Putting a career on hold to undertake further studies is not an option many people will choose. The OU Business School offers an alternative way to top-up your knowledge, acquire new skills or earn a qualification while in full-time employment. Professional qualifications can open doors and help you to progress faster in your career.
The OU Business School is the School of Management of the Open University. It offers flexible and accessible courses both to the individual learner and tailored to corporate clients’ needs. Individual students can study a single course to develop specific skills, or work through a series of courses towards a prestigious qualification. Flexibility underpins everything the OU does – you can tailor programmes to your needs and interests, decide how long you want to take, and adapt your study plans as you go.
Distance learning means that you study on your own, at home or wherever suits you. But distance learning with the OU Business School doesn’t mean studying alone. Virtual tutor groups, support networks, residential schools and online conferencing are all available to support students, no matter where you live in the world.
For shorter, focused courses designed to meet the immediate learning or development needs of busy professionals, the University offers Continuing Professional Development courses in a variety of subjects ranging from leadership skills to food preservation. These courses offer the convenience of accessing clearly presented and sequenced materials, activities and support whenever it suits you through a dedicated website. You will be supported by an expert learning adviser who can clarify course materials, answer questions and help you relate the course to your specific needs. A work-based activity helps the student to connect the course to individual and organisational context and needs. Most of the online courses require no more than 30 hours of study over a period to suit you. A Certification of completion is issued upon successful completion, which can be used to demonstrate continuing professional development activity to your employer and a professional body.
Studying for a business school qualification is one of the best ways to gain a competitive edge in today’s crowded job market. The OU Business School offers undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications which are highly relevant to real-world business and modern day management. Course content draws on the latest research and thinking, and reflects current best practice. Most of the tutors are practising business professionals with strong academic backgrounds. As such they bring a wealth of expertise to the learning process and enable the student to meet management and leadership challenges in today’s dynamic and socially and environmentally responsible organisations.
They are available for study globally and open to all, irrespective of academic or career background, though the time it will take to complete your degree is likely to depend on your previous education. Upon completion you’ll automatically become part of the MBA Alumni Association, an international community with local groups active in countries across Europe.
Full-time MBA programmes often mean that students loose track of the business world while they study, but the OU Business School takes education to the heart of industry. By remaining in the workplace while studying, students can put into practice what they learn right away, reinforcing learning as it develops.
The OU Business School also offers an MSc in International Finance and Management and an MSc in International Human Resource Management. They carefully balance sector specific content with generic management components to enhance your management career.
If you are still undecided on which direction to take, you can download free business and management courses through OpenLearn (http://www.open.ac.uk/openlearn/), to give you a sample of how our various courses work. The Open University was the first UK University to publish a large collection of its course materials under a Creative Commons license, allowing learners and educators to freely download and share the online resources.
For more information on OU Business School courses please contact Martyn Wiggett:

Email: m.wiggett@open.ac.uk