Open Lectures

The University has a well established series of Open Lectures that has been running for over 40 years. They are hugely popular, cover a wide range of topics and are delivered by respected academics, politicians and other professionals. Lectures are free, open to all and no booking is required.

College events

The Colleges run an exciting programme of events including:

• Art exhibitions
• Grass roots lectures
• Musical recitals
• Poetry readings

Language Express

Language Express is a programme of World Language learning opportunities delivered through the Centre for English and World Languages.

We currently offer an exciting range of ten languages in Canterbury and French in Medway. From May 2012 we will also be running Language Express Bitesize.

Short courses

If you want to extend your knowledge of a particular subject, or are simply curious to know more, a short course is a good choice for you. It allows you to spend time exploring a subject purely for interest, among like-minded people, without formal assessment. The short course programme is available at our Tonbridge centre during weekdays and evenings as well as some Saturdays.

The programme includes lectures, study days and short courses of up to 12 weeks. Subjects vary but may include:

• Art History
• Classics
• Creative Writing
• Geology
• History
• Literature
• Music
• Philosophy
• Psychology.

As these courses allow you to spend time exploring a subject, they are an ideal starting point before making a decision to study for a credit-bearing certificate or degree (see "For personal development at undergraduate level" below).

Undergraduate - certificates, diplomas and degrees

There is a huge range of traditional degree programmes which lead to BA or BSc or other specialised Bachelor's honours degree (Hons) awards. If you are interested in studying on a joint honours programme and would like more information on the combinations available and entry requirements, see the undergraduate prospectus. Each programme of study has a blue 'Key facts' box which will tell you whether or not the programme can be studied full-time, part-time or both.

As a part-time student, generally you will study 60 credits per year, which is 50% of a full-time programme. However this rate of study can vary, so please check your specific programme. You can study in stages – at certificate, diploma and degree level. The first two levels can be taken either as stand-alone programmes or as stepping stones to a degree. Here, we explain how the three programmes are linked and how to progress through the levels.

Postgraduate

If you already have a first degree or equivalent then postgraduate study offers the opportunity to further your studies in that area, or perhaps change direction for either personal or career development. Kent delivers both taught and research postgraduate qualifications from MA/MSc to PhD level as well as being a highly regarded provider of executive education, including the MBA.

There are over 200 areas of study based at Canterbury, Medway, Brussels and Paris which give you the opportunity to find a flexible or part-time programme to suit both your current lifestyle and future ambitions.

• The Kent Business School offers business and management programmes including the prestigious Kent MBA.
• The Tizard Centre offers a range of programmes in Intellectual Disability, Autism and Community Care for individuals who would like to develop their professional practice and want to learn while working. You can study a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes through work-based learning and workshops, short courses and distance learning.
  The Centre has excellent links with Social Services departments and Health Authorities, particularly with service users, families and service providers in the south east of England. Courses on offer include the opportunity to study areas such as:
  • Analysis and Intervention in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
  • Applied Behaviour Analysis
  • Applied Psychology
  • Autism
  • Clinical Psychology of Learning Disability
  • Community Care
  • Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
  • Learning Disability
  • Mental Health
  • Person-Centred Support
  • Positive Behaviour Support.
• The Centre for Professional Practice delivers vocationally relevant courses across Kent and north Thames Gateway. This centre is based at the Medway campus.
• KentHealth is a specialist centre which offers a wide range of health-related training programmes at all levels including full undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, CPD modules, accessible short courses and masterclasses, intensive residential courses and summer schools.

Our pre-retirement programme is a two day course for those within a year or so of retirement from their full-time occupation. A wide range of topics are covered and the course aims to address concerns and ease the transition from full-time work into retirement.

If you have been studying elsewhere, you may apply to transfer your credits to a relevant programme at Kent. This credit needs to be recent (within the last six years), relevant and at the appropriate level. The transfer is agreed during the admissions process with your programme director. Likewise, other universities may accept credits earned on our courses – you should enquire directly with the relevant university’s information office.