The Department endeavors to take University education to the people by extra-mural and distance methods. As the name suggests the department offers courses outside the “traditional” walls of the University by taking courses to the people's ‘'doorsteps”. To achieve this the Departments has established Campuses located in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu

The Department of Open Learning is one of the oldest departments in the University of Nairobi. It started its extra-mural activities in Kenya in the 1950s, and has since continued to enhance its activities by expanding its range of programmes and geographical spread.