Diploma of Higher Education in Arts and Humanities Open University

This diploma of higher education encompasses a wide range of fascinating disciplines in the arts and humanities. These include art history, classical studies, creative writing, English literature, history, music, philosophy and religious studies. You can also combine your study of the arts with other options including English language, French, German or Spanish, science, technology, psychology, or social science. As you work through the course, your cultural literacy and understanding of the past will be developed. You’ll also sharpen your critical awareness and refine the skills of debate and analysis that are highly valued by employers.

Key features of the course

• Develops your understanding of our rich cultural heritage from a great diversity of perspectives, periods and subjects
• Offers the opportunity to specialise in one or more subjects
• Practice and refine the skills of argument and analysis, enhancing your employability
• Builds your study skills and knowledge giving a solid foundation for further study

Accessibility

We make all our qualifications as accessible as possible and have a comprehensive range of services to support all our students. The Diploma of Higher Education in Arts and Humanities uses a variety of study materials and has the following elements:

• studying a mixture of printed and online material – online learning resources may include websites, audio/video media clips, and interactive activities such as online quizzes
• working in a group with other students
• working with specialist reading material such as works of art and musical manuscripts
• using specialist software (for example the Sibelius music writing package).

This qualification develops your learning in four main areas:

• Knowledge and understanding
• Cognitive skills
• Practical and professional skills
• Key skills

The level and depth of your learning gradually increases as you work through the qualification. You’ll be supported throughout by the OU’s unique style of teaching and assessment – which includes a personal tutor to guide and comment on your work; top quality course texts; elearning resources like podcasts, interactive media and online materials; tutorial groups and community forums.

Course details

This qualification has two stages, each comprising 120 credits.

• You’ll start Stage 1 with a broad introduction to the arts and humanities followed by up to two modules chosen from a variety of subjects.
• Next, at Stage 2, you will choose two modules from a broad range of arts and humanities options.