Key skills for professional engineers
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This course is a compulsory module in the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and is especially for students aiming for corporate membership of an engineering institution. Building on any personal-development planning from previous studies, it establishes a framework based on your prior experience and matched to your professional aspirations and degree programme. The course develops and assesses your reflective and key skills and prepares you for your continuing professional development. If you’re aiming for corporate membership of an engineering institution, leading to Incorporated Engineer or Chartered Engineer status, the context will include your institution’s professional review requirements.
You must satisfactorily complete Personal and career development in engineering (T191) before starting this course.
Fees 2012
See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.
Course facts
An undergraduate course in Engineering and Technology.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | T397 |
| Credits | 15 |
| OU Level | 3 |
| SCQF level | 10 |
| FHEQ level | 6 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| 2 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) |
| End-of-module assessment |
| No residential school |
Register for the course
This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees and financial support may vary by country.
What you will study
This course is a compulsory module in the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and is designed to be taken towards the end of your studies. Building on Personal and career development in engineering (T191), it maintains the emphasis on career development.
The course is resource-based. Some of the resources are provided, as printed or electronic texts. Others are for you to supply, either from your own knowledge and experience or as a result of your own searching. Access is provided to a dedicated website with links to relevant sources of information. You are provided with online discussion forums to communicate with your tutor and with other students on the course.
By the end of the course you should
- understand and be able to apply the Key Skills assessment process
- have provided an assessment of the evidence you’d need to show your competence in the Level 4 Key Skills of Communication, Working with others Improving own learning and performance, Problem solving and IT literacy
- have debated issues relevant to the status of professional engineers in the UK, such as public recognition, the question of licensing, sustainable development, the role of the engineering institutions and the effectiveness of their codes and rules of conduct
- have provided an assessment of the evidence you’d need to show your competence in Key Skills at Level 5
- have demonstrated your ability to comprehend a complex document by extracting relevant information from the appropriate edition UK-SPEC, in particular the Engineering CouncilUK's and the engineering institutions’ requirements for professional review, and continuing professional development
- have described and critically evaluated the evidence you’d need to produce if you were preparing your own professional review report for an engineering institution, including draft plans for your own continuing professional development, and demonstrating continuity in your portfolio since T191.
Entry
This is a Level 3 course. Level 3 courses build on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from studies at Levels 1 and 2. They are intended only for students who have recent experience of higher education in a related subject, preferably with the OU.
You must have successfully completed Personal and career development in engineering (T191) before studying this course.
This course is for undergraduate engineers who are interested in exploring their own approach to learning, assessing plans for their professional development and extending their capabilities as lifelong learners.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
You will need to spend considerable amounts of time using a personal computer and the internet for online forums and email. Alternative formats of the student materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publication Meeting Your Needs.
You can also find information about accessible study materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Study materials
What's included
Course Guide, other printed materials including UK-SPEC, CD-ROMs, website.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave. Some of your course software will be provided on disk.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new Windows computer since 2005 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual. Please note that you cannot use an Apple Mac or Linux computer unless it is running Windows using Boot Camp or similar dual-boot system.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will be supported by a tutor who is familiar both with The Open University and its courses and with the engineering institutions and their requirements for membership. There will be tutorials in person, but online discussion forums and email will be a central part of the tuition.
Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.
The end-of-module assessment (EMA) must be submitted on paper.
Professional recognition
This course is intended to help you gain recognition from a professional engineering body.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in October 2012. We expect it to be available once each year.
Fees 2012
See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.
Course facts
An undergraduate course in Engineering and Technology.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | T397 |
| Credits | 15 |
| OU Level | 3 |
| SCQF level | 10 |
| FHEQ level | 6 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| 2 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) |
| End-of-module assessment |
| No residential school |
Study explained
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.
Student Reviews
T397 was revised and updated for the October 2008 presentation to reflect changes in the professional engineering environment and feedback ...
Read more
Your questions
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Or contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90+44(0) 845 366 60 35
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