Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

When will my collaborative module results be added to my Open University record?

The University that administers the scheme will notify the Credit Transfer Centre of your results for any collaborative module(s) that you complete.

There may be a delay between you being notified of the result directly by the institution at which you undertook the study and receiving confirmation that your results have been recorded on your Open University record - this is because the teaching institution sometimes issues students a letter giving provisional module results while we await the official finalised results.

Usually you should receive confirmation that your results have been recorded on your Open University record as follows:

• for schemes following the academic year, you should receive this notification by October, or
• for schemes following the calendar year, you should receive this notification by December/January.

Will I be eligible for financial support?

Unfortunately, you will not be entitled to any financial assistance from The Open University towards the costs of collaborative modules, even if you are studying full-time at the other institution.

However, it may be worthwhile applying to your Local Education Authority or to the University at which you are studying the collaborative module to see if they have financial assistance or bursary schemes.

Can I use a student loan to study a collaborative module?

If you are eligible for a student loan for your OU studies, then you may be able to transfer this to another university in England or Wales for a year, and then transfer it back to the OU at the end of the year if you are intending to continue your OU studies.  Please contact the collaborating institution to initiate this process.  Unfortunately, the opportunity to transfer your student loan for a year is not available for the Scottish History modules: CDDR301 and CDDR321.

Please be aware that the Student Loans provider will only fund a student loan at one Higher Education Institution at any one time per Academic Year.  If your qualification includes a collaborative module, and you choose to fund your study through a Student Loan, it will therefore take you longer to complete your qualification if you are studying full time.  Please contact your Student Support Team or National office to discuss how a Student Loan may impact your study plans.

Can I study OU and collaborative modules at the same time?

The timing of some of some OU modules may mean that they overlap with the study period for collaborative modules:

• if you are studying an OU module which is examined in October, you are permitted to start a collaborative module which starts in September or October.
• some collaborative modules do allow students to take OU modules at the same time, but please bear in mind the OU regulation regarding studying no more than 120 credits a year.

Whether concurrent study is permitted will depend on the regulations of the teaching institution, and the terms of our agreement with that institution.

Even if concurrent study is permitted, you should consult your Student Support Team before deciding to take any OU modules at the same time as you are studying a collaborative module.

Please be aware that the Student Loans provider will only fund a student loan at one Higher Education Institution at any one time per Academic Year.  If your qualification includes a collaborative module, and you choose to fund your study through a Student Loan, it will therefore take you longer to complete your qualification if you are studying full time.  Please contact your Student Support Team or National office to discuss how a Student Loan may impact your study plans.

What credit will I receive towards my OU degree?

On successful completion of a collaborative module, for example, a 30-credit course at Level 2, you will receive this amount of credit onto your OU study record (once we receive the pass-lists from the University concerned).

What is the maximum amount of collaborative credit I can count towards an OU degree?

Successfully-completed collaborative modules can count towards the BA/BSc Open degree with Honours. The maximum amount of collaborative credit which you can count towards this degree is 240 credits.

This maximum includes any credit transfer you have been awarded.  For example, if you are studying towards a BA/BSc (Hons) Open degree and have already been awarded 150 credits of credit transfer, you can count only 90 credits of collaborative study towards your degree.

The collaborative credit will be graded on the Open University four-grade scale and, depending on which courses are studied, may count as Level 2 or Level 3 course credit towards the classification of the honours degree.

Collaborative scheme courses are designated BA, BSc or either, in the same way as OU modules.

The Open University BA/BSc degrees are modular qualifications. The Open University offers undergraduate courses which are normally worth 30 or 60 credits at a particular level. Some collaborative courses have different credit ratings e.g. 20 or 40 credits so you may not be able to benefit fully from this credit depending on your choice of OU modules.

All collaborative courses can be used to count towards the free-choice element of OU named degrees (please note, not all named degrees allow free-choice study to be included).

I haven't studied with The OU before, but have completed a collaborative module elsewhere. Can I get credit for this with The OU?

Provided that your module was included within our collaborative agreement at the time you studied it, it is possible that you could be made an award of collaborative credit.

You do not need a credit transfer application form or documentary evidence of your studies, as we will get this information directly from the institution at which you studied.

However, if you think your collaborative credit should be showing on your OU study record and is not, please contact us.