As a postgraduate research student at The Open University you will enjoy the best of both worlds. You can work individually in person with your supervisors like at other universities and participate in the Research School’s year-round programme of workshops, seminars and training for postgraduate students. You will belong to a community of PhD researchers who meet regularly for events such as writing workshops and the annual work in progress symposium. You will also have the opportunity to apply to be involved in teaching at the OU, as part of the FASS PhD student teaching scheme.

You can, however, also study predominantly long-distance, benefiting from the vast experience provided by The Open University and the latest communication technologies that mean you can be in regular contact with your supervisors. There are many online events throughout the year that will help you to connect with the broader community of PhD researchers across the Open University.

As a research student at the OU, you will also have access to the OU library with its extensive collections of digital journals and books, as well as being able to become a member of a research library close to you through the SCONUL Access scheme.