York St John University

York St John was founded in 1841 as the Church College for Teacher Training. In 1975 the Separate colleges of Ripon and York merged to form the college of Ripon & York St John, with degrees awarded through the University of Leeds. The University was granted Taught Degree Awarding Powers in 2005 and became York St John University in October 2006. Today over 6,000 students from more than 60 countries study at the university. 

With around 20,000 students and seven million tourists visiting the city all year round York really is a lively place to be - so much so that it was recently voted Europe's top international tourist destination. York’s nightlife caters for all, from traditional and quirky pubs, to ghost walks, cinemas and theatre, to the lively, modern and vibrant bars, clubs and live venues. The city is also a paradise for shopaholics with everything from famous high-street names to intriguing specialist, designer and curiosity shops. Shopping and socialising aside, you can’t fail to notice York’s history and culture. It’s hard not to find history fascinating when it lives and breathes around you.

York St John is literally minutes away from the city centre, so is perfectly placed for nights out and retail therapy jaunts. York Railway station is on the East Coast mainline, meaning that you can be in London in two hours, Manchester in 1 ½ and Edinburgh in 2½. There is the option to study part-time on most of our courses (check the website for details) and we have flexible entry requirements for mature students.

We offer a variety of opportunities to spend a semester or year abroad as part of your undergraduate degree, without adding any extra time! We have partners all around the world with compatible programmes so that you can study abroad whilst working towards your York St John degree, at no extra tuition fee. This applies to almost all undergraduate programmes, you do not need to be studying a Language!

Foundation degrees are available in Supporting Learning, Working with Children & Young People and Theology & Ministry, all of which can lead to a place on a BA or BsC course after completion. We are highly rated for student satisfaction scores for teaching quality. We care about the quality of our teaching and we listen to our students' feedback. Much of your learning will be done in lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops but you will also experience group work, learning via Moodle, our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), work placements, client-projects, practical and studio work. 

The mix and number of contact hours will depend on which course you are studying. Our students consistently tell us that our staff (both academic and support staff) are approachable, friendly and supportive and our Academic tutor system ensures that you have all the support you need, when you need it. The 2014 Research Excellence Framework rated thirty per cent of York St John University's research as 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent'. York St John University houses several research centres which offer services and valuable resources to our postgraduate and post experience students, as well as to the local, national and international community.

The Open University

The University was given its Royal Charter in 1969. Since then, it has become the UK's largest university, and the only UK university dedicated to distance learning. More than two million people have studied with the OU since its opening. Today more than 30% of all part-time undergraduate students in the UK study with the OU.  OU students study in their own homes and workplaces, taking courses whose materials and methods are specifically designed for this type of distance learning. All have tutors, and most also have the opportunity to meet tutors and other students at local tutorials. The University's methods allow for study anywhere in the UK and in many other parts of the world.

The Open University was established to be 'open', with no entry requirements. Nearly all of its courses continue to have no entry requirements. Some courses aimed at postgraduates or people who are working in specific jobs do have entry requirements. For further information on entry to Open University courses, visit the website. The 150,840 students enrolled in the academic year 2013/14 comprise. The Open University offers more flexibility than most other universities. Although the start and end dates of most courses are fixed (and there are recommended study timetables and fixed days for tutorials), it is for the student to decide when and where they study day-to-day. Some study in the evenings; others work shifts that allow them to work during the day, for example.

Flexibility also extends to allowing students to take breaks in study between courses on most programmes - to allow them to stop studying after the end of a particular course if they wish and resume at a later date. While the University offers a comprehensive range of named degrees, it also offers Open degrees, which allow students to combine courses from a range of different academic disciplines. Of the 24 subjects assessed by the Quality Assurance Agency, 17 were placed in the top 'Excellent' category. The Open University has been highly ranked for overall satisfaction in all three of the National  Student Surveys to date. The OU is one of only two universities in England to have been awarded the leadership of four Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

The OU supports a vibrant research and enterprise portfolio which focuses upon key issues affecting the social, political and physical well-being of individuals, communities, cultures and nations. The Open University has always been a world leader in the use of new technologies to improve the quality of education for students and to broaden their access to it. Students on two-thirds of all courses undertake e-learning activities to achieve defined learning outcomes. All courses include optional online activities.

The University's "open" mission allows for those people whose previous qualifications would be unlikely to allow them access to university education elsewhere to enter higher education. In 2005-06, 34% of the OU's undergraduate level students had qualifications equivalent to one A-level or lower.