One fundamental aspect of the University's policy is to provide educational services to the general public in the form of continuing education as non-degree programs.

• Short Training Courses – STOU offers over 100 short training courses each year, attended by a total of more than 4,000 members of the general public. STOU also organizes specific training sessions as requested by outside organizations.
  
  
• Certificates of Achievement – Four times a year, STOU offers a selection of stand-alone bachelor’s and master’s level courses to the general public, and awards certificates upon completion. The credit can also be applied to future degree study at STOU. To date, more than 10,000 people from age 6 to over 80, have taken these courses.
  
  
• Dissemination of knowledge and information by the mass media. STOU also provides basic interactive courses and self-assessments via the Learning Object Module website.