days of computing, computer games have led the way in exploring how we interact with digital media. In this ten-week online course you will discover how computer games and interactive digital experiences are designed and made, marketed and played. Through designing, creating, sharing and reviewing your own games, you will learn how complex games are often constructed from simple building blocks. You will also see how the evolution of communities around computer games helps drive an international industry that extends from casual single player games to interactive online entertainment and serious educational games. Each weeks study offers a creative mix of learning, practice, networking and reflection. Over the duration of the course, youll learn about different aspects of the design of computer games and interactive media, from key technological concepts, through visual and narrative design methods, to why games are engaging and fun to play. The course will: enable you to identify different game genres and modes of interaction and appreciate the factors affecting the quality of user engagement and experience teach you about the methods of production, distribution and consumption of interactive information and entertainment products teach you the introductory principles and key methods of computer game design, using GameMaker Pro (version 7 for PC) teach you how to critically reflect upon and evaluate your own and others work in the spirit of continuous technical and artistic improvement help you to engage with online interactive media and explore the range of interactions afforded by contemporary human-computer interfaces show you how to experiment with the principles of interactive media as part of a supportive online community. The game making software used in the course is GameMaker Pro (version 7 for PC), which is provided on the course website.
The myth of Linux is based on the misconception that it is a difficult operating system to understand, hard to use and that there are issues surrounding its quality. As one of the most extensively used operating systems worldwide, the chances are the website you visited most recently was running on a Linux system. On this course you will be introduced to the Ubuntu version of Linux. The course will introduce many concepts and offer practical experience each week, where you will: install your own version of Linux update and manage the operating system learn the basics of the command line environment work with the file systems in Linux discover the structure of Linux and similar operating systems appreciate some of the history behind Linux and other operating systems set up a basic web server manage users and user groups manipulate Linux to suit your own personal preferences work with some of the lower level functions of Linux appreciate the first principles of Linux systems security appreciate the purpose and quality of the open source community. The course uses the current long term stable release of Ubuntu, accessed via the course website as well as directly from the Canonical website. Practical activities will comprise about half of your overall study time. Linux will run on many older systems with considerable success. There is one assignment at the end of the course where you will have the opportunity to create your own bespoke version of Linux based on a common core operating system. Upon completion of this course you will be in a position to take the CompTIA Linux+ certification, an internationally recognised work-based qualification.
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Technology
New Digital audio (T150)
Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 1 CMA, 1 EMA. No examination 01 May 2011, 01 Oct 2011, 01 May 2012 register by 1 week before start date 10 weeks
New Digital film school (T156)

Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 1 CMA, 1 EMA. No examination 01 Oct 2011, 01 May 2012 register by 1 week before start date 10 weeks
Digital audio is a ten-week Short course with approximately ten hours of study each week. It offers a general introduction to recording, editing, distributing and reproducing sound using digital tools. It will appeal to you if you wish to record sound for use on the Internet, or to be involved in the sound side of amateur performances, or if you just want to find out more about digital audio for general interest. The course is activity-based so it involves doing as well as reading and thinking. The audio-editing software is Audacity which is a free program with versions available for Windows, Mac and Linux. You should have a good grasp of this by the end of the course. You will be required to submit an end-of-module assessment (EMA) based around an audio track that you will develop during the course. You will learn: the essential processes and principles employed in digital sound recording how to create a recording by editing, mixing and applying effects basic skills to follow technological developments in digital audio how the acoustic environment affects recording and listening how to recognise technical imperfections in recordings what digital compression is and when to use it how to share digital material on the internet the basic legal situation regarding sharing and copying sound recordings traditional and emerging business models for producing and distributing music.
This is a practical, hands-on introduction to digital moviemaking which will complement the courses Digital photography: creating and sharing better images (T189) and Digital audio (T150). You wont need any special software, just a computer and something to film with. The course is designed to give you the chance to make your own films for work or for pleasure. No previous experience is necessary, Digital film school will show you how to do it. You will learn: the production process for creating media for different purposes what makes a good story and how to build a satisfying visual narrative some basic technical issues such as media types, equipment types and settings, compression and distribution options how to read other peoples films; to deconstruct audio-visual media in terms such as genre, shot types, sequencing, soundtrack and composition how to create, script and storyboard project ideas how to plan, produce and publish audio-visual media to a brief and to be able to justify your choices in doing so to undertake online research to find, select and use the very latest information on techniques and technical matters, and to present it to others to demonstrate good communication skills, using video to communicate specific information how to make an informed and sensitive critique of others work and research, and how to support your own learning by seeking feedback on it to develop your skills as a producer, director and editor why media ethics and good media rights management are important.
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Digital photography: creating and sharing better images (T189)

Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 1 CMA, 1 EMA. No examination 01 May 2011, 01 Oct 2011 register by 1 week before start date 10 weeks
The course will: teach you the key principles of capturing digital images and manipulating these with Adobe Photoshop Elements (a copy of which is included in the course) equip you with basic skills to navigate technological developments in digital photography teach you how to critically evaluate your own and others work in the spirit of continuous technical and artistic improvement encourage you to experiment with the principles of digital photography and imaging as part of a supportive online community help you to develop a portfolio to be proud of.
This course is expected to start for the last time in October 2011. For the most up-to-date information, click www.open.ac.uk/study. Whether youre new to digital photography or want to improve your existing skills, this ten-week online course will develop your ability to create and share digital images you are proud of. If youre just starting out, youll be able to compare notes with many other people in the same situation. If youre already a keen amateur digital photographer, being part of an active online community will develop your fluency. Visually focused, with text kept to a minimum, the course will develop your technical, visual and creative skills. A series of weekly hands-on assignments will allow you to practise your newly acquired skills. The course is a creative mix of practice, learning, sharing and reflection: Practice: each week you do a practical photographic activity that broadens and strengthens your photographic experience. Together these activities form the basis of your portfolio that youll draw upon for your end-of-module assessment. Learning: each week you learn about different aspects of photographic techniques, as well as relevant aspects of the technology behind digital photography. Sharing and reflection: each week you share your work within the T189 online community of photographers. Youll steadily develop your ability to reflect upon your own and others work, and to write about your increasing visual awareness.
For me the course had a steep learning curve but the effort was well worth it. If you want to learn how to take impressive photos and display great images, look no further; this course is for you.
T189 student
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Robotics & the meaning of life: a practical guide to things that think (T184)
Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 2 iCMAs, 1 EMA. No examination 01 May 2011, 01 Oct 2011 register by 1 week before course start date 10 weeks
The online forum allows you to exchange ideas with other students, and to seek help and advice from the academic moderators. The course aims to: provide an intellectual framework for examining the impact of robotics on human thought and societies introduce the capabilities and limitations of contemporary robots describe the technologies underlying robotics and artificial life understand the ethical and social issues surrounding technology, robots and artificial life.
This course is expected to start for the last time in October 2011. This ten-week online course will introduce you to robotics and the design of intelligent machines. It allows you to investigate the relationship between robots and humans, and to question what it means for a machine to be intelligent in the context of what it means to be human. The course has a CD-based interactive teaching laboratory created specially for T184. This includes OU-RobotLab, a specially written software package to enable complete beginners to program real and simulated robots. You can also choose alternative practical activities that make use of the LEGO MindStorms Robotics Invention kit (optional, not provided). The course website presents specially prepared teaching material and assessment. The book I, Robot by Isaac Asimov and a DVD James Mays Big Ideas: ManMachine are also included.
If you want to study in computers, technology or even the world, this course is a must! It really opens your eyes and gives you a very strong foundation on technology and life!
T184 student
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Environment
Sustainable Scotland (T123)
Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 15 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 1 EMA. No examination 01 Oct 2011, 01 Feb 2012 register by 1 week before start date 15 weeks
Mathematics
The story of maths (TM190)
Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 2 iCMAs, 1 EMA. No examination 01 May 2011, 01 Oct 2011, 01 May 2012 register by 1 week before start date 10 weeks
This 15-week online course takes you on a wide-ranging journey through the many technological, economic and social aspects of sustainability with a focus on how such issues affect Scotland. Online discussion of these issues with your fellow students will be an important learning tool. Activities throughout the course will help you develop the skills to produce a report on your case studies as the final course assessment. The course is taught entirely online with study support via an online discussion forum. Youll look briefly at issues such as environmental justice, information technology use, waste management, transport, energy production and use, food production, and cultural and community sustainability, comparing how the small North Atlantic countries surrounding Scotland deal with such issues, and explore ways to tackle a sustainable future positively. Central to the course is a website through which all the specially prepared teaching, assessment and other course materials are presented. You will be able to use case studies either from your own local area or access ones that interest you from relevant Scottish websites. At the end of the course, you should be able to: understand the terms sustainability and sustainable development with respect to local energy use and Scottish renewable energy initiatives apply the concept of sustainability to different aspects of Scottish society, e.g. crofting, fisheries, mining, island life understand the ambiguous role of technology within sustainability and sustainable development understand the issues surrounding environmental justice. You will be required to study approximately ten hours per week for 15 weeks, including time for exercises and assessment. The course is quite an intensive study experience, so if you miss a week, especially near the beginning, you may find it hard to catch up.
Following the BBC 4 TV series The Story of Maths, featuring Professor Marcus du Sautoy, this course is designed for anyone interested in exploring how mathematics has evolved, both historically and culturally. Presenting the maths behind the programmes, it traces the development of the subject from its origins in Egypt and Mesopotamia 4000 years ago to 20th-century Europe and the US, in an entertaining and accessible way. It brings everyday mathematical concepts to life, showing why and how they were invented and the problems that had to be overcome to develop them. Also included are many less well-known ideas and results that can be surprising and fascinating. The course illuminates the humanities and the sciences, and is a rich source of knowledge and insight for both. The television programmes on DVD are accompanied by online and printed commentaries and by Anne Rooneys recent best-selling book The Story of Mathematics. This course is accessible to anyone who has encountered GCSE-level maths, albeit some time ago, and could be an excellent introduction to further study in mathematics and the sciences.
This course might also interest you

Return to science, engineering and technology (T161)
This course is aimed at people who have some background in science, engineering or technology (SET) either through work or previous study and who are looking to return to work in one of these sectors. For further information and to register, click www.open.ac.uk/study.
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Science
Science
Science Short courses introduce contemporary topics in science. They enable you to try out an area of science to study before you commit yourself to a longer course. Alternatively, you can top up your knowledge and skills between longer courses.
Archaeology: the science of investigation (SA188) Darwin and evolution (S170) Elements of forensic science (S187) Empire of the microbes (S171) How the Universe works (S197) Human genetics and health issues (SK195) NEW Inside nuclear energy (ST174) Introducing astronomy (S194) Maths for science (S151) Molecules, medicines and drugs: a chemical story (SK185) Neighbourhood nature (S159) Plants and people (S173) Sport: the science behind the medals (S172) Understanding human nutrition (SK183) NEW Understanding the frozen planet (S175) Understanding the weather (S189) Volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis (S186) NEW Living without oil: chemistry for a sustainable future (S176)
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Science
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What do I need to know before I start?

The courses are suitable for applicants who are ready for the challenge of study at higher education level. To cope with the written material you should be able to read and understand written English of a style and complexity characteristic of a professional magazine or quality newspaper, and you should be able to communicate your thoughts clearly and comprehensibly in a written format. Mathematically you need only to be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide simple numbers. A maths skills ebook is provided on most courses to help you with, for example, fractions, percentages, reading graphs and tables, and scientific units as required by the course. You will also require basic computer skills such as simple word processing and being able to use the Internet. Additional entry advice is provided in the description for each course. To check if you have the necessary skills you should try the interactive quiz Are you ready for Level 1 science?, which is available at www.open.ac.uk/science/learning/ayrf. If you have any doubt about the level of study, please seek advice from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service on +44 (0)845 300 60 90.
Which course should I do?

The course descriptions on the following pages will tell you what the course covers and what materials are included. Some courses build on previous knowledge and as such will be more demanding, especially if you have not studied for some time. You should read the descriptions carefully and select a course from the topics that interest you most, taking into consideration any specific information in the entry section of the course description and the type of study materials. If you have any doubt about the level of study on any course, please seek advice from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service on +44 (0)845 300 60 90. If you are new to OU study, you are strongly advised not to register for more than one of these courses at a time, until you have gained some experience of distance learning.
How much time does it take?

Each course is worth 10 credits at Level 1 and consists of up to 100 hours of study. The courses can be studied over a flexible period of time. You can take from two months up to five months over each one; it is up to you. Studying at the usual rate for material at this level would take eight to ten weeks, ten hours a week, but if that does not fit into your schedule, you can choose to take longer.
When can I start?

There are normally four presentations a year, starting in February, May, September and November. You can register by telephone up to two weeks after the start date of the course, providing that places are still available. You can expect to receive the course material in the week prior to the course start date, unless you register late. For information on presentations after May 2012 you should visit our website at www.open.ac.uk/science/short.

Once you start studying a science Short course, you can contact a team of expert science study advisers by phone or online, to help you with academic questions and advise you about the assessment and how to study. The science Short course telephone advice line will be open for several evenings a week and part of the weekend. The phone lines will be staffed by rota, so you may not speak to the same adviser each time you call. You will also be able to contact a study adviser through an online discussion forum. There are separate discussion forums for each course where students can discuss the course with each other and where study advisers answer questions about the course. These support arrangements are different from those we offer for longer science courses, where you will be allocated a personal tutor and which often include tutorials held at local centres. If you would like to know more about studying with the OU, contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

To get the 10 credits for your Short course, you will need to complete one piece of work called an EMA (end-of-module assessment) to an acceptable standard and submit it online to the OU for assessment at the end of the course. There is no examination. On most courses the EMA will require written answers to a series of questions; on courses where the form of assessment is different, it is mentioned in the course description. For each course presentation there is a choice of two alternative dates by which you have to submit your EMA: February course start completes end of April or end of July; May start completes end of July or end of October; September start completes end of October or end of January; November start completes end of January or end of April.
Qualifications
Successful completion of each course will entitle you to 10 credits that can count towards an OU bachelors degree, and would be particularly suitable for inclusion in the BSc (Hons) Natural Sciences (B64) degree alongside other science courses. Information on how each course contributes to an honours degree is given in the course description but we advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions Continued on page 28.
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Continued from page 27. for information on the circumstances in which the course can count towards these qualifications, because from time to time the structure and requirements of a qualification may change. Students who pass six 10-credit Level 1 science Short courses will be eligible for a Certificate in Contemporary Science (C70). For more information, click www.open.ac.uk/study.
Archaeology: the science of investigation (SA188)

Credits: Assessment: Start: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 1 EMA. No examination 14 May 2011, 01 Sep 2011, 12 Nov 2011, 12 May 2012 register by course start date 25 months

You must be able to produce your course assessment on the computer and submit it online to the University. Some of the printed course materials are available in PDF format. However some components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and mathematical and scientific materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Large print versions of the course materials can be provided on request. We can provide a range of other support services but some may take several months to arrange. Please contact us for advice if you have concerns about taking a course, or about the support that could be provided. For more information, click www.open.ac.uk/disability. If there are features specific to a course, they are given in that course description.
Length:
This course was produced in partnership with the British Museum and York Archaeological Trust. A modified version of the course is expected to start in May 2012. Archaeology is about reconstructing the physical past to obtain an understanding of how different civilisations and cultures have developed over time. In this course, you will develop an appreciation of the processes involved in the discovery, investigation and interpretation of a wide variety of artefacts and archaeological sites, and apply a range of scientific techniques commonly used in the field and laboratory. You will then learn how scientific information can provide archaeologists with new insights into how various aspects of societies and cultures may have evolved. This will be achieved by investigating a series of case studies within four main topics: reading the archaeological landscape; from bog bodies, skeletons and mummies to forensic archaeology; making sense of materials: insights into ceramics, stones, metals, food and textiles; and our archaeological heritage: protecting finds for the future. Within each of these topics, you will be introduced to new scientific ideas and concepts as you need them and will consider different ways of communicating the results effectively. By the end of the course, you will have developed a greater awareness of the role of scientific investigation in archaeology and how it provides new insights into the evolution of past cultures and societies, as well as developing a range of study skills associated with finding, interpreting and communicating different forms of information. The course is based around two books a specially written OU study book and Archaeology: An Introduction by Kevin Greene along with an interactive DVD containing the case studies and a course website, which will link to an active archaeological dig. The study book will guide you through specific sections of the course book and DVD, and provide questions and activities to develop a range of study skills and help test your understanding and appreciation of different scientific, social and cultural aspects of archaeology. You will need to be prepared to work between the different learning resources and advice is provided on how to do this while managing your study time effectively.
Youll need
Most courses require the use of a basic scientific calculator. On all courses you will need regular access to an internetenabled computer and be able to use online communications for study and administrative purposes, including submitting your assessment. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. For further information, see the individual course descriptions on our website www.open.ac.uk/study. For some courses you will need additional equipment. Please see the individual course descriptions for further details. Where a scanner or digital camera is specified, it is to enable you to include drawn diagrams in your assessment.

All the science Short courses can be taken by residents of the countries listed on page 44. The following courses are also available throughout the world, except South Africa: Empire of the microbes (S171); How the Universe works (S197); Human genetics and health issues (SK195); Introducing astronomy (S194); Inside nuclear energy (ST174); Maths for science (S151); Plants and people (S173); Sport: the science behind the medals (S172); Understanding the frozen planet (S175); Understanding the weather (S189).
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Entry
In the course you will meet a wide range of scientific subjects and will have to be prepared to understand some basic science, e.g. biology, chemistry, geology and physics. While it is designed for people who are new to these subject areas, you will probably find that you can move faster through the course if you have a little basic knowledge of general science. However, all you really need is an interest in archaeology and the motivation to discover much more about the scientific techniques used in archaeological investigations.
Darwin and evolution (S170)

Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 1 EMA. No examination 14 May 2011, 01 Sep 2011, 12 Nov 2011 register by course start date 25 months
This course is expected to start for the last time in November 2011. Charles Darwins famous book On the Origin of Species was published in 1859. In it, he set out his arguments and evidence for the theory of evolution by means of natural selection, sparking the most profound revolution in the history of science concerning our understanding of life, and of our own origins and nature. The year 2009 marked the bicentenary of his birth and in celebration of these important anniversaries this course explains and explores the science of evolution for those with little or no scientific background. A richly illustrated, OU-authored, popular-style book, 99% Ape How Evolution Adds Up forms the core of the course, explaining modern evolutionary theory and its relevance to current issues, as well as illustrating a number of fascinating evolutionary case histories, including the origins of our own species and of the ways our minds work. The book is accompanied by a series of three television programmes on DVD that illustrate Darwins working methods, an outdoor practical exercise where you will observe snails over a period of several days and online activities in which youll investigate variation and evolution in snails. An online study guide integrates these three components.
Youll need
Frequent use of a computer with an internet connection, the facility to play DVD-ROMs and access to a scanner or digital camera.

A proportion of the course is delivered online via the course website, so you will have to spend a considerable amount of time using a computer and the internet. If you have severely impaired sight you may find the course challenging, as it relies heavily on coloured images and no textual descriptions are available. A large proportion of the course is based on educational software, delivered on DVD-ROM, which must be studied in order to complete the course. Written transcripts are available for the video clips. You will be required to draw diagrams or to annotate diagrams that you download, and then to use either a scanner or a digital camera to produce electronic versions of these diagrams for inclusion in your assessment.
Course materials
Two books (the OU study book and Archaeology: An Introduction by Kevin Greene), DVD-ROM of case studies, study guide, maths skills ebook, assessment, website.
Entry
The course does not assume any previous scientific background and teaches the ideas and skills needed as and when they are required. Its designed for people who are new to the subject, and although a little basic knowledge of general science would be useful, all you need is an interest in evolution and in the now well-established scientific basis for the Darwinian theory of evolution. You will meet a wide range of scientific subjects and will have to be prepared to understand some basic science, e.g. biology, chemistry and geology. If you have read popular books on the subject, you will find the course develops your understanding and introduces topics that you have not met before.
Qualifications
This is an optional course in our BA (Hons) Humanities (B03) degree, Certificate of Higher Education in Humanities (C98), Diploma of Higher Education in Analytical Sciences (E53) and Foundation Degree in Analytical Sciences (G15).
Youll need
Frequent use of a computer with an internet connection. The facility to play DVDs and you may need access to a scanner or digital camera. Continued on page 30.
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Continued from page 29.

A large proportion of the course is delivered online via the course website and educational software, so you will have to spend a considerable amount of time using a computer and the internet. If you have severely impaired sight you may find the course challenging, as it relies heavily on coloured images, videos and visual identification. No textual descriptions of the images are available. Transcripts are available for the video sequences. One of the learning outcomes of the course is that you undertake simple outdoor practical work over a period of several days to observe snails and keep a record of what you see. Use of a sighted-helper is permitted for this practical work. The assessment will only require students to demonstrate that the majority of course learning outcomes have been achieved.
structured and logical approach to collecting, analysing and presenting forensic data. The understanding you will gain of the importance and significance of scientific evidence can be applied in a wide range of other contexts. By the end of the course you will have a good understanding of some of the processes involved in forensic science from the crime scene to the courtroom. You will also have developed a range of study skills associated with retrieving and interpreting information from a variety of sources. At the end of the course you will be asked to use some articles and other information about a particular crime or crimes to analyse the processes and comment on the use of data in that situation. The course is based around about half of the chapters in the course book Forensic Science by Andrew and Julie Jackson. You will be guided through these chapters by a specially written study book which provides some of the background science, and questions and activities to help you to test your understanding.
Course materials
OU-authored popular-style book, DVD containing three one-hour TV programmes, practical exercise built around the online Evolution Megalab, online study guide, assessment, website.
Entry
The course assumes a basic knowledge of chemistry and biology, particularly DNA and genetics. The nature of the subject means that some parts of the course are conceptually fairly demanding so if you are new to studying at university level, you are advised not to take this as your first course. We recommend Molecules, medicines and drugs: a chemical story (SK185) and Human genetics and health issues (SK195) as suitable Short courses to study before this course. Alternatively, the science in Exploring science (S104) (or the discontinued course S103) is excellent preparation. If your science background is limited or rusty, revision material will be available on the course website but study of it will be outside the time allocated for the course. You must be prepared to study some parts of the course book in detail while other, often more complex, sections you will be asked to study at a more superficial level. You will have to be prepared not to understand in depth all you are reading. This is an important skill that professional scientists have to develop.
Elements of forensic science (S187)

Credits: Assessment: Start: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 1 EMA. No examination 14 May 2011, 01 Sep 2011, 12 Nov 2011, 18 Feb 2012, 12 May 2012 register by course start date 25 months
Length:
Forensic science is the application of scientific knowledge to questions of civil and criminal law. Interest in forensic science has grown considerably in recent years and this is reflected in the abundance of media coverage and popular TV programmes. This course is for people who have a basic knowledge of chemistry, DNA and genetics and who want to understand how this science is applied to crime scene investigations. The course explores how forensic scientists work, the techniques they use and how they reach the conclusions they present in court. Forensic science uses a wide range of scientific techniques and so it can become very complex to study although every attempt is made in the course to ensure that the science is accessible. This course focuses on topics relating to the human body. You will learn about fingerprints, body fluids, drugs and DNA. DNA testing is a fascinating topic and many controversial cases hinge on DNA evidence. You will find out why DNA is such a useful substance in forensic science and some of the reasons why its use can be controversial. Forensic science is not just about making scientific measurements. For a successful and safe prosecution in court it is crucial that the correct processes and procedures are followed to tie the accused to the crime scene unambiguously. You will learn about the forensic process; how the police and forensic scientists work together to take a

A proportion of the course is delivered online via the course website, so you will have to spend some time using a computer and the internet. Written transcripts of the audiovisual materials are available.
Course materials
Two books (the OU study book and Forensic Science by Andrew and Julie Jackson), activities, study guide, maths skills ebook, assessment, website.
Qualifications
This is an optional course in our Certificate in Health Sciences (C78). It is also an optional course in a range of diplomas and foundation degrees. For full details please visit our website www.open.ac.uk/study.
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Empire of the microbes (S171)

Length:
Explore the intriguing world of bacteria, viruses, yeast and other microscopic organisms an empire of creatures that extends into every facet of human life and the environment. Microbes have brought us terrible afflictions such as Black Death, flu pandemics, MRSA and food poisoning, but at the same time they ferment our beer, help our bread rise and work in the soil to enable crops to grow. This course provides an introduction to microbes, explaining their practical uses and important role in health and environmental sciences, and even the possibility of their discovery on other planets. You will learn how many microbes exist harmlessly on and in the human body with key beneficial roles, such as in the human digestive system, and how they can cause disease if this natural balance is disturbed. Microbes are used to manufacture the antibiotic drugs to treat these infections but bacteria can evolve to become resistant to such drugs, requiring continual scientific work to develop new antibiotics against these superbugs. Microbes play a major role in the environment, influencing climate and play a vital part in recycling elements in the soil, the atmosphere and other natural systems. On a more mundane level, microbes are involved in making cheese and pickled foods, fermenting beer and producing a huge variety of other foods. Food spoilage is also caused by microbes and is a major problem for food distribution and preservation. All these aspects will be covered in the course. The course is based on a specially written OU study book, together with an online digital microscope which will allow you to explore the microbial world for yourself and develop a range of scientific and study skills through a series of structured activities and questions. Other practical activities will enable you to do your own experiments.
heavily on coloured images in the online digital microscope and this must be studied in order to complete the course. One of the learning outcomes of the course is that students should develop an ability to interpret images of microbes and examine their structures. No textual descriptions of diagrams are available and the use of a sighted assistant to interpret the images would conflict with this learning outcome. However, the assessment will only require students to demonstrate that the majority of the course learning outcomes have been achieved. You may be required to draw diagrams or to annotate diagrams that you download and then use either a scanner or digital camera to produce electronic versions to include in your assessment.
Course materials
Study book, study guide, online digital microscope and video sequences, assessment, website.
Qualifications
This is an optional course in our Certificate in Health Sciences (C78). It is also an optional course in a range of diplomas and foundation degrees. For full details please visit our website www.open.ac.uk/study.
I was amazed at how absorbing the course material is and how fascinating the slides are.
S171 student
How the Universe works (S197)

Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 1 EMA. No examination 14 May 2011 register by course start date 25 months
This course is expected to start for the last time in May 2011 but will be replaced during 2012 by a new course which will combine ideas from this course and Introducing astronomy (S194). Have you ever wondered about the fundamental interactions that make the Universe work; or how the Universe came to be as it is; or how it may evolve in the future? This course presents answers to questions like these by introducing cosmology and particle physics at a level beyond the descriptive approach of many coffee table books on the subject. It includes results from cutting-edge research to illustrate the science behind the media headlines. Specific topics covered include: measuring the speed and distance to galaxies; the expansion of space; the cosmic microwave background radiation; atoms, nuclei, quarks and neutrinos; the electromagnetic, strong, weak and gravitational forces; unified theories; dark matter and 11-dimensional space-time! Continued on page 32.
Entry
This course is designed for people who are new to the subject area, and although a little knowledge of general science would be useful, you will need little more than an interest in microbes and the motivation to discover more about these fascinating organisms.
Youll need
Frequent access to a computer and you may need access to a scanner or digital camera.

A proportion of the course is delivered online via the course website, so you will have to spend considerable amounts of time using a computer and the internet. The course relies
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Continued from page 31. If you have read popular books on astronomy and modern physics, you will find that the course develops your understanding and introduces areas of cosmology and particle physics that you have not met before. This course is based on a revised and updated version of Universal Processes, one of the books from our longer science course, Discovering science (S103) which was last presented in 2007. Much of the material here also appears in one of the books for Exploring science (S104), its replacement course.
Human genetics and health issues (SK195)

Length:
Entry
You need little more than an interest in the Universe and the motivation to discover more about it. However, the nature of the subject means that some parts of the course are conceptually fairly demanding. If you are a beginner in science this course is not recommended as your first OU course; Introducing astronomy (S194) would be a better starting point.

A proportion of the course is delivered online via the course website and on DVD, so you will have to spend some time using a computer and the internet. If you have severely impaired sight you may find the course challenging, as it relies heavily on coloured images. However, full textual descriptions of the figures are available. Transcripts are available for the video clips.
This course deals with a subject of importance to us all our genes, which is an area at the forefront of developments in medical science. Our characters, including our appearance, depend on the functions of genes. Genes also contribute to a persons behaviour and health, including susceptibility to certain diseases, such as heart disease. The course examines: the patterns of inheritance of genes, including those associated with genetic diseases; the sequence and content of the human genome; how genes function; how the physical and biochemical characteristics of the body are produced; and why there are differences between individuals and between populations. Finally, it explores some of the issues surrounding research into genes, from biological, medical and ethical points of view, for example, how knowledge of our genes has the potential to revolutionise our ability to change the genetic fates of individuals. The course will equip you with sufficient background to understand these issues and to engage with discussions presented in newspapers and popular scientific journals. As well as some of the biology of genes, you will learn biology that you can apply to other situations. You will also engage with key issues of concern to health professionals. If you are a beginner in biology, you will find that the course introduces new ideas, concepts and scientific and study skills as they are needed, and you will progressively develop these skills and your understanding through structured questions and activities. If you have already done some biology at school, college or elsewhere, you will find that the course extends your knowledge about our genes and the biological, medical and ethical issues behind research on genes. The course covers some biological concepts introduced in our Level 1 science course Exploring science (S104) and will develop your understanding of health issues introduced in An Introduction to health and social care (K101).
Course materials
OU study book, study guide, bookmark, DVD-ROM containing interactive activities and video material, maths skills ebook, assessment, website. Some of the course materials are not available electronically via the course website so if you are studying this course outside the EU and register close to the start date you may have to plan to study the course over the longer (five-month) time period.
Assessment
The end-of-module assessment comprises some multiplechoice, computer-marked questions and some questions that require written answers.
Qualifications
This is an optional course in our BSc (Hons) Secondary Education in Physics (B56) degree.
Entry
You need little more than an interest in biology (and genetics in particular), and debates in health and the motivation to discover more about these topics.
Excluded combination
Because the subject matter of this course overlaps with Exploring science (S104) or the discontinued course Discovering science (S103), you can count only one of the two towards each OU qualification. However, if you successfully complete this course and go on to study S104, you will get a discount of 30 off your S104 registration fee.
Youll need
The facility to play DVDs and you may need access to a scanner or digital camera.
Science
33

A proportion of the course is delivered online via the course website, so you will have to spend some time using a computer and the internet. If you have severely impaired sight you may find the course challenging, as it relies heavily on coloured images, although textual descriptions are available. Transcripts are also available for the video sequences. You may be required to draw diagrams or to annotate by hand diagrams that you download, and then to use either a scanner or a digital camera to produce files of these diagrams for inclusion in your assessment.
issues nuclear energy poses to health and safety, focusing on the biological effects of radiation and how it can be both detrimental and beneficial. You will then go on to apply this knowledge to consider the contemporary environment, looking at whether nuclear energy is economically advantageous and also looking forward to potential future developments in nuclear technology. By the end of this course you will have developed a range of study skills associated with retrieving and interpreting information and data from a variety of sources, including in the form of tables, charts and graphs, as well as from articles, audio and video material. Inside nuclear energy is based on a specially written OU study book, together with a website which will link to online study material covering the economics and future of nuclear energy. A number of activities will only be presented online via the course website.
Course materials
Book, study guide with activities and articles, DVD containing video sequences, assessment, website. Some of the course materials are not available electronically via the course website so if you are studying this course outside the EU and register close to the start date you may have to plan to study the course over the longer (five-month) time period.
Entry
This course is designed for people who are new to the subject area and all you need is an interest in the issues involved in nuclear energy and in learning more about the science behind it. You will meet a wide range of scientific and technological subjects and so will have to be prepared to understand some basic science, e.g. physics, biology, chemistry and geology. Mathematically you should understand the use of brackets in numerical calculations. You will also meet numbers expressed as fractions, decimals and simple powers (e.g. 103 for 1000).
Qualifications
This is an optional course in our BA (Hons) or BSc (Hons) Health Studies (B17) degree and the Certificate in Health Sciences (C78). It is also an optional course in a range of diplomas and foundation degrees. For full details please visit our website www.open.ac.uk/study.
Because SK195 is a slightly updated version of the discontinued course S195, you can count only one of the two towards each OU qualification.
Youll need
Frequent access to a computer with an internet connection and you may need access to a digital camera or scanner.
New Inside nuclear energy (ST174)


A proportion of the study material is delivered online via the course website, so you will have to spend some time using a computer and the internet. If you have severely impaired sight you may find the course challenging, as it relies heavily on coloured images, graphs and video material. Written transcripts are available for the video material.
Length:
Nuclear energy is back on the scientific and political agenda as a possible major contributor to meeting the worlds energy requirements. The issue of reducing our reliance on fossil fuels is likely to remain in the public eye for some time and nuclear energy is likely to have a significant role to play. Inside nuclear energy explores the scientific and technological concepts relating to atoms, nuclei, radioactivity and energy production in power stations to give an appreciation of the advantages and disadvantages of obtaining energy in this way. Building on these foundations, you will go on to learn more about the role of geology in waste storage and disposal issues. The idea of burying waste deep underground is being investigated, and you will look in detail at the proposed Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada, USA. You will also explore some of the main
Course materials
OU study book, online audio and video activities, study guide, assessment, website.
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Science
Introducing astronomy (S194)

Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 1 EMA. No examination 14 May 2011, 01 Sep 2011, 12 Nov 2011 register by course start date 25 months
Course materials
Study book, CD-ROM (containing images, data and software), study guide, planisphere (a special kind of star map), maths skills ebook, assessment, website. Some of the course materials are not available electronically via the course website so if you are studying this course outside the EU and register close to the start date you may have to plan to study the course over the longer (five-month) time period.
This course is expected to start for the last time in November 2011 but will be replaced during 2012 by a new course which will combine ideas from this course and How the Universe works (S197). Astronomy is often in the headlines with the regular occurrence of topics included in the course such as the exploration of our own solar system; the discovery of planets orbiting other stars; the birth, life and violent death of stars; distant galaxies seen as they were billions of years ago and the creation of the Universe itself. This course will develop your understanding of a range of topics in astronomy, with sections on the Sun, planets, stars, extraterrestrial life, galaxies, and the origin of the Universe. It will also develop your understanding of some aspects of science that you can apply to other situations. If you are a beginner in science, you will find that the course book introduces new scientific ideas as you need them, progressively developing more sophisticated concepts and skills. If you are an amateur astronomer, or have read popular books on astronomy, you will find that the course develops your understanding and introduces areas of astronomy that you have not met before.
Qualifications
Another great Short course with the usual OU standard of well written and beautifully illustrated course materials. Its a good introduction to the huge subject of astronomy.
S194 student
Maths for science (S151)

Length:
Entry
This course is for people who are new to the subject area. You need little more than an interest in astronomy and the motivation to discover more about it.
Youll need
A few items of household equipment for practical work. Frequent access to a computer. Some of the course software is dependent on your computers memory configuration and even if the minimum requirement is met, some computers may not be able to run the software correctly without additional memory.
Do you want to take a Level 2 science course with the OU or elsewhere, but worry that you lack confidence in using mathematics as a tool in science? Then this course could be for you. Mathematical techniques are explained, and worked examples are included throughout the course, but the main emphasis is on providing examples for you to try for yourself. Many of the examples have a scientific flavour and detailed answers are also provided. As you work through the questions you will be able to revise the mathematical skills you already have, as well as learning and practising new ones, and your confidence in handling maths should increase. There are two online interactive assessments which give you instantaneous feedback on your answers; one can be attempted at any point during the course and provides practice for the end-of-module assessment with the same format. The course assumes some knowledge of arithmetic, but other topics, such as addition and multiplication of fractions, are revised; while algebraic techniques, such as rearranging and combining equations, are taught from first principles. You will also have an introduction to scientific notation, logarithms, radians, trigonometry, differentiation, and some scientific uses of statistics and probability.

A proportion of the course is delivered online via the course website and on CD-ROM, so you will have to spend some time using a computer and the internet. If you have severely impaired sight you may find the course challenging, as it relies heavily on coloured images and no textual descriptions are available.
Science
35
Entry
You are strongly advised to attempt the short diagnostic quiz Is maths for science the right course for you? to assess whether this course is appropriate for your needs. You can download the quiz from the website www.open.ac.uk/science/short. The course is not meant for absolute beginners in mathematics and is not recommended as your first OU course. It is only one of a number of Level 1 mathematics courses available to you. If you intend to study Exploring science (S104), you are advised to do so before studying this course. The maths in S151 would be excellent preparation for The physical world (S207) or Astronomy (S282). However, it is not adequate preparation if you intend to go on to OU physics courses at Level 3 or mathematics courses at Level 2 or 3. The course assumes that you can add, subtract, multiply and divide positive and negative numbers and understand the use of brackets in numerical calculations. You should know how to express numbers as fractions and decimals and as simple powers (e.g. know that 1000 can be written as 103). You should be able to: measure angles in degrees; plot and read data from straightline graphs; use symbols to represent quantities; and substitute numerical values into simple formulae. You will find the course more straightforward if you know how to add and multiply numerical fractions, rearrange very simple algebraic equations and find the gradient of a straight-line graph. But the course does not assume great confidence in these topics and they are all revised.
Molecules, medicines and drugs: a chemical story (SK185)

Length:
From Hippocrates to modern times, society has sought ways of relieving pain and curing or preventing disease. From ancient wisdom to herbal remedies there have been important discoveries resulting in the development of medicines that are commonplace today. Modern research at the molecular level constantly adds to the range of drugs available to combat ill health. This course tells the fascinating story of the development of a variety of drugs and explores chemical strategies to minimise the risk of infection and disease. After a brief introduction in which the development and testing of drugs is discussed within a social and economic setting, the course moves on to explore the discovery and development of a range of drugs and medicines that relieve pain, effect cures and alleviate the symptoms of ill health. Youll find out how drugs interact with and affect their target areas in the human body. There is a model kit to help you to visualise the 3-dimensional structures and shapes of the molecules concerned. As you work through the course youll build models of the drugs youre studying and use them to develop an understanding of how the drugs work. The story includes such topics as aspirin relieving aches and pains, Ventolin treating the symptoms of asthma, penicillin combating harmful bacteria and Tamiflu helping in the fight against bird flu. This course makes use of some basic ideas from chemistry and develops some of the skills associated with studying our world at the molecular level. The chemical ideas are explained when they are needed. However, if youre entirely new to the language of chemistry youll need patience while you become familiar with the vocabulary and practise applying the new skills that youre learning. The reward will be an understanding of some of the science behind the discovery, development and mode of action of a range of medicines and drugs.
Youll need
A computer with an internet connection.
Course materials
Study book including explanations, worked examples and questions, study guide, CD-ROM, book of revision questions, online interactive assessments, website. Some of the course materials are not available electronically via the course website so if you are studying this course outside the EU and register close to the start date you may have to plan to study the course over the longer (five-month) time period.
Assessment
You will be required to submit an end-of-module assessment that must be completed online via the internet.
Entry
The course does not assume any previous scientific background and teaches the ideas and skills needed as and when they are required. This includes an understanding of how the structures of molecules underpin their properties and hence the uses to which they can be put. Youll probably find you can move faster through the course if youve studied some chemistry and / or biology before, but the essential things are an interest in the subject and the motivation to understand some of the science behind it. Continued on page 36.
Qualifications
This is an optional course in our BSc (Hons) Secondary Education in Physics (B56) degree. It is also an optional course in a range of diplomas and foundation degrees. For full details please visit our website www.open.ac.uk/study.
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Science
Neighbourhood nature (S159)

Youll need
Access to a scanner or digital camera.

A proportion of the course is delivered online via the course website, so you will have to spend some time using a computer and the internet. If you have severely impaired manual dexterity you may find parts of the course challenging as one of the learning outcomes relates to the use of molecular models, although use of a sightedhelper for this is permitted. The assessment will only require students to demonstrate that the majority of the course learning outcomes have been achieved. No written textual descriptions are available for images within the course materials but transcripts are available for the audio clips. You may be required to draw diagrams or to annotate by hand diagrams that you download, and then to use either a scanner or digital camera to produce files of these diagrams for inclusion in your assessment.
Length:
Wherever you live, be it in a city or the countryside, you will find areas that support a range of wildlife. This course will provide you with basic scientific and observational skills so that you can go into your local neighbourhood to discover the animals and plants in open spaces. You will learn how to observe, identify and record the wildlife around you, building up a picture of a small part of your local environment. When put together with the observations of hundreds of other people, recorded on the iSpot website (www.ispot.org.uk), a much broader picture of the wildlife of the country will be created. Changes over time will also become apparent as data accumulates. This course covers a variety of different habitats that you might encounter. It introduces you to the common plants and animals that are found in them and their scientific significance. You will learn about the methods used in science to identify, classify and record plants and animals, including the use of simple biological keys. Information collected from different habitats is included in the course and you will learn to make deductions from data sets such as tables, flow diagrams and graphs. At the end of the course you will have acquired basic skills that will enable you to approach the study of natural habitats using scientific methods, and you will have an understanding of the links between different organisms that make up the fascinating web of life around you.
Course materials
Study book, a molecular model kit, four radio programmes, study guide, maths skills ebook, assessment, website.
Qualifications
This is an optional course in our BA (Hons) or BSc (Hons) Health Studies (B17) degree and the Certificate in Health Sciences (C78). It is also a specified course in a range of diplomas and foundation degrees. For full details please visit our website www.open.ac.uk/study.
Because the subject matter of SK185 overlaps with the discontinued courses S191 and ST240, you can only count one of the three towards each OU qualification.
Entry
This course does not assume any previous scientific background and teaches the ideas and skills needed as and when they are required. Its designed for people who are new to the subject area and, although a little basic knowledge of general science would be useful, all you need is an interest in studying natural history in your own local area. The course will include some practical work and you will have to be prepared to study and understand some basic biology and some observational techniques in order to do this.
I would highly recommend this course, the material made the whole subject come alive and after completing the course I felt able to discuss the subjects covered with confidence.
SK185 student
Youll need
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A proportion of the course is delivered online via the course website, so you will need to spend considerable amounts of time using a computer and the internet. If you have severely impaired sight you may not be able to achieve some of the course learning outcomes, as it relies heavily on coloured images and visual identification. However, the assessment will only require that the majority of the course learning outcomes have been achieved. A large proportion of the course is based on educational software, delivered via the course website, which must be studied in order to complete the course. Transcripts are available for the video clips but no textual descriptions are available for images. As part of this course, you will need to undertake simple outdoor practical work over a period of several days. You will be able to choose the area you work in and the type of observations that you make. The course website will provide guidance on the public open spaces where you can go to make observations.
world population, the techniques of micropropagation and modern ways of cultivating plants on different scales are also covered. The course also discusses the potential health related benefits of plants and their products, including looking at the worlds favourite drinks tea, coffee and alcohol and at the botanical aspects of the drug marijuana. Finally, the importance of conserving the diversity of our natural heritage both within the UK and globally is set in a historical context and a vision for the future. The core of the course is a richly illustrated book, Why People Need Plants, which has been written, in four thematic parts, by experts from both the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and The Open University. A series of online video and audio podcasts present some topical issues. Through a practical activity youll investigate the basis of flower and leaf colour. A study book provides some additional background science and guides you through the course book and the other components with interesting questions and activities to help your understanding and to develop scientific skills.
Vocational relevance
The course will be of particular relevance to people working in agriculture, horticulture, food, environment and conservation. Much of the course will also appeal to those who are both interested in growing plants and finding out more about their practical applications.
Assessment
The end-of-module assessment (EMA) comprises some interactive computer marked questions and a question that requires a written answer. To be eligible to complete the EMA you must have contributed observations to the iSpot website. There will be three short online practice assessments that will not form part of the overall course assessment.
Entry
The course does not assume any previous scientific background and teaches the concepts and skills as they are required. Its designed for people who are new to the subject area, and although a little basic knowledge of general science would be useful, all you need is an interest in plants and the benefits that they bring to the world.
Course materials
OU study book, DVD containing short sequences about different habitats, assessment, website. The iSpot website is used for recording your observations.
Plants and people (S173)

Youll need

A proportion of the course including audio and video, is delivered online via the course website, so you will have to spend some time using a computer and the internet. The course relies on coloured images and visual acuity and no textual descriptions are available. Transcripts are available for the video clips. If you have severely impaired sight, use of a sighted assistant may be helpful but some students may find achieving the course outcomes extremely challenging. However, the assessment will only require students to demonstrate that the majority of the course learning outcomes have been achieved.
Length:
Plants form the basis of all life on Earth. There is an astonishing variety of uses that plants are put to by humans, but these uses, as well as climate and environmental changes, can threaten the very survival of many plants. This course aims to demonstrate the reliance humans have on plants and their products, whilst pointing out the challenges that plant life currently faces. Through a range of topics that look at some of the most interesting aspects about plants, the course explores the crucial role that plants play in the everyday lives of all of us. Plants and their products provide the staple foods for all humans and they are becoming increasingly important as biofuels and medicines. They can even have a role in solving crimes and in combating climate change. The potential use of genetically modified staple crops for feeding an increasing
Course materials
Two books (Why People Need Plants and OU study book), online video and audio activities, study guide, assessment, website.
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Sport: the science behind the medals (S172)

Entry
The course does not assume any previous scientific background or any specific sporting knowledge and teaches the ideas and skills needed as and when they are required. All you need is an interest in the relationship between sport and science and the motivation to understand more of the science, and particularly the physics, behind a range of different sports.
Length:
This is an online course that focuses on the physical science that underlies sport. You will study the course using a combination of online text, video clips, animations of sporting phenomena and a series of interactive computer activities that focus on specific scientific topics. A central theme of the course is the concept of force, which is one of the most fundamental factors that affect sporting action. You will learn about the force of gravity, how this affects the motion of athletes in jumping and diving events, and how it affects the motion of balls in sports such as tennis and volleyball. You will learn about the basic nature of air and water, and how this leads to drag forces due to air and water resistance in swimming and diving. You will learn about frictional forces, and the effect that these forces have on performance in track sprinting and speed skating. Finally, you will see how the way that athletes move during sport and their overall performance depends not on individual forces but on the combination of many different forces. Another theme of the course is the role of technology in modern sport. You will learn about the nature of materials such as carbon-fibre, and the effect that such materials have had on sports such as wheelchair racing and cycling. You will see how a better understanding of the human body has led to the development of specialised sporting drinks, training regimes and even specialised drugs that can influence sporting performance. The course also explains the quantities that athletes and coaches use to evaluate performance. You will learn about the concepts of speed, velocity and acceleration, and see how measurement of these quantities enables improvement of performance in runners moving away from the blocks during sprint races and swimmers travelling through the pool in aquatic events. By the end of the course youll have developed a greater awareness of the role of science and technology in sport, and a greater understanding of the fundamental scientific concepts that underpin many Olympic events. Youll also develop a range of study skills associated with finding, interpreting and communicating scientific information. You will develop graphical skills that enable you to plot and interpret scientific data and a special emphasis is placed on developing skills related to finding, evaluating and summarising scientific information on the internet. This course is delivered completely online via the course website through a variety of online activities: reading text, viewing video of sports action, interpreting data, performing simple calculations and accessing websites. Additional activities and quizzes will help test your understanding.
Youll need
Frequent access to a computer with an internet connection and access to a scanner or digital camera.
If you have additional requirements

You will need to spend all of your study time using a computer and the internet. A large proportion of the course is based on educational software, which must be studied in order to complete the course. The course learning outcomes assess the use of the internet, interpretation of coloured images and audio-visual material. However, the assessment will only require students to demonstrate that the majority of the course learning outcomes have been achieved. You should consider if you will find achieving these learning outcomes challenging and contact the OU for advice if necessary. Written transcripts are available for the audiovisual material but textual descriptions of the images are not available. You may be required to draw diagrams or to annotate diagrams that you download, and then to use either a scanner or a digital camera to produce electronic versions of these drawings for inclusion in your assessment. Alternatively creating diagrams electronically will be acceptable. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in operating a computer or the internet and have any concerns about accessing the types of course materials outlined you are advised to talk to our Student Registration & Enquiry Service about support which can be given to meet your needs.
Course materials
Web-based materials, interactive activities, maths skills ebook, study guide, assessment, website.
Understanding human nutrition (SK183)

Length:
This course will provide a useful background for you if you are interested in your own and your familys diet, or if you are involved in the nutrition and health of others, e.g. in schools, hospitals or residential care. Are we really what we eat? What is the link between food and our health and well-being? This course will provide you with information about the components of the human diet, how
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food is processed in the body and will enable you to apply this information to understand the links between nutrition and health for people of all ages and a range of lifestyles. After an introduction to nutrition and food, the course deals with the chemistry of the main nutrient types proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals and their importance in diet, and energy intake and output. The final part of the course applies this knowledge to the diet of different groups such as children, adults, and the elderly, and makes links between diet and health issues such as exercise, heart disease and cancer. The course is based on two books: a specially written study book and an abridged OU edition of parts one and three of Human Nutrition by Mary E. Barasi. The study book provides the background science and guides you through the chapters of the course book with interesting questions and activities to help your understanding and to develop scientific and study skills. This course has been endorsed by the British Dietetic Association. Note, however, that successful completion of the course does not entitle you to any professional dietetic award, nor does it indicate your competence to practise as a dietician.
New Understanding the frozen planet (S175)

Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 1 EMA. No examination 12 Nov 2011, 18 Feb 2012, 12 May 2012 register by course start date 25 months
Entry
Although the course does not assume any previous scientific background, during it you will be introduced to the chemical structure of some of the molecules in food so a basic knowledge of chemistry would be useful, as would some basic biology. However, for much of the course you need little more than an interest in nutrition and the motivation to understand more of the science behind it.
At any one time during the year ice and snow cover over one third of our planet: ice has shaped the landscapes, it determines the structure of the ecosystems and the animals that prosper, and it even drives our global climate. There is more to the two polar regions of our planet than the cold temperatures and hardship we frequently see in the media. The two poles are very different: a large part of the Arctic is an ocean covered with ice a few metres thick, whilst the Antarctic is mostly covered in ice kilometres thick. But, the physical controls on the environment are the same in both cases. In the winter darkness, temperatures decrease and snow and ice advance towards the equator. Yet still, charismatic and well known wildlife such as whales, walrus, penguins and polar bears flourish in the ecological niches that the polar environment creates. But it is not just the animals throughout our entire history humans have only known a planet shaped and controlled by ice. This course is about the science of the frozen planet. It is about the physical controls on the shape and character of our planet over millions of years through to the climate we experience today. You will investigate the different environmental niches that wildlife flourishes within, and the strategies some species have developed to exploit them. You will discover the influence of humans on the environment and the motivations and discoveries of the early polar explorers. The poles are justifiably important but also vulnerable and so, throughout the course, you will learn about their current management and fate in the near future. The course is based on a specially-written OU study book and website which has polar-focused activities and film clips from the spectacular Frozen Planet BBC television series about the environment, the science, and the wildlife. If you are new to studying science the course will introduce many new concepts and skills as they are needed, showing how the physical and biological worlds link in two of the planets most striking regions.

A proportion of the course is delivered online via the course website, so you will have to spend some time using a computer and the internet. No written textual descriptions are available for images within the course materials.
Course materials
Two books (the OU study book and Human Nutrition, parts one and three), study guide, glossary, maths skills ebook, assessment, website.
Qualifications
This is an optional course in our BA (Hons) or BSc (Hons) Health Studies (B17) degree, Certificate in Health Sciences (C78) and the Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences (C95). It is also an optional course in a range of diplomas and foundation degrees. For full details please visit our website www.open.ac.uk/study.
Entry
The course does not assume any previous scientific background and teaches the concepts and skills as they are required. Its designed for people who are new to the subject area, and although a little basic knowledge of general science would be useful, all you need is an interest in the polar regions and how they affect the rest of the planet.
Youll need
Frequent access to a computer with an internet connection. Continued on page 40.
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Science

A proportion of the course is delivered online so you will have to make considerable use of a computer and the internet. If you have severely impaired sight you may find the course challenging as it relies heavily on coloured images, video sequences and visual identification. Transcripts are available for the video sequences.
You will be required to undertake some small projects in which you will develop your ability to observe your local weather in a systematic way and to interpret forecasts. The course is based on a specially written OU study book, together with a DVD-ROM containing an image bank, videos and animations and a course website which will link to particular weather stations. The study book will provide questions and activities to help you to test your understanding, and that you can use for self-assessment as you progress through the course.
Course materials
OU study book, study guide, online video and audio activities, interactive map, assessment, website.
Entry
The course is designed for people who are new to science and to meteorology, and all you need is an interest in how the weather works and the motivation to find out more about the science underlying meteorological phenomena and forecasting. You must be prepared to study some physical science and to learn how to interpret satellite images, maps, weather charts and graphs. You will need to access various types of forecast through the internet. You must also be willing to make some observations of the weather in your own locality and to keep a record of what you see.
Understanding the weather (S189)

Length:
Youll need
Frequent access to a computer with an internet connection, the facility to play DVD-ROMs and access to a scanner or digital camera.
This course was produced in partnership with the Royal Meteorological Society. This course provides an introduction to weather patterns and events around the world, explaining the main drivers that determine the weather on a seasonal and daily basis. The weather arises from physical processes within the atmosphere as it responds to the rotation of the Earth and the heating effect of the Sun. In this course you will discover how these processes determine the weather, how they vary depending on location and time of the year and the extent to which they can be forecast. You will also consider some of the ways in which typical variations in the weather and extreme weather events affect a wide range of human activities. Scientific concepts relating to temperature, humidity, air pressure, air density, clouds, precipitation and wind will be explained and you will see how many factors operate together in the atmosphere to produce various types of weather system. This in turn will give you a better understanding of the information conveyed by weather maps. You will also learn about the ways in which meteorological data, including surface and upper-air measurements as well as satellite information, are collected and fed into the computer models that underlie weather forecasting. This will enable you to understand how the professional weather forecasts for your area will have been made and how reliable they are likely to be. You will be able to apply this knowledge in making your own shortterm predictions of your local weather. There will be plenty of opportunities to consolidate your understanding of the scientific concepts by investigating different weather systems in a variety of climatic zones across the world. By the end of the course you will have developed a range of study skills associated with retrieving and interpreting information in the form of tables, charts, maps and graphs.

A proportion of the course is delivered online via the course website, so you will have to spend a considerable amount of time using a computer and the internet. You must be able to download material from a website and download information from local weather stations via the internet. Some of the course is delivered via images on a DVD-ROM and this must be studied in order to complete the course. Written transcripts of the audio-visual material are available. You must also be able to undertake simple observations of the weather in your locality of a period of several consecutive days. The course relies heavily on coloured images, complicated maps and charts, and direct observations of the sky. One of the aims of the course is that students should develop an ability to interpret cloudscapes, weather maps, satellite images and their own observations. No textual descriptions of diagrams will be available and the use of a sighted assistant to interpret the images or describe the sky would conflict with the course learning outcomes. The assessment will only require students to demonstrate that the majority of course learning outcomes have been achieved. You should consider if you will find achieving these learning outcomes challenging and contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service for advice before registering for this course. You will be required to draw diagrams or to annotate diagrams that you download, and then to use either a scanner or a digital camera to produce electronic versions of these diagrams for inclusion in your assessment. Alternatively, creating diagrams electronically will be acceptable.
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Course materials
OU study book, DVD-ROM of images and other material, study guide, maths skills ebook, assessment, website. Some of the course materials are not available electronically via the course website so if you are studying this course outside the EU and register close to the start date you may have to plan to study the course over the longer (five-month) time period.
Entry
This course is designed for people who are new to the subject areas, and although a little knowledge of general science would be useful, you will need little more than an interest in volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis and the motivation to discover more about them.
Youll need
Qualifications

A proportion of the course is delivered online via the course website, so you will have to spend considerable amounts of time using a computer and the internet, including visiting external websites. No written textual descriptions are available for images within the course materials but written transcripts are available for the audio-visual material.
Volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis (S186)

Course materials
OU study book, Teach Yourself Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis (2007 edition), study guide, DVD, maths skills ebook, assessment, website.
Length:
This course is expected to start for the last time in May 2012. If you have ever been intrigued or affected by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes or tsunamis and want to find out more about why they happen and what they do, then this is the course for you. The course covers: the basic plate tectonic structure of the Earth and its relationship to the global distribution and types of earthquakes and volcanoes the factors contributing to the origin and styles of eruption of magma from volcanoes the hazards posed to humans and the environment as a whole by volcanic eruptions, and the extent to which risk can realistically be mitigated the nature of ground motion during earthquakes, the hazards posed thereby, and ways to reduce vulnerability to earthquake damage the nature of tsunamis and the volcanic, seismic and other events that can trigger them the nature and outcome of some notable historic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis, and methods to predict and monitor these phenomena. The course is based around two books a specially written OU study book and Teach Yourself Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis, along with a DVD-ROM containing video material and computer animations, and a course website which will link to several hours of guided activities using international volcanic, seismic and tsunami websites. These are used to show you reports and descriptions of recent and current events, and to give you confidence in navigating a website and finding relevant information.
Planned for early 2012

New Living without oil: chemistry for a sustainable future (S176)
10 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 1 EMA. No examination
Credits: Assessment:
Crude oil is currently our most important global source of energy. It is vital in the manufacture of many modern materials. But the worlds supply of oil is finite, its price is unstable and our reliance on oil has damaging environmental consequences. Can we sustainably fuel our transport needs with biofuels, electricity or hydrogen? Can we replace the plastics we derive from crude oil with ones made by microorganisms or plants? This introductory course will explore oils vital role in the modern world and assess some of the exciting scientific developments that could lead to sustainable alternatives to oil.
This course might also interest you

Return to science, engineering and technology (T161)
This course is aimed at people who have some background in science, engineering or technology (SET) either through work or previous study and who are looking to return to work in one of these sectors. For further information and to register, click www.open.ac.uk/study.
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Social sciences
Social sciences
The Faculty of Social Sciences offers two 15-credit Short courses that give you the chance to explore an interesting and thought-provoking topic within the social sciences curriculum.
Introduction to counselling (D171) Contemporary Wales (D172)
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These courses are taught online and each lasts 12 weeks

As the courses are taught online, some familiarity with using a computer for learning will make them easier for you to study. If you have any doubt about the suitability of a social sciences Short course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Qualifications
Both courses can count towards the free choice element of the following degrees: BSc (Hons) Psychology (B07); BA or BSc (Hons) in Combined Social Sciences (B69); BA or BSc (Hons) Criminology and Psychological Studies (B48); BA or BSc (Hons) Social Policy and Criminology (B57). Introduction to counselling (D171) is also recommended as preparation for the Foundation Degree in Counselling (G14).
Start dates
Introduction to counselling (D171) starts in April and October, and Contemporary Wales (D172) starts in April and September each year.
Youll need

These courses are available in the OUs general study areas. Please see page 44.

Youll be allocated to a tutor with a group of other students. Your tutor will run online tutorials and will mark and comment on your written assignments. You can contact your tutor through email and the online forum. If youre new to the OU, youll find that your tutor is particularly concerned to help you with your study methods. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service on +44 (0)845 300 60 90 if you want to know more about study with the OU before you register.
Entry
There are no entry requirements for these Level 1 courses. They are particularly suitable for students new to distance learning. If you have any doubt about the level of study, please seek advice from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
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Please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service (see back cover) for advice if you have concerns about taking a course, or about the support that could be provided.
Contemporary Wales (D172)

Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 15 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 2 TMAs. No examination 16 Apr 2011, 03 Sep 2011, 14 Apr 2012 register by 2 weeks before start date 12 weeks

Our Level 1 courses have no examinations; there are two tutor-marked assignments (TMAs), both submitted and returned electronically. Assessment is an essential part of the courses, and youre strongly advised to complete the assignments. You will be sent more detailed information about the assignments when you begin the course.
Introduction to counselling (D171)

Credits: Assessment: Start: Length: 15 at Level 1 (SCQF level 7) 2 TMAs. No examination 16 Apr 2011, 22 Oct 2011, 14 Apr 2012 register by 2 weeks before start date 12 weeks
This 12-week course explores what is distinctive about Wales and Welsh identity. You will explore divisions within Wales, and the ways in which connections are made across these differences. By the end of the course you will have a thorough understanding of a changing nation and you will be equipped with the skills that you will need for further study in the social sciences, such as interpreting data and connecting data with social science argument. The course explores Wales through two themes. The first is the differences that are to be found in Wales. Place and belonging have a particular resonance in Wales, with different sorts of communities in north and south, rural and urban areas, the Valleys and, perhaps most distinctly, Cardiff, the capital city. The second theme is the connections that have been forged between people in Wales. The course examines popular culture, the workings of the National Assembly, the Labour tradition, and the nationalist narrative. You will learn about the origins, issues and practices of these institutions and movements. This includes the significance of the Welsh language; the kind of Wales that is represented in the arts; the significance of popular culture; the distinct electoral system; and the often conflicting strands within nationalism. You will examine how these representations and institutions contribute to the construction of contemporary Wales.
There has been tremendous growth in counselling in recent years with increasing numbers of people recognising the value of professional support in dealing with problems in living. This has led to more people seeking careers in counselling and the helping professions more generally. In addition, there has been widespread recognition of the value of an understanding of counselling theory and skills to other people-oriented professions, such as human resources, whether in the private or public sector. This course provides a starting point for people interested in pursuing a career in counselling or those who simply want to know more. The course is designed to provide an accessible and interesting introduction to the theory and practice of counselling. Whilst this Level 1 course is primarily academic it will also seek to develop some awareness of basic skills in counselling practice. The course will introduce a range of key topics in counselling, including the cultural and historical origins of counselling, different theoretical approaches to counselling, and the vital role of the counselling relationship in enabling growth and change. In addition, basic skills in listening, attending and responding appropriately will be introduced and developed through audio-visual materials and structured self-directed activities.
Youll need
Course materials
Study guide; a set text, written for the course; downloadable audio and video, some of it previously broadcast, some commissioned for the course; a course website with additional readings, materials and links to relevant websites; and an assignment booklet.
These Openings courses might also interest you

Understanding society (Y177)
This course introduces concepts and debates within the social sciences, covering topics like families; culture; global markets; migrant labour; community and social movements.
Youll need
Course materials
The course is taught primarily through a textbook and other text-based study materials. Counselling skills are also introduced through a specially produced DVD and by practising self-directed activities. E-tutorials are offered to further support students in their learning.
Starting with psychology (Y183)

This course introduces key ideas in psychology. Youll consider how aspects of our biology, ways of thinking, important relationships, and social identity combine to make us who we are. For further information and to register, click www.open.ac.uk/openings.
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Becoming an Open University student

Studying with The Open University
Entry and study requirements
There are no formal academic requirements or selection procedures for any of our Short courses. If you apply and we have a place on the course you want to take, well accept you. All our courses are open to students in the countries listed opposite, as well as British Forces Post Office (BFPO) addresses. Some arts; science; and mathematics, computing and technology courses can also be studied elsewhere. Please see the appropriate section for information on this. If youre studying full time at another institution, you must get written permission from its principal to study with us. You may not take courses that amount to more than 120 credits at any one time, except for: the addition of up to two related standalone residential school courses; or an overlap of course presentations of no more than one month; or both. Examination resits, deferrals and resubmissions are included in the 120-credit limit. If you want to go over this limit, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service on +44 (0)845 300 60 90 for approval before registering. All the courses are taught in English, so your spoken and written English must be of an appropriate standard for undergraduate study. If youre not sure whether your English is good enough, there is some help available at www.open.ac.uk/skillsforstudy/english.

If youre registering by post, tick the 'Yes' box in Section 1 of the Registration agreement and we will get in touch about the support that may be available to you. More detailed information is given in each subject area, please see pages 643 or visit our website www.open.ac.uk/disability.
What if I have caring responsibilities?

To find out about the support services available, click www.open.ac.uk/studying-while-you-care.
For Welsh speakers

If youre a Welsh speaker and youd prefer to discuss your study needs in Welsh, please contact The Open University in Wales (phone 029 2047 1170; email wales@open.ac.uk).
I siaradwyr Cymraeg
Os rydych yn siarad Cymraeg a fyddain well gennych trafod eich anghenion drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg, cysylltwch r Brifysgol Agored yng Nghymru yng Nghaerdydd os gwelwch yn dda (ffn 029 2047 1170; ebost wales@open.ac.uk).
Studying outside the UK

Most of our courses are open only to residents of the following countries/territories. Please check the specific course information as availability outside the UK varies for different courses. We also have local representatives in some countries (see back cover) who can help with advice and information. Aland Islands Andorra Austria Belgium Bulgaria Channel Islands Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Gibraltar Greece Hungary Iceland Isle of Man Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Monaco Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Republic of Ireland Romania San Marino Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Vatican City State.
Computers and elearning

Using computers and the internet to enhance your study is an essential part of our undergraduate courses. Youll need regular and reliable access to the internet in order to study with us. Well also ask you to provide an email address so that we can send you important information relevant to your studies. If you dont have an email account we can provide one for you. For further information, advice and support please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service, your regional or national centre or country representative (see back cover).
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Registering for a course

Registering by phone or online
If youre paying your course fee by credit or debit card, you can register on our website at www.open.ac.uk/study or by calling +44 (0)845 300 60 90. One of our advisers will take your details and payment and register you on the course of your choice.
UK fees apply if you meet the criteria set out below:

UK national
You are entitled to pay the UK course fee if you are settled1 (see footnotes below) in the UK (excluding Channel Islands and Isle of Man) on the first day of your course and you have been ordinarily resident in the UK for the three years prior to the course start date. For those temporarily resident outside the UK, including those eligible to use BFPO addresses, please refer to the Your questions section on www.open.ac.uk/study or contact us on +44 (0)845 300 60 90 for more information. If you are ordinarily resident in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man then you are not eligible to pay UK course fees.
Registering by post
To register by post (and to apply for financial support), please complete the appropriate form(s) at the back of this prospectus. Please post your completed Registration agreement and payment or financial support application (as appropriate) to: Student Registration & Enquiry Service, The Open University, PO Box 197, Milton Keynes, MK7 6BJ, UK or for students in Scotland to: The Open University in Scotland, 10 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh, EH3 7QJ, UK. Youll need to read the Conditions of Registration enclosed with this prospectus before registering. If you dont have a copy, you can download a copy from our website www.open.ac.uk/our-student-policies or request one by calling +44 (0)845 300 60 90.
European Economic Area (EEA), Agreed Overseas Territory or Swiss nationals

You are entitled to pay the UK course fee if you are ordinarily resident in the UK; and will be resident in the UK on the first day of your course and have been ordinarily resident in the EEA2, Switzerland or an Agreed Overseas Territory2 for at least the three years prior to the start date of your course; and you are a national of one of these countries.
Dependants and family members of nationals from one of the territories mentioned above
If you are ordinarily resident in the UK, will be resident in the UK on the first day of your course and have been resident in the EEA2 for the three years prior to the start date of your course and are a dependant of a national from one of the above territories, you may be eligible to pay UK course fees. Please refer to the Your questions section on www.open.ac.uk/study or contact us on +44 (0)845 300 60 90 for more information.
Course fees
To work out how much your course will cost, please look at the separate Short Course Fees 2011/2012 leaflet or refer to our website at www.open.ac.uk/study. If youre not eligible to pay a UK course fee, your fee will be higher than the UK fees. Higher fees are charged if you are a resident of one of the countries/territories listed on the left or are a resident of a country anywhere else in the World where OU courses are offered. Fees are higher outside the UK because the University needs to cover the extra costs of operating and supplying services outside the UK. These costs include running offices in Dublin and Brussels and the additional costs of operating in more than one country in respect of all aspects of the University's services to students, including the provision of examinations, additional residential and day schools, retaining students, and additional financial charges. Additional costs are allocated across all students in a given territory, and are not calculated on a course-by-course basis.
Nationals of areas not mentioned above

If you are not a national of any of the above mentioned territories, including if you are a refugee or asylum seeker, and will be resident in the UK on the first day of your course, please contact us on +44 (0)845 300 60 90 for advice on your eligibility to pay UK course fees.
1
Normally and lawfully resided in the UK from choice without any immigration restriction on the length of your stay in the UK. For a list of EEA countries and Agreed Overseas Territories, please refer to the Conditions of Registration enclosed with this prospectus. If you dont have a copy, you can download it from our website at www.open.ac.uk/our-student-policies or request one by calling +44 (0)845 300 60 90. Continued on page 46.
46
OUSBA
The Open University Student Budget Account (OUSBA) is a convenient way to pay your course fee. You can buy now and pay later, either before the course begins or in monthly instalments. If you are intending to pay via OUSBA you will need to download the Agreement for courses five months in duration or less from www.open.ac.uk/ousba or request a copy by calling +44 (0)845 300 60 90. You must complete a separate credit agreement form for every course that you wish to study. Once completed, send your form (or forms) to us with your Registration agreement. Please check to make sure you have completed all forms in full. If you have any questions about OUSBA accounts, please contact: OUSBA, PO Box 508, Milton Keynes MK7 6HX or visit the OUSBA website at www.open.ac.uk/ousba. You can also contact us on +44 (0)845 7697 937. Calls to this line are charged at the local rate when calling from a UK landline. OUSBA credit agreements are regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
You may be required to send in relevant documentation to support your application to pay UK course fees for any of the above scenarios. Please refer to the Your questions section on www.open.ac.uk/study. If you are not sure if you are eligible to pay UK fees or if you need further advice about relevant documentation please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service on +44 (0)845 300 60 90.
Paying the course fee

Credit or debit card
We accept payment by Maestro, Mastercard, Visa or Delta. You can pay online or you can complete the credit/debit card authorisation form on the Registration agreement, including the start and end dates, and ensure that the cardholder signs the form where indicated. We do not accept Maestro International, Amex or Diner cards.
Cheques
If youre registering by post you can pay your course fee by cheque. Please make cheques payable to The Open University and write your name and personal identifier, if you have one, clearly on the back. We are unable to accept post-dated cheques. If you live outside the UK you can pay by cheque in the currencies of all European Union countries, as well as Swiss francs and US dollars, although wed recommend you register online with a credit or debit card to make sure the most up-to-date exchange rate is applied. Well use the exchange rate which applies on the day we process your registration agreement, except for payments in Euros, which are subject to a monthly exchange rate.
Financial support (UK students only)

We offer financial support to help some students who would otherwise find it difficult to pay their fees. For Short courses were able to offer financial support to students who are receiving state benefits. The arrangements for financial support are different for students living in Scotland from those for students living in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
OU gift vouchers
OU vouchers make an inspiring present, ideal if youre looking for an unusual gift for someone special. Or ask family and friends to support your own study by buying vouchers for special occasions. To buy or redeem vouchers, see our website at www.open.ac.uk/gift-vouchers.
For students resident in England, Wales or Northern Ireland

Financial support is only available if you: are claiming certain state benefits are a new Open University student with little or no previous experience of higher education meet the eligibility criteria for UK fees. There is a limited amount of money available, which will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. For further details on eligibility criteria, see the guidance notes on page 53.
Tesco Clubcard reward tokens

You can convert your Clubcard vouchers into reward tokens to pay towards undergraduate courses at Level 1. To find out more about the terms and conditions of this scheme running in the UK and the Republic of Ireland click www.openuniversity.co.uk/clubcarddeals.
47
For students resident in Scotland

Financial support is only available if you: are claiming certain state benefits meet the eligibility criteria for UK fees. For further details on eligibility criteria, see the guidance notes on page 55. Thresholds for eligibility may change, so please check our website or contact us for the most up-to-date information. If you are not eligible for financial support and earn less than 22,000, you may be eligible for an Individual Learning Account.
What else you should know

Our statements of service
These cover careers advice, complaints, queries and appeals against our decisions, support for disabled students, general student support and guidance, and equal opportunities. To download your copies, click www.open.ac.uk/our-student-policies.
Equality and diversity

We are committed to fulfilling our vision of a fair and just society. We are creating an inclusive university community and a society where people are treated with dignity and respect, where inequalities are challenged and where we anticipate and respond positively to different needs and circumstances so that everyone is able to achieve their potential.
Individual Learning Accounts Scotland (ILA Scotland)

The Open University in Scotland is an approved provider under the ILA Scotland scheme. If your personal income is 22,000 or less a year, or if you are on certain benefits you can claim up to 200 a year towards the cost of many OU courses. Contact ILA Scotland at www.ilascotland.org.uk or call 0808 100 1090 for more information. If youre on state benefits and wish to apply for financial support please fill in the form that relates to where you live, using the appropriate guidance notes, theres one set for Scotland and one for the rest of the UK. In all cases, you must provide evidence of the benefit you are receiving. Return the form and your evidence of benefits with your Registration agreement to the address on the form. Due to the amount of processing time required, you should apply for financial support in good time before the course start date. Financial support applications for Short courses cannot be handled over the phone, by fax or online. You must return the original financial support form. We cannot accept photocopies. If youre applying for financial support, you dont need to include payment when you send back your completed financial support application form and Registration agreement.
Students under the age of 16

Very exceptionally, the University will consider applications from particularly gifted students who are under the age of 16. Applicants will be invited for an informal interview with their parent/guardian at their nearest regional or national centre. Acceptance will be at the discretion of the University.
Data protection
We record your personal information when you contact us and use this to manage registration, study, examination and other student services. When you register, well tell you more about how we process and use your personal information.
Recording phone calls

We may record our phone calls with you to make sure that weve carried out your instructions correctly and to help us improve our services through staff training.
Freedom of information
Information about the University can be found in our publication scheme at www.open.ac.uk/foi. You have a general right to information we hold that is not in our publication scheme.
OU Careers Advisory Service

We can help you explore your career opportunities and support your search for jobs or further training with our: award winning website www.open.ac.uk/careers for all aspects of career planning careers advisers in regional and national centres providing one-to-one guidance online forums offering answers to your careers questions publications showing you how OU study can open up career opportunities links with employers offering vacancies open to OU students and graduates.
48

Your answers to some of these questions will be used for reporting purposes by the OU and the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). The information you provide will not affect your access to OU courses and services, but you do need to answer these questions in order to register. The OU, like all UK universities, is required to collect information about its students for reporting to HESA. The University also uses information about its students to ensure that all our services are accessible and that we achieve fair outcomes for all. HESA observes strict rules of disclosure required by the Data Protection Act and will not give your details to third parties. Further information on our data protection policy can be found in the Conditions of Registration. Code 98 6G Qualifications below A-Levels / Highers No formal qualifications No formal qualifications (and admitted to course with entry requirements on basis of previous experience) HE Access course, QAA recognised HE Access course, not QAA recognised Qualification below level 1 (SCQF 1 - 3), e.g. Access 1-3, Foundation Standard Grade NVQ or SVQ 1 GCSE D-G, Intermediate 1, General Standard Grade, O-Grade / O-Level below B, CSE below 1 14-19 Foundation Diploma (level 1) Welsh Baccalaureate Foundation Diploma (level 1) Other qualification at level 1 (SCQF 4) NVQ or SVQ 2 Apprenticeship at level 2 (SCQF 5) GCSE A*-C, Intermediate 2, Credit Standard Grade, O-Grade or O-Level A-B, CSE 1 14-19 Higher Diploma (level 2) Welsh Baccalaureate Intermediate Diploma (level 2) Other qualification at level 2 (SCQF 5) Other further education / A-Levels / Highers NVQ, SVQ, GNVQ or GSVQ 3 (SCQF 6) Advanced Apprenticeship at level 3 (SCQF 6) Award at level 3 (SCQF 6) Ordinary National Certificate (ONC) or Certificate at level 3 (SCQF 6) Ordinary National Diploma (OND) or Diploma at level 3 (SCQF 6) Foundation course at level 3 (SCQF 6) 1 A-Level, SQA Higher or equivalent 2 or more A-Levels, SQA Highers or equivalent Advanced Higher, but no Scottish Baccalaureate 14-19 Advanced Diploma (level 3) AQA Baccalaureate (Bacc) Scottish Baccalaureate Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma (level 3) International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma International Baccalaureate (IB) Certificate Cambridge Pre-U Certificate Cambridge Pre-U Diploma Other qualification at level 3 (SCQF 6)
44 45 6D 6B 6C 6E 6F 6A 57 5D 5C 5A 5B 5E Code 3D 94 3C 3B 3A 43 4A 4B 4C 3E 3F 3J 3K 3G 3H 3N 3M 39
Note 1 Your Personal Identifier

If you know your personal identifier (for example, U123456), please write it on the form. It is important that you quote this number whenever you contact the University. If you dont have one or dont know it, please leave this box blank.
Note 2 If you have a disability, health condition, mental-health disability or specific learning difficulty
We are committed to meeting the requirements of people with disabilities and well help you to participate as fully as your circumstances allow in all aspects of study. If you tick the Yes box in section 1 we will provide you with more information about the kinds of support available.
Note 3 Education on entry

Tell us what was your highest level of education when you first joined the Open University, and what is currently your highest level of qualification, using the codes opposite. It is important that you give us this information as this affects the level of Government funding that the University receives, which in turn, affects the course fees that you, as a student, are charged.
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Code 2K 23 2A 2C 2G 2B 25 29 31 2D 2E 1K 2F 1M 22 2H 2J 16
Undergraduate and other higher education Higher Apprenticeship at level 4 (SCQF 7) Certificate in Education (CertEd), Diploma in Education (DipEd) Higher National Certificate (HNC) Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE) NVQ, SVQ, GNVQ or GSVQ 4 (SCQF 8) Higher National Diploma (HND) Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE) Foundation course at level 5 (SCQF 8) Foundation degree UK first degree with honours UK first degree without honours UK first degree with honours (leading to QTS) Non-UK first degree Professional Graduate Certificate in Education Credits from UK HE institution but no HE qualification Other level 4 qualification (SCQF 7) Other level 5 qualification (SCQF 8) Graduate equivalent qualification not elsewhere specified Postgraduate taught NVQ, SVQ, GNVQ or GSVQ 5 Integrated undergraduate / masters degree e.g. MEng Postgraduate Certificate in Education or Professional Graduate Diploma in Education Certificate at masters level (SCQF 11) Diploma at masters level (SCQF 11) UK masters degree Non-UK masters degree Taught work at masters level (SCQF 11) for institutional credit only Other qualification at masters level (SCQF 11) Postgraduate research UK doctorate degree Non-UK doctorate degree Other qualification at doctoral level (SCQF 12) Other Other qualification, level not known
Note 4 Educational institution

Use the codes below to tell us the type of educational institution you last attended before starting OU study. Code 4901 4911 4921 4931 4941 0000 Educational institution UK state school UK independent school UK Further Education college Any non-UK institution UK Higher Education institution Home tutored or no formal schooling
Note 5 HESA number

A HESA number is issued to each higher education student in the UK. If you have studied recently at a UK university and already have one, please enter it on your Registration agreement so that we can use it instead of issuing a new one. The University will issue you with a HESA number if this is your first course at higher-educational level.
Note 6 Parents level of education

This question includes natural parents, adoptive parents, step-parents or guardians who have brought you up. This question is for all students, not just young people.
Code 1N 1F 1J 1H 1G 1D 1E 1P 05 Code 1A 1B 1C Code 97
Note 7 Dependants
Young people or children refers to people aged 17 and under who are financially or otherwise dependent on you.
Note 8 Ethnic origin

We aim to ensure that our services are accessible and that we achieve fair outcomes for people of all ethnic groups. We use the ethnicity classifications from the Census in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as recommended by the Commission for Racial Equality, in order to monitor the extent that we are achieving this. Please use the codes given overleaf to tell us which group best describes your ethnic or cultural background. Continued on page 50.
50
Continued from page 49. Code 11 08 12 13 09 19 14 21 22 29 33 31 32 34 39 43 41 42 49 80 98 Ethnic origin White British White English White Irish White Scottish White Welsh Other White background Irish Traveller Black or Black British-Caribbean Black or Black British-African Other Black background Asian or Asian British-Bangladeshi Asian or Asian British-Indian Asian or Asian British-Pakistani Chinese Other Asian background Mixed-White and Asian Mixed-White and Black Caribbean Mixed-White and Black African Other mixed background Other ethnic background I prefer not to answer this question
Code 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09
Occupation type Modern professional occupations Clerical and intermediate occupations Senior managers or administrators Technical and craft occupations Semi-routine manual and service occupations Routine manual and service occupations Middle or junior managers Traditional professional occupations Never been in paid work
Occupation title Please tell us what is (or was) the full title of your main job; for example, Car Mechanic, Television Service Engineer, Benefits Assistant. Please give your job title and not a grade or pay band.
Note 11 Primary area of study interest

Please use the codes below to tell us which of the following best represents your primary area of study interest: Code AHU BMA CYS CIT EDU ETE EDI HSC LAN LAW MST PSY SCI SSC BOP Study interest Arts and humanities Business and management Childhood and youth studies Computing and ICT Education Engineering and technology Environment, development and international studies Health and social care Languages Law Mathematics and statistics Psychology Science Social sciences BA or BSc Open degree (this is a degree that is tailored to your own requirements and allows you to take courses from any area of the curriculum). If youre interested in studying across a wide range of subjects, please use this code.
Note 9 Welsh National Identity

If you live in Wales, please use the letters below to tell us what you consider to be your National Identity (you may select up to two). Code B E W S I O R Welsh National Identity British English Welsh Scottish Irish Other I prefer not to answer this question
Note 10 Occupation
Please provide information about your occupation status, type and title, using the codes below. Code 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 Occupation status In full-time work / self-employed In part-time work / self-employed Looking after the home / family Retired from paid work Doing unpaid voluntary work Unable to work due to long-term sickness or disability Unemployed and looking for a job Not in paid work for some other reason
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Please send your completed form to: Student Registration & Enquiry Service, The Open University, PO Box 197, Milton Keynes, MK7 6BJ or if you live in Scotland, to: The Open University in Scotland, 10 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh, EH3 7QJ
SECTION 1
Last name First names Date of birth
Your personal details
Title
Sex
Open University Personal Identifier (note 1) Address
Postcode or BFPO number Landline telephone number (inc. dialling code) Mobile number Email address Do you have a disability, health condition, mental-health disability or specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), or additional requirements that might affect your studies, examination or assessment and for which you might need support? (note 2) YES NO
SECTION 2
Your courses
Course code Starting date
Title of course(s) you want to register for
SECTION 3 SECTION 4
Your qualification
If you want to register for an OU qualification, please enter the code of the qualification here. (If you dont want to register for a qualification immediately, you can do this at a later date.)
Payment

(To pay by OUSBA you must complete a new credit agreement for each course, see page 46 for details.) I enclose a cheque/bankers draft for the amount of: (Payable to The Open University with your Personal Identifier, name and address on the back.) I authorise the course fee to be charged to OUSBA (completed form(s) enclosed): I would like the course fee to be charged to my ILA (Scotland) account. Account number: I enclose OU gift vouchers / Tesco Clubcard reward tokens to the value of: I wish to pay by Visa / Mastercard / Maestro / Delta. Please debit my account with the amount of: Card or Maestro number (This is the series of numbers across the middle of the card):
Start date SIGNATURE OF CARDHOLDER OR
Expiry date
Issue number (Maestro cards only) PRINT NAME
Security code (3 digits on back of card)
I am applying for financial support and enclose a completed financial support application form.
Continued on page 52.
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SECTION 5
HESA information
Please read the accompanying notes on pages 4850, and use the codes listed there to fill in this section. Level of education when you first joined the OU (note 3) Educational institution (note 4) HESA number (note 5) If you live in Wales, have you undertaken a Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma? Do any of your parents (as defined in the accompanying notes) have any higher education qualifications, such as a degree, diploma or certificate of higher education? (note 6) If you live in Scotland, do you have any dependants? (note 7) Ethnic origin (note 8) Welsh National Identity (note 9) Occupation status (note 10) Occupation title (note 10) What are your reasons for applying to study with the OU? Mainly employment / career development Mainly personal development Employment / career and personal development are equally important Dont know YES, I achieved the qualification YES, I have undertaken the diploma but did not achieve the qualification NO YES NO DONT KNOW I prefer not to answer this question YES, young people or children YES, young people or children AND other relatives or friends YES, other relatives or friends NO What is your nationality? If you live in Wales, are you a Welsh speaker? Occupation type (note 10) YES NO Current highest level of qualification (note 3) Have you ever attended a UK higher education course (above A-level or equivalent) for six months or more? YES NO
Which subject area from the accompanying notes best represents your primary area of study interest? (note 11)
SECTION 6
Data protection
In accordance with the Data Protection Act, the OU will create a record in your name and we may use the information you provide to contact you, offer services or carry out research to help us plan and improve our services. We will provide information to a limited number of organisations such as the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), in line with our statutory reporting requirements. By providing this information you are giving us explicit consent to use this data. For full details of how we will use your personal information, please refer to our Data Protection Policy available from www.open.ac.uk/our-student-policies. If you do not wish to be contacted please tick the box.
SECTION 7
Your signature
I confirm that I wish to register for the course(s) indicated on this agreement. I have read and understood the Conditions of Registration and I agree to be bound by them. If you do not have a copy of the Conditions of Registration, you can access them on our website at www.open.ac.uk/our-student-policies, or call us on +44 (0)845 300 60 90 and we will send you a copy. Tick here to confirm if you are eligible to pay the UK course fee and, if required to do so as stated on pages 4546 of this prospectus, have enclosed the required documentation to prove this. Please note: tick this box, if appropriate, even if you are anticipating receiving financial support for your course. OR Tick here to confirm if you are not eligible to pay the UK course fee and have entered the appropriate fee in Section 4 overleaf. SIGN HERE TO SHOW THAT YOU AGREE TO THE CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION. Signature Date
Financial support guidance notes and application form (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
53
If you need help completing any part of the application form ask for advice from our Financial Support Office on 01908 653411. To apply for financial support for a Short course you MUST meet the eligibility criteria for UK fees AND: be a new Open University student with little or no previous experience of Higher Education and you (or your partner) are in receipt of state benefits OR be a continuing Open University student in receipt of statutory financial support (fee grant and course grant) for a 30 or 60-credit course in the same academic year, studying BD131, SK185 or S151. Applications will not be considered if you: are a full-time student at another institution are in debt to the University are a prisoner. (Continuing students resident in UK prisons may be eligible for course fee support instead. Please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service on 0845 300 60 90.) Introduction to financial services (BD131) Maths for science (S151) Molecules, medicines and drugs: a chemical story (SK185) If youre a continuing student intending to study any other Short course, you are not eligible for financial support.
SECTION B
State benefit status You should complete this section if youre a new Open University student with little or no previous experience of higher education applying for financial support because: you or your partner1 receive Income Support, incomebased Employment and Support Allowance, Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit or Local Housing Allowance or you or your partner receive income-based Jobseekers Allowance / New Deal Allowance. Evidence must be in the form of: [if you or your partner receive the benefit] a copy of the most recent letter from the Job Centre Plus or local authority confirming the entitlement or [only if you receive the benefit] you can take your financial support application form to your Job Centre Plus or local authority to be certified. Its very important that the certification is completed in full. Please note: this section should not be completed if it is your partner who receives the benefit. If you or your partner are not receiving any of the benefits listed above, you cant claim financial support for any of the Short courses featured in this prospectus.
1
How to complete the form

SECTION A
Personal details Please complete with your name, address and OU Personal Identifier (if known). Meeting the criteria for UK course fees Please read the guidance notes on pages 4546. New student We consider you to be a new student if you have never been registered for a course beyond its starting date. Currently, to receive financial support for a Short course, this must be the first course you study with us. Little or no previous experience of higher education We consider you to have little or no previous experience of higher education if you have not previously studied at higher-education (e.g. university) level, or have only studied up to the equivalent of the first term of a full-time course. Continuing student We consider you to be a continuing student if you have previously been registered for a course after its starting date. Short course financial support for continuing students Financial support is only available to continuing students if you are in receipt of statutory financial support and studying one of the following Short courses:
By partner we mean your husband, wife, civil partner or partner (opposite or same sex).
SECTION C
Signature and date Please sign and date the financial support application form and make sure that you enclose all the evidence requested when you post your financial support application form with your Registration agreement. If you do not, we will be unable to process your application and this will delay your registration. Please dont send evidence after submitting your application, unless asked to do so. We suggest you keep a copy of your application and the evidence you have sent us. You are strongly advised to obtain proof of posting, which is available free of charge from any post office.
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Financial support application for Short courses for students resident in England, Wales or Northern Ireland
Please read the guidance notes on page 53 before you complete this form. If you would like to apply for financial support and are receiving state benefits, please complete SECTIONS A, B and C. If you are a continuing OU student studying BD131, SK185 or S151 and are in receipt of statutory financial support for a 30- or 60-credit course in the same academic year, please complete SECTIONS A and C. If you dont sign and date the form we will be unable to process your application and this will delay your registration. Please return the completed form and evidence requested together with your Registration agreement to the Student Registration & Enquiry Service, The Open University, PO Box 197, Milton Keynes MK7 6BJ. The information you give will be kept confidential. You dont need to enclose any payment.
SECTION A (see guidance notes on previous page)

Name Address
OU Personal Identifier (see note 1 on page 48)
Eligibility criteria
I confirm that I meet the criteria for UK course fees and, if required to do so as stated on pages 4546 of this prospectus, have enclosed the required documentation to prove this. I am a new Open University student and have little or no previous experience of higher education if YES, go to Section B. OR I am a continuing Open University student in receipt of statutory financial support, intending to study BD131, SK185 or S151 if YES, go to Section C. If you cannot tick yes to these questions, you are not eligible to apply for financial support. YES YES YES
SECTION B (see guidance notes on previous page)

State benefit status
Are you or your partner in receipt of any of the following benefits? (Please tick any appropriate boxes): Income Support Income-based Jobseekers Allowance New Deal Allowance Housing Benefit or Local Housing Allowance Council Tax Benefit Income-based Employment and Support Allowance
If you or your partner receive any of these benefits please enclose evidence of your benefit entitlement (see guidance notes). Alternatively (if you are receiving the benefit) take this form to your Job Centre Plus or local authority to be certified. Youll get financial support only if all sections: (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) are completed in full. Please do not amend the section above to include any other benefits you may be receiving. To be completed by Job Centre Plus / Local Authority Benefits Office. I certify that the person named above is currently in receipt of the benefit indicated above. (i) Date current period of entitlement commenced (ii) Signature of certifying officer (iii) Date (iv) OFFICIAL STAMP
SECTION C
Your signature and date
Signature Date
Please make sure that you have enclosed all the necessary evidence with your application form and post it together with your Registration agreement to the address at the top of this form.
Financial support guidance notes and application form (Scotland)
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If theres anything on the form that you are not sure about, please call The Open University in Scotland on 0131 226 3851. Applications will not be considered from those who: are not receiving state benefits have savings in excess of 16,000 are full-time students at another institution are in debt to the University are not eligible to pay UK fees have already received their maximum entitlement of fee support for undergraduate course fees in any academic year. (New students = 60 credits + associated residential school + relevant course from our Openings suite of courses. Continuing students = 120 credits + associated residential school. The academic year runs from September to August). If youre not receiving any of the benefits listed, you cant claim financial support for any of the Short courses featured in this prospectus. To receive funding for the course fee, you should provide evidence of your entitlement to benefits from the Job Centre Plus, Department for Work and Pensions or Local Authority. If you receive more than one of the benefits listed, you only need to provide current evidence of one of these. Evidence may be in the form of: A copy of a recent letter (dated within the last three months) from the Job Centre Plus, Department for Work and Pensions or Local Authority office confirming your or your partners current benefit entitlement. If you do not have a letter dated within three months, we would also accept a slightly older letter with a copy of a recent bank statement clearly showing the payment still being made into your account. or The financial support application form stamped and certified by the Job Centre Plus, Department for Work and Pensions or Local Authority office confirming your or your partner's current benefit entitlement. If you tick the Working Tax Credit box, you should send a copy of your most recent Tax Credit Award notice. This should be your confirmed award for the current financial year and not a provisional award. Signature and date Please sign and date the financial support application form and return to us with (i) all the evidence requested and (ii) your Registration agreement in the same envelope. If you dont do this it means that we have to return your application to you and this could delay your registration. We suggest you keep a copy of your application and the evidence you have sent us. Youre strongly advised to obtain proof of posting, which is available free of charge from any post office.
How to complete the form

SECTION A
Personal details Please complete with your name, address and OU personal identifier (if known).
SECTION B
State benefit status You should complete this section if youre applying for financial support because: you and / or your partner are in receipt of Income Support / income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Job Seekers Allowance (not contributions based), Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit (basic adult element) or Pension Credit or Department for Work and Pensions benefits/credits are the only source of income in your household or youre in receipt of Severe Disablement Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Carers Allowance or Incapacity Benefit / income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
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Financial support application for Short courses for students resident in Scotland
Please read the guidance notes before you complete this form. If you would like to apply for financial support and are receiving state benefits, please complete SECTIONS A and B of this form. If you dont sign and date the form your application is invalid and will be returned to you. Please return the completed form and evidence requested together with your Registration agreement to The Open University in Scotland, 10 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh, EH3 7QJ. The information you give will be kept confidential. You dont need to enclose any payment.
SECTION A
Name Address
OU Personal Identifier (see note 1 on page 48)
SECTION B (see guidance notes on pevious page)

State benefit status
Do any of the following statements apply to your financial circumstances? (Please tick any appropriate boxes): You and / or your partner are in receipt of Income Support / income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Job Seekers Allowance (not contributions based), Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit (basic adult element) or Pension Credit. Department of Work and Pension benefits / credits are the only source of income to my household. I am in receipt of Severe Disablement Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Carers Allowance or Incapacity Benefit / income-related Employment and Support Allowance. If youre receiving any of these benefits please enclose recent evidence of your benefit entitlement wherever possible (see guidance notes on previous page) or take this form to the relevant government office and ask for all the sections in the box below to be endorsed. To be completed by Job Centre Plus, Department for Work and Pensions or Local Authority. I certify that the person named above (or their household) are in receipt of one of the benefits listed in the statements in Section B. Signature of certifying officer Date OFFICIAL STAMP
Your signature and date

Signature Date
Please make sure that you have enclosed all the necessary evidence with your application form and post it together with your Registration agreement to the address at the top of this form.
Ordering other prospectuses
57
Ordering other prospectuses

This prospectus is one of a series describing our programmes of study. If you would like to find out more about our other qualifications and courses, and youre living in the UK or any of the countries listed on page 44, please order one of our prospectuses listed below:
Undergraduate Prospectus
An introduction to studying with The Open University This prospectus is a brief overview of the subjects we offer, providing answers to your questions about studying with the OU, and explaining how you can work towards a qualification. However, if you already know which subjects interest you, choose from our range of subjectspecific prospectuses instead.
Subject-specific prospectuses
Arts and Humanities Prospectus Childhood and Youth Prospectus Computing and ICT Prospectus Education Prospectus Engineering and Technology Prospectus Environment, Development and International Studies Prospectus
INSPIRING LEARNING
Undergraduate Prospectus 2011/2012

An introduction to studying with The Open University
Health and Social Care Prospectus Languages Prospectus Law Prospectus Mathematics and Statistics Prospectus Psychology Prospectus Science Prospectus Social Sciences Prospectus The Open University Business School Prospectus
Openings Prospectus
Introductory courses to build your confidence Our Openings programme offers a choice of short, introductory courses covering a wide range of interesting and relevant topics. The courses are ideal if you dont have any experience of higher education or you haven't studied for some time.
Openings Prospectus 2011/2012
Introductory courses to build your confidence
INSPIRING LEARNING
Initial teacher education

Professional Graduate Certificate in Education Prospectus
To download or order a printed prospectus
www.open.ac.uk/prospectus +44 (0)845 300 60 90 email general-enquiries@open.ac.uk
Postgraduate Prospectus
To find out more about our postgraduate qualifications and courses in your choice of subject, choose from our range of subject-specific prospectuses listed above. Alternatively, log on to our postgraduate prospectus online at www.open.ac.uk/postgraduate.
Research Degrees Prospectus

The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391), an exempt charity in England and Wales and a charity registered in Scotland (SC 038302). While we have done everything possible to make sure the information in this publication is accurate, it may change due to regulations or policy, or because of financial or other reasons. Designed by DigforFire DMG. Printed by Sterling, an ISO 14001 printer, using vegetable based inks on FSC certified paper, www.sterlingsolutions.co.uk. Copyright 2011 The Open University.
Our Research Degrees Prospectus (PhDs, etc.) is wholly online at www.open.ac.uk/research-prospectus.
Contact points for advice and registration

In England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, BFPO addresses outside the UK and all other countries, except the EU, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland
Click www.open.ac.uk/study or Call our Student Registration & Enquiry Service on
In Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

Click www.open.ac.uk/study or In Northern Ireland Call our office in Belfast on 028 9032 3722 In the Republic of Ireland Call our Enquiry and Advice Centre in Dublin on
(01)6785399 or our office in Belfast on +44 28 9032 3722

Email ireland@open.ac.uk
+44 (0)845 300 60 90

Lines are open (UK time): Monday to Friday 08:00 to 20:00 Saturday 09:00 to 17:00 Calls are charged at the UK local rate when calling from a UK landline. Email general-enquiries@open.ac.uk
In other EU countries, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland

Click www.open.ac.uk/europe or Call The Open University in Europe on
+44 191 477 6100

Email europe@open.ac.uk
OU representatives elsewhere in Europe

We have local representatives in most countries where we register students. The main duties are to offer information and advice. Austria Open University Representative Phone 01 533 2390 Email austria@open.ac.uk Belgium Open University Coordinator Phone 02 644 3372 Email belgium@open.ac.uk France Open University Coordinator Phone 02 32 56 65 07 Email france@open.ac.uk
Germany (North) Open University Representative Phone 040 42883 2478 Email germany-north@open.ac.uk Germany (Central) Open University Coordinator Phone 0221 1626 235 Email germany-central@open.ac.uk Germany (South) Open University Coordinator Phone 089 4583 5354 Email germany-south@open.ac.uk Greece Open University Coordinator Phone 22970 26069 Email greece@open.ac.uk
Italy Open University Coordinator Phone 02 813 8048 Email italy@open.ac.uk Luxembourg Open University Coordinator Phone 44 40 91 801 Email luxembourg@open.ac.uk Netherlands Open University Coordinator Phone 070 360 7443 Email netherlands@open.ac.uk Spain Open University Coordinator Phone (91) 577 7701 Email spain@open.ac.uk Switzerland Open University Coordinator Phone 022 361 5774 Email switzerland@open.ac.uk
Enquiries from students in other countries

If you live in an EU country not listed above, please contact The Open University in Europe on +44 191 477 6100. Wherever you are in the world, you may be able to study some of our courses directly with the OU or through one of our educational partners or by buying our course materials from a local distributor. Click www.open.ac.uk/worldwide to find out what is available in your area.
SUP 025929
Short Course Prospectus 2011/2012
Student Registration & Enquiry Service The Open University PO Box 197, Milton Keynes, MK7 6BJ United Kingdom
Short Course Fees 2011/2012
INSPIRING LEARNING
Course Fees 2011/2012

The fees for all the courses described in the Short Course Prospectus are supplied in this leaflet. For advice choosing the right course and qualification for you, click www.open.ac.uk/study or call our Student Registration & Enquiry Service on +44 (0)845 300 60 90 (Monday to Friday 08:00 to 20:00 and Saturday 09:00 to 17:00 UK time) or email general-enquiries@open.ac.uk. Were here to help. All prices shown are in pounds sterling.
Title
Start dates 14 May 2011 01 Sep 2011 12 Nov 2011 12 May 2012 16 Apr 2011 03 Sep 2011 14 Apr 2012 14 May 2011 01 Sep 2011 12 Nov 2011 01 May 2011 01 Oct 2011 01 May 2012 01 May 2011 01 Oct 2011 01 May 2012 01 Oct 2011 01 May 2012 01 May 2011 01 Oct 2011
UK () 155 170 170 170 235 255 255 155 170 170 190 205 205 190 205 205 205 205 190 205
ROI () 340 360 360 360 485 510 510 340 360 360 375 395 395 375 395 395 395 395 375 395
Other () 385 405 405 405 575 605 605 385 405 405 420 440 440 420 440 440 440 440 420 440
Archaeology: the science of investigation (SA188) Contemporary Wales (D172)
How to pay
We have several ways to help you pay fees please see page 46 of the Short Course Prospectus. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to take advantage of our financial support services and apply for a grant for your course fees please see page 46 for full details.
Darwin and evolution (S170)
Design and the Web (T183)
Studying outside the UK

If youre not eligible to pay a UK course fee (please see page 45 of the Short Course Prospectus), your fee will be higher. We accept payment in the currencies of all European Union countries, in Swiss francs and in US dollars. Its easiest to register online and pay with a credit or debit card. Well use the exchange rate which applies on the day we process your registration agreement, except for payments in Euros, which are subject to a monthly exchange rate. All prices shown are in UK pounds sterling (). ROI Republic of Ireland Other includes all countries outside the UK and ROI where we accept students, see page 44 for more information.
Digital audio (T150)
Digital film school (T156) Digital photography: creating and sharing better images (T189) Digital worlds: designing games, creating alternative realities (T151) Elements of forensic science (S187)
01 May 2011 01 Oct 2011
190 205
375 395
420 440
14 May 2011 01 Sep 2011 12 Nov 2011 18 Feb 2012 12 May 2012 14 May 2011 01 Sep 2011 12 Nov 2011 18 Feb 2012 12 May 2012
155 170 170 170 170 155 170 170 170 170
340 360 360 360 360 340 360 360 360 360
385 405 405 405 405 385 405 405 405 405
Empire of the microbes (S171)
Title
Start dates 08 Oct 2011
UK () 255
ROI () 510
Other () 605
Title
Start dates 14 May 2011 01 Sep 2011 12 Nov 2011 18 Feb 2012 12 May 2012 14 May 2011 01 Sep 2011 12 Nov 2011 18 Feb 2012 12 May 2012 07 May 2011
UK () 155 170 170 170 170 155 170 170 170 170 155
ROI () 340 360 360 360 360 340 360 360 360 360 340
Other () 385 405 405 405 405 385 405 405 405 405 385
Ethics in real life (A181) Heritage, whose heritage? (A180) How the Universe works (S197) Human genetics and health issues (SK195)
08 Oct 2011
255
510
605
Molecules, medicines and drugs: a chemical story (SK185)
14 May 2011
155
340
385
Neighbourhood nature (S159)
14 May 2011 01 Sep 2011 12 Nov 2011 18 Feb 2012 12 May 2012 14 May 2011 01 Sep 2011 12 Nov 2011 18 Feb 2012 12 May 2012 14 May 2011 01 Sep 2011 12 Nov 2011 01 May 2011 01 Aug 2011 01 Nov 2011 01 Feb 2012 01 May 2012 16 Apr 2011 22 Oct 2011 14 Apr 2012 01 May 2011 01 Aug 2011 01 Nov 2011 01 Feb 2012 01 May 2012
155 170 170 170 170 155 170 170 170 170 155 170 170 310 330 330 330 330 235 255 255 230 245 245 245 245 190 245 245 155 170 170 170 170
340 360 360 360 360 340 360 360 360 360 340 360 360 495 520 520 520 520 485 510 510 415 435 435 435 435 375 435 435 340 360 360 360 360
385 405 405 405 405 385 405 405 405 405 385 405 405 540 565 565 565 565 575 605 605 460 480 480 480 480 420 480 480 385 405 405 405 405
Perspectives on Leonardo da Vinci (A178) Plants and people (S173)
Inside nuclear energy (ST174)
14 May 2011 01 Sep 2011 12 Nov 2011 18 Feb 2012 12 May 2012 01 May 2011 01 Oct 2011
155 170 170 170 170 190 205
340 360 360 360 360 375 395
385 405 405 405 405 420 440
Introducing astronomy (S194)
Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting (B190)
Robotics & the meaning of life: a practical guide to things that think (T184) Shakespeare: an introduction (A177) Small country, big history: themes in the history of Wales (A182) Sport: the science behind the medals (S172)
07 May 2011 29 Oct 2011 04 Feb 2012 08 Oct 2011 07 Apr 2012
155 170 170 255 255
340 360 360 510 510
385 405 405 605 605
Introduction to counselling (D171)
Introduction to financial services (BD131)
Linux: an 01 May 2011 introduction (T155) 01 Oct 2011 01 May 2012 Maths for science (S151) 14 May 2011 01 Sep 2011 12 Nov 2011 18 Feb 2012 12 May 2012
14 May 2011 01 Sep 2011 12 Nov 2011 18 Feb 2012 12 May 2012 29 Oct 2011 04 Feb 2012 07 May 2011 29 Oct 2011 04 Feb 2012
155 170 170 170 170 170 170 155 170 170
340 360 360 360 360 360 360 340 360 360
385 405 405 405 405 405 405 385 405 405
Start listening to music (A179) Start writing fiction (A174)
Title
Start dates 01 Oct 2011 01 Feb 2012
UK () 200 200 190 205 205 155 170 170 170 170 170 170 170
ROI () 455 455 375 395 395 340 360 360 360 360 360 360 360
Other () 550 550 420 440 440 385 405 405 405 405 405 405 405
Title
Start dates
UK () 155 170 170 170 170 155 170 170 170 170
ROI () 340 360 360 360 360 340 360 360 360 360
Other () 385 405 405 405 405 385 405 405 405 405
Sustainable Scotland (T123)
The story of maths 01 May 2011 (TM190) 01 Oct 2011 01 May 2012 Understanding human nutrition (SK183) 14 May 2011 01 Sep 2011 12 Nov 2011 18 Feb 2012 12 May 2012 12 Nov 2011 18 Feb 2012 12 May 2012
Understanding the 14 May 2011 weather (S189) 01 Sep 2011 12 Nov 2011 18 Feb 2012 12 May 2012 Volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis (S186) 14 May 2011 01 Sep 2011 12 Nov 2011 18 Feb 2012 12 May 2012
Understanding the frozen planet (S175)
While we have done everything possible to make sure the information in this price list is accurate, it may change due to regulations or policy or because of financial or other reasons. Student Registration & Enquiry Service, The Open University, PO Box 197, Milton Keynes, MK7 6BJ www.open.ac.uk/study SUP 025930

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Short Course Prospectus 2011/2012

A world apart from any other way of learning

Dont let anything stand in your way

Discover Britains favourite university for yourself

National Student Survey 2010.

Courses and qualifications explained 3 How to get started Arts

How to complete your Registration agreement

Business Mathematics, computing and technology

Science Social sciences

Open access: other ways to read this publication

Why choose an Open University Short course?

Why choose an Open University Short course?

Excellent value for money

Choosing a Short course

Courses and qualifications explained

Courses and qualifications explained

What are course levels?

What is credit transfer?

What are credits?

Click www.open.ac.uk/study or call +44 (0)845 300 60 90

Courses and qualifications explained

How to get started

How to get started

Step 4: Pay your fees

Click www.open.ac.uk/study or call +44 (0)845 300 60 90

Can I study outside the UK?

What support will I get?

If you have a disability or additional requirement

How will I be assessed?

If you have a disability or additional requirements

10-credit, 12-week courses

Click www.open.ac.uk/study or call +44 (0)845 300 60 90

Shakespeare: an introduction (A177)

If you have a disability or additional requirements

Start listening to music (A179)

If you have a disability or additional requirements

Click www.open.ac.uk/study or call +44 (0)845 300 60 90

Start writing fiction (A174)

If you have a disability or additional requirements

15-credit, 15-week courses

If you have a disability or additional requirements

Click www.open.ac.uk/study or call +44 (0)845 300 60 90

Heritage, whose heritage? (A180)

If you have a disability or additional requirements

Small country, big history: themes in the history of Wales (A182)

If you have a disability or additional requirements

Click www.open.ac.uk/study or call +44 (0)845 300 60 90

Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting (B190) Introduction to financial services (BD131)

How much time does it take?

What support will I get?

Can I study outside the UK?

When can I start?

Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting (B190)

If you have a disability or additional requirements

Click www.open.ac.uk/study or call +44 (0)845 300 60 90

Introduction to financial services (BD131)

If you have a disability or additional requirements

Click www.open.ac.uk/study or call +44 (0)845 300 60 90

Mathematics, computing and technology

Mathematics, computing and technology

Mathematics, computing and technology

What support will I get?

Can I study outside the UK?