Has anyone done the OU psychology degree or graduate conversion?

[WitchBoxToX]

Desperately want to do this next term (I still wanna be an Ed Psych when I grow up ) but I haven't met anyone who's actually done the course. How long (graduate conversion, which has recently changed apparently) and how difficult?

anyone?

I have done lots of open university courses and I wouldn't say they were "difficult" its more fitting the work in and making fixed deadlines for assessments.

The full Psychology degree is 360 points and courses are usually 30 or 60 points. How fast you complete a degree depends on how much workload you want to take on. The courses also have levels so a level 1 would be equivalent to a first year at university and would be quite straight forward. A level 2 would be a second year and a level 3 would be a third year - so a 60 point level 3 would be quite hard work. For a named degree there will be compulsory courses and ones that you can make a choose.

The OU aren't offering the graduate conversion course to new students any more

www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/qualification/d15.htm

Not sure what will be offered in its place.

I'm doing a Psychology Masters at the moment (I have a very old Psychology degree from a brick university) and its full of potential/working Psychologists trying to improve their employment prospects.

i have done a couple of the psychology courses. Do you already have a degree? if so then i think you can credit transfer 120 points so effectively cutting 1/2 years off how long it takes to get the psyche degree.

Some of the courses are very biological, so if you dont like that aspect it could be a long hard slog.

how hard you will find it will depend on what you are comparing it to- other ou courses? other psychology degrees? school?

Compared to 'brick' psychology degrees the assignments are shorter and require less reading but the pass marks for each grade are higher eg 85+ for an 'A'.

It is well siuted to fitting in with work or you can double up and do it full time.

Another issue is that different courses on the degree hace different start times during the year so you either have an overlap (a lot of work) or a big gap between courses.

I'm a teacher, hence why I need the Psychology qual to move on (towards Ed Psych). I had heard rumour about the grad conversion stopping - apparently it's replaced by a few level 2 modules and a bunch of level threes. I'd be doing it on top of part time teaching, which isn't quite as massive a workload as you might think. My dc are all in infant/ lower junior so are in bed and asleep well before 8pm, leaving me a good chunk of time to do reading and assignments instead of mn. I got good grades at degree and postgrad level - but that was when I was young / had a brain / was child-free

btw, fantastic info, thanks both

I've done some OU (busy having babies at the mo so taking a break), but wanted to say that you have nothing to lose by starting it and seeing how you get on. I have done the level 2 biological psycology course, it was hard and everyone on the course said so! Apparently the follow on level 3 one is easier.

There are student reviews on the OU website for most courses, have a read of them and you might be able to judge what pace you can go at a bit better.

Hi, I'm a part time teacher too and also aiming to become an ed. psych. Had planned to start the OU conversion course in the Autumn. Just found out it's no longer available to new students and so am feeling pretty flummoxed. We live in deepest Cornwall and have 3 children, so actually attending a Uni is pretty much out of the question. Came across your post while googling the situation and just wondered if you had any info and how you plan to go about it now? All the best!

That last message was intended for Witch shoes to wear! Have never posted a message before: not sure what I'm doing yet! But of course would love info from anyone!

helloooo, well I ws just like at why this thread just appeared on the board!!

Apparently it's now not a conversion dip any more and we have to do the psych degree instead, but having a degree already means we don't have to do any level one modules. The advice I got (website and by telephone) was to register and enrol on the module 2 courses and take it from there. If you had a decent amount of psychology in your first degree and [here's the catch for me] it was less than 10 years ago, with the psychology content clearly stated, you can APL. Mine was a good bit longer than that so I'm going to do all the required bits. A good thing as it's about 15 yrs since I did a postgrad [ancient crumbly emoticon]

OUwebsite relevant page. Need to do enough to confer eligibility for BPS registration, as previously - just that they've abandoned the GBR as a separate qual.

ps I was having a shoe isshhhooooo when I did this thread - this is my usual name

Hello again Gigglewitch!Have made a few calls today and confusingly was told by the OU Psych. admissions that having a degree already would not mean any reduction in the time spent studying for the full degree rather than the now defunct diploma.I will ring again and check this out. My degree was also more than 10 years ago. I'm feeling a bit dispiritd as I've been looking forward so much to being in the position to do the diploma and the goal posts for becoming an ed.psych keep changing. When I first became enamoured with the idea you needed 5 yrs teaching and a 1 year masters!Now the teaching isnt a prerequisite!Though it cant fail to be useful: always flippin annoying when something impractical is suggested by someone who forgets there are 29 other children! You might be interested to know that Staffordshire are still running the dip. and it is possible to do it online. But it does mean day time commitment a couple of days a week which makes it a lot more complicated than the o.u for me, as I have a 14 month old as well as 2 at primary school. What age do you teach?

more and more confusing by the minute

tell ya what, I wonder if you would like to continue the convo by email... it looks like we're heading to the same place and similar aims, would defo be worth us sharing some more info, if you're up for it. I'm gigglewitch at google mail dot com (remove spaces and insert @ and . in the appropriate places) - away for a few days so don't bash me if I don't return anything quick

giggle can I email you as well -Have been considering my career options as well

Ello corny m'dear!! We may even be going on courses together Why are you having a re-think, are you in a mood for change too? You were helping me on the last career move / job-hunt so I owe you one!

Yeah I likes a change I does!