Open university Engineering

iamdjdz · 2 Jan 2012 at 00:06

I was wondering if anyone out there could help me.

I would like to study engineering at degree level but already have a degree so funding is difficult.

At the moment I am in a full time job but I'm considering applying to do a course. Does anyone know if the Open University Engineering course is considered in the same way as say a mechanical engineering course at another university? Also I'm aiming for the mechanical side of things rather than electrical or aeronautical etc. Just basically asking if it is worth spending 3-4 years working and studying this course or biting the bullet and having no money but going to university full time to do a mechanical engineering course. Also I have only got 2 weeks to apply on ucas for university (Queens or University of Ulster).

Cheers, I'm a bit stuck because what I was going to do fell through in the summer (ATC) and it was all I really worked towards for a few years after basically not bothering with my first degree (2:2 geography). I know I've made mistakes but I want to work hard to rectify them. (Also if it's important I have a fiancee so moving about is hard).

Amp34 · 2 Jan 2012 at 00:25

Well find out if it is accredited, if it is then it's good to go essentially.

iraiguana · 2 Jan 2012 at 00:44

I suspect you may find it more difficult with the more theoretical studies you can achieve whilst with the OU. I would talk to them about how they build your experience in a practical sense that other universities provide.

Amp34 · 2 Jan 2012 at 00:54

Actually how old are you? Do you even need to go through UCAS? If you have already done one degree then you may be able to avoid UCAS entirely and just go straight to the university departments you are interested in joining...

GreatAuk · 2 Jan 2012 at 00:57

I wouldn't be able to speak for employers, but it looks like the degrees are properly accredited so you'd be able to get incorporated and chartered status, as you would with a degree from an ordinary university. Not having tried an OU course I don't know what it would be like studying on one, but I imagine if you have the motivation to do it all on your own that would reflect well on you.
http://engineering.open.ac.uk/accreditation

I don't know how helpful they'd be, but you could try contacting a few companies asking what they would think about employing someone with an OU degree?

iamdjdz · 2 Jan 2012 at 01:18

As far as I can tell from the OU website and research around the internet the courses are accredited but you have to take the correct pathway.

At the moment I can't afford to drop everything and go to a proper university at £3,500 a year (NI fees) or £9000 a year in England (plus living) and so the OU one seems more reasonable on that front.

As already pointed out I am wondering how you build up practical skills whilst studying part time (a joke because it's more hours than I did at regular uni) at home and not in a lab based environment.

Does anyone have any experience of the OU engineering or employing someone with one of their degrees?

I'm 24 as well.

drunkenmaster · 2 Jan 2012 at 08:04

I'm doing an OU degree, its decent enough, on par with the degree I started at Brunel but couldn't finish due to health problems, well actually well above the quality of the brunel degree but frankly the course there was utter rubbish.

Either way, I wouldn't be put off by OU, its well regarded by employer's as generally someone who does an OU degree is seen as very capable, motivated, able to learn themselves, be disciplined, work hard, etc, etc.

I'm not sure if it counts coming from NI or not but if you sign up to any part of the course before 2012-2013 year starts then you can continue to do the entire degree at current pricing.

IE a module now is what, around £400-500 for a module, and if you start that before sept/oct you can then do all the other modules you need at the same pricing, while after that time the pricing goes up to the "new" pricing, and every module you do will be on the new pricing.

So if you can find something you need for your course now, sign up quickly and start any part of it in the jan/feb(quite a lot of modules start then, but not all) then you can start off and continue at the lower pricing.

Basically it will be FAR cheaper for you long term if you can jump on just about any module right now. You don't have to be doing loads of modules either, take one 30 or 60 credit module and go on and sign up for more at the next chance.