The Academic Framework and the Structure of Studies

The Open University is flexible in structure and organization. Applicants joining the Open University student body are not required to enroll in a faculty or department, but rather in specific courses. An individual enrolled in a course becomes a student of the Open University.

The structure of studies at the Open University also differs from the structure customary at other universities, as it is not defined by years. Open University students are not first, second or third year students. Student are entitled to determine their own rate of progress and the degree of progress in not measured by units of time (years or semesters), but rather by the number of accumulated credits. Thus, the Open University does not compel its students to complete a uniform and prescribed program of study during a certain academic year. The individual rate of progress is determined by the students themselves - based on their diligence and determination as well as the amount of time available to them in light of their familial and work commitments. The rate of progress may change during the course of their studies - a relaxed year followed by a hectic year. The only constraining time frame is the semester, as the duration of most Open University courses is one semester of 15 weeks, and the students are required to meet the requirements of the course during the semester in which they are enrolled. Thus, there are students who study at a moderate rate, one course each semester, while others enroll in two or more courses simultaneously.