The Open University, celebrating its 50th birthday throughout 2019, was established by Royal Charter on 23 April 1969. We are the leading university for flexible, innovative teaching and world-leading research in the United Kingdom and in 157 countries worldwide.

Uniquely placed to understand the needs of part-time students, combining their learning while earning, our innovative, award-winning distance teaching credentials have seen over 2 million students receive an education, otherwise denied to them at campus-based universities.

We operate within the four nations of the UK, with nation offices in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh as well as regional offices in England and our head office in Milton Keynes.