• Which programme and course to study
• Which level of study is right for you
• When is the course available (is it open enrolment or fixed-term?)
• Whether you are studying a print-based or online course
• How much time you can dedicate to your study
• Whether you are eligible to enrol in your chosen programme.

Once you have answered these questions you are ready to enrol. If you need any assistance we are here to help - just contact us by phone or email.

Selecting a programme of study

At the Open Polytechnic, we have a wide variety of vocationally relevant programmes and courses to choose from. These range from Certificate to Diploma, Degree to Graduate level. If you know which area of study you are interested in, simply go to Programmes and Courses and search on the subject area or programme type. If you need any help selecting which programme and course you should enrol into you should contact us and ask for one of the following people to discuss your options:

• Programme Leader or Programme Coordinator,
• Tutor or Lecturer for the course you wish to enrol in

Level of study

When deciding what you want to learn you need to consider the level of study of the programme. The level of study is based on the National Qualifications Framework which has eight levels. Level 1 is entry level education and training, broadly comparable to Year 11 studies. Level 8 offers the most advanced learning and is comparable to post-graduate studies.

Managing your time

Managing your study time is important. To ensure you enrol in the right number of courses to meet your commitments, you need to consider the hours of learning for each course. All courses have a credit value. For each credit you should allow 10 hours of learning, e.g. for a 15 credit course you should allow 150 hours of learning.

Depending on the type of course you are enrolled in (open or fixed-term course) you need to determine the number of hours per week you have available to meet the requirements of your course.

Example:

• 15 credit course studied over 12 months (open enrolment) requires approximately 2-3 hours per week of study.
• 20 credit degree level course studied over a 17-week trimester requires approximately 12 hours of study per week.

If you are not sure which level you should start your study at, or need help managing your time, contact us to discuss your options.

Open or fixed-term enrolment?

Enrolment duration

The Open Polytechnic offers programmes in one of two enrolment options. Either:

Open Enrolment

52 weeks. All open enrolment durations start from the first day of each month. If your enrolment is confirmed within seven days of the start of the month, your enrolment duration will begin on the first day of that month. If your enrolment is confirmed after the seventh day of the month, your enrolment duration will start on the first day of the following month. See below for examples.

Fixed Period/Trimesterised Enrolment

These have set start and finish dates.

Your course enrolment will expire:

• 12 months from the date of confirmation of enrolment, OR
• at the end of the fixed period/trimester for which you have enrolled, OR
• when you comlete all the summative assessments required for the course
  

WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.

Print-based or Online courses

Most of the courses we offer are print-based courses. This means that the material you receive is in printed form and is sent to you when your enrolment is confirmed.

We also offer a range of degree and diploma programmes that can be studied online through our online learning presence, the Online Campus. These are taught over a fixed-term, or trimester.

To enrol in any online courses you must complete the enrolment process on the Online Campus. For details about the courses available and how to enrol, visit the Online Campus.