Taking 150 credits in a single year?

I've heard of people in the past that have been allowed to do more than 120 credits at OU in a year, but that it is a bit awkward and you have to go through a special circumstances process to do it.

I emailed the OU asking if it was possible and they said no and the maximum is 120 credits, but if people have done it in the past, then this contradicts this.

I don't want to spend an extra year for the sake of a 30 credit SCQF level 7 module which is equivalent in level to my Advanced Higher courses I took in school 4 years ago since they won't let me transfer more than 90 credits!

Obviously I wouldn't be able to get it funded by SAAS's part time fee grant and I'd have to pay for that module myself - it would be worth it not to be kept back a further year.

Anyone have any experiences of this?

I went through this process last August for BSc Physics and they pretty much give me the go ahead to do it but I ended up deciding just to take 120 credits for my sanity and to not jeopardise my grades. I went through my local learner support team and the science faculty to apply to do this.

I remember there was a PDF regulations document on their website listing requirements to study more than 120, they also sent me a more detailed version after I said I was going to apply. Off the top of my head some of them went like this

1. You are currently an OU student and have shown the ability to pass more than 1 module at the same time.
2. You are under employment constraints and your employer requires you to complete your study quicker
3. Your current open uni pathway requires you to study 150 otherwise you will run out of time if a module is about to end (this is for older students and degree pathways)
4. One was a bit ambiguous and I wrote several reasons under the condition. I cant remember the exact wording.
5. I also had to write a detailed study plan for the year, felt a bit silly.

150 credits is a lot of work if it includes level 3 modules.

I went through this process last August for BSc Physics...

I think doing less OP and getting better grades (as more time to spend on fewer modules) is better than pushing it to finish faster but with the chance of a poorer degree classification...

I saw the PDF too - it's pretty specific. Did you meet all the conditions? I'm pretty sure I didnt meet them if I remember correctly. My plan would be to buy the books online and teach myself in the 4 months between finishing my exams and starting at the OU so by October I can concentrate on the others and just do the TMAs for it. So I wouldn't be trying to juggle them all at the same time.



I'm only doing level 2 modules and the extra 30 credits would be level 1. I'm wary that a lot of level 1 modules are easier than traditional university level, and since it is level 7 it should be easier than all the university courses I've done in the past 3 years. Again, I'm not going to study them all at the same time, but just do the TMAs and exam on the same period. (Unless I decide to sit it next October so as to not have 3 exams to revise for)

I definitely wouldn't want to do extra level 2 or 3 credits but since it's only level 7 I don't want to spend a whole year unnecessarily for it.

I saw the PDF too - it's pretty specific. Did you meet all the conditions? I'm pretty sure I didnt meet them if I remember correctly. My plan would be to buy the books online and teach myself in the 4 months between finishing my exams and starting at the OU so by October I can concentrate on the others and just do the TMAs for it. So I wouldn't be trying to juggle them all at the same time.



I'm only doing level 2 modules and the extra 30 credits would be level 1. I'm wary that a lot of level 1 modules are easier than traditional university level, and since it is level 7 it should be easier than all the university courses I've done in the past 3 years. Again, I'm not going to study them all at the same time, but just do the TMAs and exam on the same period. (Unless I decide to sit it next October so as to not have 3 exams to revise for)

I definitely wouldn't want to do extra level 2 or 3 credits but since it's only level 7 I don't want to spend a whole year unnecessarily for it.

I just looked back at the letter I drafted, I wrote that I met criterion A, B and C and they were very loosely related to their stipulations. If I'm reading your situation correctly, your transferring 90 credits of level 1 and want to embark on 120 credits at level 2 from October? However I think you may face an uphill struggle with this application for 150 if you are not currently a OU student and have not completed modules with them, I could be wrong. An option would be to take your 90 and still go 120 at level 2 in October then pick up the 30 credit level 1 alongside 120 level 3 the following year.

Edit, What degree are you doing?