Open College of the Arts

"I have studied with OCA since 2016 and have developed from a fairly beginner level at drawing and painting to a standard I am really proud of. I hope to graduate with the BA Hons Painting later this year, and have a solo and group show coming up. The course materials are stimulating and the regular tutor reviews help me to develop. The Painting department is very well led and the tutors are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Contact with the other students is also available with online meetings and groups, and study visits now back in person as well as some online. It has been very flexible around my work and children. I'm really glad I did this degree, it has not been easy at times but the hard work pays off. I would highly recommend them."

"Tried to withdraw from my course and got charged for the rest of the courses I did not even take. Would not recommend and the tutors don't even help you. Seems like a scam."

"I was a student on the ten week course 'Investigating Place: Journeys with Psychogeography,' which ran from October to December 2022. The course explored concepts and methods of psychogeography and how these could be applied to each student's investigation of a particular place of their own choosing. As students, we were encouraged to use any artistic method in our projects and as the course progressed, it became clear that a lot of exciting work was being produced. There were four Zoom conference sessions with the excellent tutor, who also at each stage of the course gave constructive and helpful comments as the projects progressed. I have been involved in aspects of psychogeography for about eight years and I signed up for this course in order to broaden and further develop my interest and work in this activity. I was not disappointed. There were sixteen students on the course and there were opportunities for discussion and comment on each of our projects. The ten weeks slipped by too quickly and I would have loved to have spent longer with the subject! However, I came away from the course with many ideas and prompts for future work which is exciting. If anyone is interested in exploring psychogeography; what it is, what it could be, and how it can be applied, I have no hesitation in recommending this course. It can certainly change your ideas about how a place is viewed and experienced, whether it's physical, virtual or imaginary! I came away from the course having produced a physical and online photography/poetry zine called BORDERLINE, as per the image. More work is now in the pipeline!"

"The Open College of the Arts is best known for providing very flexible art degrees. However, if you would like to complete your degree within 4 years, I do not recommend this school. Their services are extremely slow, and I found that I would have to rely on other students for support instead. Their curriculum for some courses are being updated too, but they're releasing the units one at a time which pushes students back even further. Only a month within my course, the school announced that they were changing their accredited university to the Open University instead of University for the Creative Arts. I submitted a complaint hoping for consideration of a refund (I was only a month into my studies) only to be declined. I can't help but feel they did not properly consider my situation and see that it was obvious that it was because of them that I was forced to withdraw. Apart from that, I enjoyed the curriculum, though their strength is more on fine arts than graphic design (less industry focused, more independent practice). Tutor support is mainly good, but this depends on your tutor which can significantly vary. Like I mentioned, student support / services are very slow, so do not expect an immediate response. I recommend for people with other responsibilities or for those who do not consider school as their main responsibility."

"Having completed the music degree, I highly recommend the music courses. The course material is well structured and the tutors are very engaged and supportive. There are also opportunities to get involved in creative workshops and collaborations (both online and in person), so distance learning doesn't have to be lonely!"