Collaborative schemes

What are collaborative schemes?

Collaborative schemes give you the opportunity to study subjects not currently offered by The Open University at another institution and count the credit achieved towards some OU qualifications. Collaborative Schemes are operated jointly by The Open University (The OU) and other UK universities/institutions.

Modules within these schemes are referred to as "collaborative modules". You can count them towards various OU qualifications and are therefore given OU module codes (these codes are different from the codes used by the University/Institution you study them at).

How can I count collaborative modules towards OU qualifications?

You can count approved collaborative modules towards the BA/BSc Open degree in the same way as OU modules (in accordance with the prevailing qualification regulations). They will appear on your Diploma Supplement with a title, academic level, and grade. In some cases, collaborative modules can also count towards degrees in named subjects and will count towards the classification of your OU degree.

Before registering on a collaborative module

Before registering on a collaborative module, please contact:

The Credit Transfer Centre
Email: credit-transfer@open.ac.uk
Telephone: 01908 653077

Our specialist credit transfer advisers can then look at your OU study record and ensure that you will be able to use your collaborative module credit towards your chosen OU qualification.

You do not need to complete an OU Credit Transfer Application Form in order to apply for collaborative credit. We receive official module registration lists directly from the partner institution.

Collaborative module arrangements

Collaborative modules are run by the institutions concerned, not by The Open University.

Registration takes place via the collaborating institution and student loans may not be available.

The methods of teaching and assessment, and the arrangements for application, registration and fee payment are therefore likely to be quite different from those of The Open University.

You will need to contact the University/Institution at which you wish to study a collaborative module for details about fees, payments, fee refunds, etc.

For some collaborative modules, the period of study is the conventional academic year (October to July), others follow the calendar year. The method of teaching varies between schemes: some offer full-time study, some part-time study and some distance learning.

What can I study?