Online learning at the Open College of the Arts provides a significant degree of flexibility in how and when you study the arts. Instead of being tied to a physical campus or rigid timetables, your learning happens where you are – whether that’s your home, studio, or any comfortable space – and you can access your course materials whenever best suits your personal schedule, allowing you to create a study plan that integrates with your existing commitments. Each 40-credit unit has a 12-month timeframe for completion (including an initial induction period) to ensure a focused and progressive learning experience. You’ll also join a diverse and inspiring global community of students, and gain access to a dedicated department space where you can engage with webinars and workshops in addition to your core learning materials.

Our online student platform, OCA Learn, becomes your central hub after registration, providing all your course materials and a space to connect with others. Through OCA Learn, you’ll conveniently submit your completed assignments online. Throughout your studies, you’ll receive expert guidance from a dedicated tutor, a practicing artist, who will offer constructive feedback on your submitted work. This feedback is designed to help you grow, highlighting what you’re doing well and  areas for improvement, often delivered through a mix of detailed written notes directly on your digital submissions within OCA Learn, and the chance to connect with tutors via video.

Stage 1 comprises three 40-credit units that must be studied in order.

Unit 1.1 Drawing Practices explores a wide range of techniques, materials, and approaches, from traditional drawing to more experimental methods. You’ll learn to observe the world around you and translate your observations into drawings. The unit will also introduce you to the history of drawing and how contemporary artists are using it to explore a variety of themes and ideas. By the end of this unit, you’ll have a better understanding of what it means to be a contemporary drawing practitioner and to study a degree in drawing. 

To move on to Unit 1.2, you’ll first need to successfully pass the assessment for Unit 1.1. Please be aware that this initial progression step might involve a slightly longer gap between unit enrolments compared to the transition between subsequent units. 

Unit 1.2 Material Possibilities builds upon your previous learning in drawing, exploring a  wider range of materials and techniques. You’ll experiment with different media, such as paint, printmaking and collage, and consider how to create three-dimensional drawings. You’ll also explore the concept of drawing as a process, where the act of making itself becomes part of the artwork. Throughout the unit, you’ll conduct research (including the writing of a critical review) and reflect on your learning in your learning log.. You’ll also develop a final project that gives you an opportunity to bring together all that you have learned in a personal way.

Unit 1.3 Making Connections builds upon your previous learning in drawing by exploring how drawing can connect with other art forms. You’ll delve into contemporary practices that blur the lines between drawing and other artforms. You’ll learn from other artists who are pushing the boundaries of what drawing can be, and you’ll experiment with these new ideas in your own work. By the end of the unit, you’ll have a deeper understanding of drawing as a multifaceted and evolving practice. 

Stage 2 comprises three 40-credit units that must be studied in order.

Unit Drawing 2.1 Material Thinking delves deeper into the nature of drawing, encouraging you to experiment and challenge your assumptions. You’ll explore aspects of drawing such as composition, material properties, and the role of time. You’ll also conduct research and write a critical review, exploring the work of other artists and developing your own critical thinking skills. The emphasis is on experimentation and independent exploration. Your learning log will remain a key site of evaluative thinking.

Unit Drawing 2.2 Conversations and Contexts will ask you to experiment not only in how you draw, but where you draw, to question who you draw for, and to explore new ideas and sources to inform your drawing.  The title Conversations and Contexts, points to the fact that drawing is not an isolated discipline, but one which operates across multiple conversations and contexts. You will explore themes according to your emerging understanding of your own preferences from a range including Drawing and Witnessing, Drawing and Telling Stories, Drawing and Place,  Drawing and Plant Thinking, Drawing and Collaboration and Drawing and the Digital. You will select from the thematic content to inform a critical review. 

Unit 2.3 Ecologies and Environments investigates how artists respond to their surroundings, from urban, domestic  and natural environments to the space within the studio and spaces within artworks.  You’ll explore concepts like ecologies and how they influence artistic expression and consider the formal potential of space and site. Through research into the work of other artists and environmental and spatial thinkers, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of your own place within the world and how your drawing practice can reflect these concerns.

Stage 3 comprises three 40-credit units that must be studied in order.

Unit 3.1 Practice and Research encourages you to  fully immerse yourself in the development of a personal artistic practice. You’ll conduct independent research, developing strong critical and creative thinking and making skills. By combining creative practice with research, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of your own practice and its place within discipline boundaries. You’ll develop a fully considered studio process and complete a critical review or literature review.

Unit 3.2 Site, Audience and Context encourages you to engage with the world beyond your studies by developing and undertaking projects that connect your creative practice with real-world contexts. This could involve working on smaller public facing projects, or finding innovative ways to present your work to the public. It will require you to consider your developing body of work in relation to specific opportunities and challenges that you have identified for a sustainable ongoing creative life. The aim is to equip you with the skills and knowledge to sustain your creative practice beyond your studies, whether through professional work, further education, or other meaningful engagements. The work you do on this unit will direct the solutions for your final unit. 

Unit 3.3 Major Project allows you to bring together everything you’ve learned throughout your stage 3 studies. You’ll undertake a significant, self-directed project to a professional standard. You’ll be encouraged to be ambitious and consider how to present your work to the public, whether through exhibitions, publications, or online platforms. You’ll also develop self-promotional materials and refine your professional skills. Throughout the project, you’ll document your process and reflect on your learning journey. Tutors will provide guidance and support as you develop and present your work.

When you complete a unit, you are invited to submit a portfolio of work and critical essays to the next available assessment event. There are three undergraduate assessment events held each year, and when you complete your unit decides which assessment event you submit to. In some instances, you will require your assessment results before progressing onto your next unit.

You have a total of 12 months to complete each 40-credit unit, starting with a two-week induction.

You will arrange your assignment submission dates with your tutor directly so you can study at your own pace within the unit timeframe (although it’s important to note that full-time study is not available). This means that the course completion time varies depending on the study hours dedicated, and when you submit to assessment.

After successfully finishing a unit, you have a six-month window to enrol for your subsequent unit of study. This six-month period begins from the date you receive your assessment results.

Programme Specifications

Programme Specification

The BA (Hons) Drawing course was updated in 2021. Students who enrolled before the update will continue with the previous version (the “Teach Out” programme) until they progress to a new stage of their studies. At that point, they will switch to the updated course.

Teaching Out Programme Specification

New students cannot enrol to the Teach Out programme.

Accessibility Guides

Accessibility guides give an indication of the type and format of content, teaching, and learning activities on the course, and how these are ordinarily delivered.

Review Accessibility Guides Here

Curriculum changes

We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available units – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which OCA might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us. This description was last updated on 14 December 2022.

Academic Regulations for Subsidiary Institutions of The Open University are applicable to all taught courses offered by the Open College of the Arts (OCA).

Academic Regulatory Framework

The Academic Regulatory Framework (ARF) regulations are applicable to all taught courses offered by the Open College of the Arts (OCA). As of January 2024, this will lead to an undergraduate award of The Open University (OU).

You can review the ARF through the link below:

Academic Framework

Enjoy a flexible approach to both learning and financing. Our undergraduate degrees are delivered and paid for on a unit-by-unit basis. You only pay for the specific unit you are registered to study at the time. You’ll typically study one or two 40-credit units per year, depending on your study pace. Our 60-credit units are specific to Teach Out programmes for historic pathways.

While our fees are reviewed annually—meaning the total cost of a degree may fluctuate slightly over time—we are committed to keeping any adjustments to a minimum and always in line with our Student Fees Policy.

Based on 2025/2026 academic year fees, the approximate cost of a BA (HONS) is:

• £20,412 for UK based students
• £23,382 for international students.

Students pay for one unit at a time. UK students pay £2,268 per 40-credit unit, and international students pay £2,598 per 40-credit unit.

Unit fees are reviewed annually therefore the total cost of a degree will vary and may increase over time, however we aim to keep any increases to a minimum where possible and in line with our Student Fees Policy.

[Updated 23/04/25]

Other costs you may encounter will include software subscription, books, materials and equipment. These can be around £400 – £600 per stage of study, though costs will vary depending on your choice of medium and whether books are bought or loaned from a library. Most reading materials can be accessed through the digital library services and eBooks, or sent to you in the post if included within the course materials, and degree students also have access to The Open University online library.