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- This never impacts our editorial recommendations – if it's in, it's in there because we independently rate it best.
- You'll always get as good a deal (or better) than if you went direct.
For a more detailed explanation see How MSE is financed.
Open University Deals
0 Current Deals
We don't currently have any Open University deals.
Latest Expired Deals
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IMPORTANT - THIS DEAL HAS EXPIRED
This deal has expired - you can't get it any more. We've kept it here for reference.
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Open University FREE courses for those in Northern Ireland
1,000+ places available for selected courses. Normally up to £3,000
ExpiredIf you live in Northern Ireland, you can apply to enrol onto a totally free Open University (OU) course, until 6pm on Fri 1 Oct. There are 23 free postgraduate and microcredential courses to choose from, which usually cost up to £3,000. There are over 1,100 places available across the 23 courses and the scheme is open to all residents of Northern Ireland over the age of 18, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria.
Who's eligible?
To be eligible for a place, you must be:
- Over 18
- Living in Northern Ireland
- Eligible to work in Northern Ireland
See the 'Who can apply' section on the OU website for full details.
What courses are available?
There are 23 courses to choose from under this scheme, including postgraduate modules, and postgraduate and undergraduate microcredentials. The courses will be largely delivered online, and vary in length from 10-12 weeks to six months. The microcredential courses will start in October and the postgraduate modules will start in November.
A few examples include:
- Effective Strategic Management in Business and the Public Sector (postgraduate module) – normally £3,140
- Data Management (postgraduate module) – normally £1,475
- Supply Chain Management (postgraduate module) – normally £1,570
- Agile Leadership and Management (microcredential) – normally £750
- Tackling the Climate Crisis: Innovation from Cuba (microcredential) – normally £450
How to apply
To apply for a course you'll need to fill in one of two application forms (depending on the course type you choose), which can be found under the 'How to apply' section via the above link. Once you've checked you meet the entry requirements for your chosen module and have filled out the form, you'll receive confirmation that your application has been received from OU within one working day (so if you submit on Friday, you won't receive confirmation until Monday).
The OU also offers a range of free courses that are available for everyone via its 'OpenLearn' platform, including the MSE 'Academoney' financial education course.
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Open University 800+ FREE short courses
Distance learning incl Chinese, Spanish & managing money
ExpiredThe Open University is a distance learning university with an open admissions policy (many of its undergraduate courses have no formal entry requirements). Like most universities, there are hefty course fees, but it also offers more than 800 short online courses completely free via its Future Learn and Open Learn schemes. These are ongoing courses, but we reckon they're good enough to share here.
Some of these courses are short extracts from longer Open University courses, and others have been adapted specifically for these schemes. They include a range of subjects such as creative writing, history and languages. There's even a course on managing your finances featuring MSE founder Martin Lewis.
Future Learn - 62 online courses with a set timeframe and tutors
The Future Learn site is owned by The Open University but also offers online courses from other UK universities. They're run during set periods of time, and there are tutors to help you. For some of these courses you have the option to pay for a certificate at the end (£40ish).
How to join a Future Learn course
To enrol on a course you will need to click on this Future Learn link and create an account using your email address and select your chosen course. Alternatively, if you fancy any of the courses below, the link will take you directly to that course's sign-up page.
Current courses include:
- Managing my money (featuring MSE's Martin Lewis)
- Introduction to cyber security
- Begin programming: build your first mobile game
Open Learn - 750+ self-learn online courses with no timeframe
The Open Learn site offers all the Open University online courses which have been featured on Future Learn in the past. There is no set timeframe to complete them and there are no tutors. There are currently 750+ available. It's worth noting that you won't receive any qualifications from completing these courses.
How to join an Open Learn course
You can access the majority of the Open Learn course materials without creating an account, but the Open University says that registering (which is free), gives you access to additional features, such as activity records which track your progress on each course. You can click on this Open Learn link or the links below will take you to the relevant application page for each course.
Free courses include:
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Use the Money Mantras
Before spending, use Martin’s Mantras. If you answer 'NO' to any, then don't buy!
Then ask:
- Do I need it?
- Can I afford it?
- Have you checked prices elsewhere?
Then ask:
- Will I use it?
- Is it worth it?
Free protection for all shopping!
There's a little-known piece of legislation that turns any credit card into a financial self-defence superhero. 'Section 75' of the Consumer Credit Act means your plastic must protect anything you buy for more than £100 for free, so if there's a problem or the company goes bust, you can still get your money back.
And although Section 75 doesn't apply to debit cards, there is something else to fall back on if you've paid using a debit card, or used a credit card for a purchase under £100. Known as Chargeback, this is part of banks' and card companies' internal rules and not a legal requirement. Read full details of Section 75 or Chargeback, plus how to claim, in our guides.
What the * means above
If a link has an * by it, that means it is an affiliated link and therefore it helps MoneySavingExpert stay free to use, as it is tracked to us. If you go through it, it can sometimes result in a payment or benefit to the site. It's worth noting this means the third party used may be named on any credit agreements.
You shouldn’t notice any difference and the link will never negatively impact the product. Plus the editorial line (the things we write) is NEVER impacted by these links. We aim to look at all available products. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the top deal, it is still included in exactly the same way, just with a non-paying link. For more details, read How this site is financed.
Duplicate links of the * links above for the sake of transparency, but this version doesn't help MoneySavingExpert.com:
12 January 2022
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Martin's 'cut debt costs' masterclass
Incl 35mths 0% balance transfer
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Booking a holiday?
Get travel insurance ASAB from £9
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Cheap 'day two' travel tests
From £13
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Can you get £5 off £20 at Amazon?
Just stream a song
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Energy price cap to rise 50% in April
Should you fix now?
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Free tool to protect property
Against fraudsters
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Veganuary deals
Incl FREE £4 plant-based meat
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Read the full email
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TV licence fee to be frozen for two years - here's all you need to know
17 January 2022![]()
The cost of a TV licence will remain frozen for the next two years, the Government has announced. Households will not see any increase to their £159 a year bill until 1 April 2024. -
Amazon shelves plans to stop accepting Visa credit cards - here's all you need to know
17 January 2022![]()
Amazon has shelved plans to stop people using Visa credit cards to buy items on the shopping platform from 19 January. -
Barclaycard makes mysterious payments to customers who were wrongly charged, with some receiving £300 - here's all you need to know
17 January 2022![]()
Barclaycard is giving refunds to hundreds of credit card customers who have suffered issues relating to operations procedures, default fees and incorrect interest charges. Here's what you need to know. -
Universal Credit and other benefit claimants in Northern Ireland to get £200 towards energy bills - here's what you need to know
14 January 2022![]()
It comes as part of a new £55 million support package designed to help around 280,000 people with the cost of living. -
Savings app Chip shakes up its membership plans – what this means for you
14 January 2022![]()
Savings app Chip has simplified its membership plan structure, reducing it from three plans to two, and has also added its autosaving feature to its free 'Chip' plan. These changes – which came into effect on 14 January – apply to both new and existing customers.
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Martin Lewis: What makes us human – the sharing of ideas and knowledge
29 November 2021![]()
I was invited on to BBC Radio 2 Vine's 'What Makes Us Human' programme. The brief: "write then read out an essay on one unique element of humanity, interspersed with some autobiographical notes". -
Five things EVERYONE should know about student finance
21 September 2021![]()
There are more myths and misunderstandings about student finance than any other subject. So in this blog is my updated 2021/22 version of the must knows, with links to far more info. -
Is it time to ban Christmas presents?
14 September 2021![]()
Update September 2017: It’s eight years since I first braved this subject, expecting a snowstorm of protest. Instead, year after year more join in, like Julia who recently tweeted me, “@MartinSLewis, finally took your advice and told my family I can’t afford Christmas presents. What a weight off my mind. Thank you.” One year even the Archbishop of...
Clever ways to calculate your finances
