Guide to OCA booklet - Open College of the Arts

Open College of the Arts

Welcome
At the Open College of the Arts (OCA), we are specialists in creative arts education.
We have a community of students all following their passion and achieving at
the highest levels. All our students are supported by tutors who are experienced
teachers and practising artists, writers, photographers, visual communicators or
musicians. There are no entry qualifications and our flexible approach means you
can start studying with the OCA straightaway, fitting your studies around your
life.
The OCA gives you the opportunity to study for a degree which is validated
by the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), one of Europe’s largest specialist
universities for art, design, architecture, media and communication, with an
impressive list of alumni. As an educational charity, our students are at the centre
of everything we do and studying with the OCA plays an important role in the
lives of our students. We hope you feel inspired to share in the passion today.
Gareth Dent, Chief Executive
Sarah Scales
www.oca-uk.com

Why choose the OCA?
We provide a real alternative to traditional campus based
learning. Our inspiring course materials enable you to work at
your own pace, in your own time, and wherever you choose to
study. As your studies develop you move from building a strong
foundation in your chosen field to cultivating your voice as a
creative artist or practitioner. The OCA gives you the ability to
develop your skills whether you are learning for pleasure or to
pursue a career in the creative industries.
“The OCA is fantastic at providing dedicated
support from enthusiastic tutors. Course
materials enable inexperienced students to
build their core skills gradually at the same
time as enabling those with more creative
experience to work towards developing their
own personal voice. I am proud to say that I
study with OCA.”
www.oca-uk.com
Ayla Morten
Drawing 1: Drawing Skills
Daphne Argyridou
www.oca-uk.com

What will my course include?
Lia Edwards
Each course entitles you to:
• Course materials which provide a structure to your learning
• An induction and guides to make sure you get the most out of your studies
• A personal tutor who will give you tailored feedback on your assignments
• Access to the student community where you can discuss your work and
developments in your field with other students, tutors and OCA staff
• Membership of OCA Student Association.
• Access to a library of resources to support your study and widen your understanding
• Assessment of your work when you complete a course and registration of credits
towards a qualification
“Illustration 1 has really opened my eyes to the illustration profession. The course materials are
really comprehensive, guiding you through various exercises and assignments and the feedback
from my tutor is always detailed, positive and really helpful. There is a lot to learn and do but I’m
sure I’ll get there with the support of the OCA!”
Lia Edwards
Illustration 1: Key Steps
www.oca-uk.com

Exploring your subject
You can start at any time with the OCA. As soon as you enrol
you will be sent the course materials, allocated a tutor and
encouraged to go through an online induction, especially if
this is your first course unit with the OCA. You’ll soon feel
part of our student community, sharing your experiences in
our web forums with others studying alongside you.
You are encouraged to explore your own subject area and
will spend 8 to 10 hours a week on your coursework and
linked reading and research. To broaden your knowledge
there are optional additional opportunities such as student
generated initiatives and study visits which give you the
opportunity to meet other students and tutors and share
your thoughts on the latest exhibitions, recitals or other
artistic events.
All our undergraduate course units are accredited at higher
education level and build towards a degree. A full degree
programme can take anything between 3 to 12 years.
www.oca-uk.com
OCA study visit

Studying with us
Open learning with the OCA takes effort and dedication. You study
on your own using printed and web based course materials but you
are studying a subject you love with the support of your tutor and
the encouragement of your fellow students.
You will record your experiences, learning and challenges in a
learning log which shows your sources of influence and inspiration
and how you have developed your knowledge and practice.
Projects break your learning down into manageable pieces and are
completed at regular intervals throughout each course unit, giving
you a chance to evaluate your own improvement along the way.
You bring together everything you have learnt in the projects by
completing 5 or 6 assignments for which you will receive individual
feedback from your personal tutor.
At the end of your course unit you can opt to have your work
assessed, as most students do, against a set of criteria agreed by
UCA our accrediting university, enabling you to gain appropriate
HE credits. Once you have done this, you can then choose the next
course unit in your creative arts journey.
Valerie Newman
www.oca-uk.com

Qualifications
We offer seven degree routes all validated by the University for the Creative Arts, a specialist arts institution.
BA (Hons) Creative Arts
BA (Hons) Creative Writing
BA (Hons) Painting
BA (Hons) Photography
BA (Hons) Textiles
BA (Hons) Visual Communications
MA Fine Art
You can choose a specialist degree route or the creative arts degree
route provides an exciting opportunity if you have a passion for
more than one creative arts practice. It allows you to choose from
the range of courses, combining the study of art, creative writing,
art history, printmaking, sculpture, music, visual communications
and photography. You may choose to study poetry and music for
example, or art alongside creative writing. If you study art history you
may choose to look at authors and their illustrators, for instance. The
range of choices available is exceptional, enabling you to build the
programme around your interests.
Our MA in Fine Art is the only distance learning programme of its
kind in Europe and is an ideal course for artist practitioners, art
teachers, tutors and graduates wishing to take their studies further.
It is run slightly differently from our other courses and full details are
on the website.
www.oca-uk.com

Degree structure
40
credits
60
Progress to
credits Progress to
40 Level 2
Level 3
Level 1 (HE4) Level 2 (HE5) Level 3 (HE6)
credits
40
credits
60
credits
120 credits
(negotiated
programme)
Exit Exit Complete
Certificate of Higher
Education
Diploma of Higher
Education
BA (Hons)
Through accreditation of previous study or of a portfolio of work it may be possible to gain credits which provide exemption
from some Level 1 and 2 course units. The MA programme follows a different structure, please see the website for details.
www.oca-uk.com

What can you study?
We offer an exciting range of course units across the creative and visual arts, all building towards a degree if you choose this
option. Use this summary of the subjects available to find the area which suits your interests then visit www.oca-uk.com for the
full list of courses and to find out about all the latest developments.
Art History
These courses are unique in their approach, giving
understanding to the cultural and historical context of art. You
will develop your observational skills using annotation and
photography and be able to work with a systematic structure
for analysing, researching and recording information that
can be applied to any art form.
Creative Writing
We will support you in finding your own voice as a writer
and becoming an effective writing practitioner. The courses
will allow you to gain experience of writing in a variety of
literary forms including life writing, poetry, script writing,
short fiction and writing for children, as well as developing
your critical understanding of the theoretical and conceptual
issues central to the practice of writing.
Fine Art
This range of courses helps you to become a reflective artist
with the skills necessary to effectively develop a personal
artistic voice across the disciplines of drawing, painting,
printmaking and sculpture.
www.oca-uk.com
“I’ve learnt so much with the OCA, through
excellent tutor support and guidance, and a
fantastic student forum where we can share
our experiences.”
Jereme Crow
Illustration 1: Key Steps

Music
Our music courses focus on the context/history of western
classical music and also on the skills of composing, providing
a rich contrast to other HE music courses which tend to focus
on performance. The composing music courses enable you
to develop tools and techniques in melody, rhythm and
harmony - skills which can be applied in the jazz, folk and
rock genres, as well as within the ‘classical’ tradition.
Photography and Film
These courses develop your practice and critical
understanding of photography. The programme fosters highlevel
technical, ethical and professional standards. You will
develop your ability to convey your ideas visually and your
awareness of the possibilities offered by the medium.
Textiles
With these courses you will develop your textiles art practice
with a wide range of media and techniques. You will also
develop your creative capacities in the interpretation and
application of imagery, tactile awareness and understanding
of the theoretical and conceptual issues central to the
practice of textiles art.
Visual Communications
Visual communications is the artistic practice applied to
communicating through a visual language. There are courses
available across the disciplines of graphic design, illustration
and book design all aiming to prepare you to become a visual
communications professional, capable of applying your
intellectual and creative skills to communications solutions.
www.oca-uk.com

Fees and finance
As an educational charity dedicated to widening
participation in arts education, we provide value for money
with quality education. You can enrol on one course at a
time, allowing you to pay for your degree over a period of
time.
Degree programmes with the OCA attract student finance
depending on certain criteria which may include previous
qualifications, annual household income and where you
live. Please see our website for further information.
As part of our charitable purpose, a Learner Support Fund
provides additional support for prospective OCA students
who can demonstrate commitment and potential - but who
face financial or other practical constraints from enrolling
in the usual way.
Please visit www.oca-uk.com for the latest details on course
fees and financial support.
www.oca-uk.com
Tanya Ahmed

Take the next step on your creative arts journey today
Visit www.oca-uk.com for more information on our courses
Or read our blog www.weareoca.com to find out what we’re thinking
Open College of the Arts
Michael Young Arts Centre
Redbrook Business Park
Wilthorpe Road
Barnsley
S75 1JN
0800 731 2116
+44 1226 730495
enquiries@oca-uk.com
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter @opencollegearts
OCA courses are accredited by the
University for the Creative Arts
OCA is a company limited by guarantee,
registered in England no.2125674,
registered charity no.327446