What Is an Open University?
Ever wondered about open universities? They’re institutions that let anyone study courses and sometimes earn credits or degrees without strict entry requirements. While that might sound similar to distance learning, they’re actually quite different – though both often use online methods.
Canada’s Open University Options
Canada has several open university options designed to cater to a wide range of learners:
- Thompson Rivers University – This BC-based open university has a distance learning and open enrolment section to their school. You can get full bachelor degrees with open enrolment admission at this school.
- Athabasca University – An Alberta-based open, online education provider. They do have a minimum age requirement and you may need some prerequisites. Other than that, enrolment is open.
- University of Guelph – This Ontario-based university also offers an open learning section in their traditional university. The advantage here is that they offer ‘Guaranteed Admission Pathways’ to their official BA programs, if you take some of their open learning courses (with some requirements). Students may need to take a language proficiency test, and may not be able to take these courses if they are in high school.
International and Online Learning Options
In addition to the above open university options in Canada, students looking beyond Canada’s borders might consider The Open University in the UK, which welcomes international students.. For example, The Open University in the UK offers programs to peoples around the world, including Canadians.
Also, while the above list is not long, some universities in Canada offer plenty of online courses. The website below can explain more about those options, if you are waiting to get into a program, or would like to build your course credits from multiple institutions:
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
Open universities create unique opportunities for students in Canada. Many allow you to earn credits that transfer to traditional universities – perfect if you’re working toward admission to your dream school. They often offer unique courses you won’t find elsewhere, and the flexibility to learn at your pace while juggling other commitments.
The Globe and Mail also wrote an article about MOOCs in Canada, which you may want to check out here:
Why Attend an Open University?
Open universities offer several benefits for students in Canada:
- Transferable Credits: Credits earned from open universities may be transferable to traditional universities, helping students who didn’t get into their first-choice institution stay on track academically.
- Course Variety: Open universities may provide courses not available at traditional institutions, broadening your educational opportunities.
- Flexible Learning: Ideal for students who prefer learning at their own pace, balancing education with work or other commitments.
For more information on what ‘openness’ means in the context of benefiting education for all, while attending an open university, we recommend reading this article:
See Our Related Articles on Open Education and Open Educational Resources (OERs):
If you’re interested in exploring open education further, we’ve covered several related topics, including practical guides for teachers using open educational resources and an exploration of the flipped classroom model.
- How teachers can benefit from open education resources (OERs)
- Ways to use open education resources (OERs) when teaching
- What is the flipped classroom model?
- Benefits of teaching students using iTunes U
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