Q&A: Bachelor’s Degree at the Open University
Bachelor’s Degree at the Open University
Question
Hello Rabbi, and I hope you’re doing well.
I want to study for a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. I’m used to in-person studies, and from that standpoint I have no reason to worry that at the Open University I’d quit in the middle or get lower grades than if I were studying in person. In the Rabbi’s opinion, is there major added value in in-person studies that’s worth investing travel time and missing work for—for example, to understand the finer nuances? (Or value from some other angle that I’m not aware of right now?)
I should add that the goal is to get good grades in order to be accepted to a master’s degree at one of the universities / Weizmann. Another question is whether the Rabbi knows if an Open University degree with good grades is valued the same as a regular degree, or whether that negatively affects things.
Thank you very much!
Answer
From my experience, studies at the Open University are at a level no lower—and perhaps even higher—than at a regular university. True, the social side of studying together is missing, and that helps many people. The lecturer does meet with you on an ongoing basis and gives his own emphases. Bottom line, it’s a personal matter, and each person has the style of learning that suits him.
I think universities treat an Open University degree like any other degree, but I don’t have concrete information, so it’s worth checking. Usually this isn’t a matter of attitude but of criteria. You simply need to ask what the criteria are at the universities and whether an Open University degree is acceptable to them. If you meet the criteria, they’ll accept you. Universities don’t have preference considerations based on institutions. These aren’t yeshivas. Believe it or not, they’ll even accept you if you’re Mizrahi. 🙂
Discussion on Answer
I did my bachelor’s degree at the Open University, my second degree at Bar-Ilan, and now I’m doing a doctorate at Hebrew University. They treated the bachelor’s degree just like any regular degree in terms of the formal admissions requirements. In interviews with advisors, most of them viewed that bachelor’s degree positively. As for formal studies, I felt that the in-person lectures at the Open University were at a much higher level—maybe because there the lecturers aren’t obligated to teach in addition to their role as researchers, but rather that’s actually their job.
Joining Michi here—I’m finishing a degree at the Open University now, and the studies are at a very high level. The Open University is also very well accepted at other universities in Israel. In short, it’s worth it.