What you will study
There are two ways to start a qualification. You can begin your studies at Stage 1, or, if you haven’t studied for a long time, you can get started by studying an Access module as an additional preparatory stage of your chosen qualification. We know from experience that students who have completed an Access module do better in their subsequent modules, so it could be the vital first step you take to help you succeed in your future studies.
To find out the recommended Access module for this pathway, choose your country in the Fees section below.
Stage 1
We recommend that you start with the 30-credit module Using mathematics (MST121)Using mathematics::This broad, enjoyable introduction to university-level mathematics assumes some prior knowledge, as described on our MathsChoices website. The course shows how mathematics can be applied to answer some key questions from science, technology, and everyday life. You will study a range of fundamental techniques, including calculus, recurrence relations, matrices and vectors and statistics, and use integrated specialist mathematical software to solve problems. The skills of communicating results and defining problems are also developed. This is not a course for beginners – at the MathsChoices website (mathschoices.open.ac.uk) there are quizzes, sample material and advice to help you determine if this course is right for you.undergraduate.qualification.pathways.W12-1,module,MST121,,1. This introduction to university-level mathematics will develop your understanding of recurrence relations, matrices and vectors, calculus, statistics, and using a computer to solve practical problems.
If you’ve studied mathematics as part of a previous qualification, you can take Engineering the future (T174)Engineering the future::This key introductory Level 1 course examines the range of human activity that is ’engineering‘, from design concepts to the manufacture of products. It introduces the context in which engineers operate –including issues such as product safety and patent law – and looks at current engineering practice. It considers some of the developments in engineering methods and applications that will shape the future. The course is ideal if you are considering studying engineering at higher levels and wish to acquire more specialised skills. It is also a good introduction to engineering if you simply have an interest in what it is and how it is practised in modern society.undergraduate.qualification.pathways.W12-1,module,T174,,1 (30 credits) instead. It offers an introduction to the extraordinary breadth of contemporary engineering and its practice, by looking back at the history of engineering and forward to developments that are likely to shape the future.
Next, you’ll take the first steps to gaining professional engineering status by developing your personal development plan in the 30-credit module Engineering at work (T198)Engineering at work::Engineers develop practical and professional skills at work in ways that aren’t always formally recognised. If you are currently in engineering-related employment then this course allows you to gain academic credit for learning at work by completing work-based activities, designed to help improve your work performance and plan your professional development. You will need someone in your workplace, typically your line manager, to authenticate, though not assess, some of your coursework.undergraduate.qualification.pathways.W12-1,module,T198,,1. You’ll examine your motives and ambitions; investigate the skills and knowledge you will need to achieve professional engineering status; and focus on the sector in which you work – by looking at aspects of how your organisation functions.
Stage 2
Stage 2 begins with Engineering: mechanics, materials, design (T207)Engineering: mechanics, materials, design::Engineering is about extending society’s horizons by solving technical problems – from meeting basic needs for food and shelter to generating wealth by trade. Engineers prefer to see difficulties as challenges or opportunities – they appear to be solving problems, but they’re actually creating solutions: an altogether more imaginative activity. In exploring how technical solutions are created, this course combines the mechanics of solids and fluids with the structure and properties of materials. It includes aspects of engineering analysis, design, and modelling methods, using appropriate mathematical software. Analytical, communication, and learning skills are developed in a context that provides grounding for higher-level, more specialised study.undergraduate.qualification.pathways.W12-1,module,T207,,1 which explores how engineers find solutions for technical problems, studying aspects of the mechanics of solids and fluids and the structure and properties of materials.
Next you’ll have the opportunity to improve your understanding of the origins, nature and consequences of change with the module Change, strategy and projects at work (T227)Change, strategy and projects at work::We live in a changing world. Being able to anticipate, make sense of, and manage change is vital to our wellbeing in both our personal and working lives. This is true whether or not you perceive yourself as a manager in the usual sense, because we all need to manage our lives to ensure we benefit from change rather than be disadvantaged by it. This course will improve your understanding of the origins, nature and consequences of change, and help you to plan a change project associated with your workplace. This will develop your project working skills – skills highly valued by employers.undergraduate.qualification.pathways.W12-1,module,T227,,1.
To complete your foundation degree, you’ll need to transfer 90 credits from your completed TWI Diploma. You can do this at any time before or during your studies, bearing in mind the twelve-year time limit for obtaining the total credits required.
Modules quoted in qualification descriptions are those that are currently available for study. As the
structure of our qualifications is reviewed on a regular basis, the University is unable to guarantee that
the same selection of modules will continue to be available in future years.
If your country isn’t listed here, visit our international prospectus.
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