Collaborative schemes
What can I study?
You can study the following subjects in our collaborative schemes:
Astronomy
Earth Sciences
Anthropology
Archaeology and Local History
Welsh History
Planning
Scottish History
Geology
These courses form part of the Certificate in Introductory Astronomy awarded as part of a collaborative partnership between the OU and the University of Manchester. This Certificate is awarded for 60 points of study from a list of OU and Manchester courses. You must take at least 20 points from each University. You will need to let both the OU and the University of Manchester know that you wish to claim the Certificate. For further information on the Certificate please see www.e-astronomy.org.
Although many UK universities may teach these subjects, you will qualify for collaborative credit only if you successfully pass courses which are approved as part of our collaborative schemes.
Please note that this website shows all the OU's approved collaborative courses - it may not differentiate between courses which are running and courses which are no longer offered. If you have already studied any of them, you might be eligible for collaborative credit towards your chosen OU qualification. If you want to study a collaborative course, please contact the relevant Higher Education institution to check whether the particular course will be offered when you wish to study it.
What courses are offered where?
The list below (and the footprints on the right) gives a list of the courses they offer within the collaborative scheme, showing their OU course codes, CATS points and levels. All the collaborative courses below can count towards BA/BSc Open degree and towards the free choice element of named degrees. Some can also count towards particular named degrees as indicated in the tables below.
AURIL (The Association for University Research and Industry Links)
| OU course code | Course title | CATS points | Level | Can count towards |
| CAUM829 | AURIL Knowledge Transfer Work Based Project | 30 | M | C62 |
Joint Distance Planning Consortium (JDLC)
University of the West of England, Leeds Metropolitan University, University of Dundee, The Open University
| OU course code | Course title | CATS points | Level |
| CJC301 | Planning 1 | 60 | 3 |
University of Dundee
| OU course code | Course title | CATS points | Level | Can count towards |
| CDDR300 | Modern Scottish history | 60 | 3 | B01, B03 |
| CDDR310 | Medieval Scotland (last presentation : 2006) | 30 | 3 | B01, B03 |
| CDDR320 | Medieval and Early Modern Scotland 1100-1707 (starting in February 2007) | 60 | 3 | B01, B03 |
University of Durham
| OU course code | Course title | CATS points | Level |
| CDU320 | Minerals and under the microscope | 20 | 3 |
| CDU323 | Environmental geochemistry | 20 | 3 |
| CDU330 | Paleobiology and environmental geochemistry | 60 | 3 |
University of Manchester
The Level 1 courses below form part of the Certificate in Introductory Astronomy (please see www.e-astronomy.org for further details about this qualification).
The Level 2 and 3 courses below are no longer offered by the University of Manchester but, if you have already studied them, you can count them as collaborative credit.
| OU course code | Course title | CATS points | Level | Can count towards |
| CMAS100 | Life in the universe and SETI | 20 | 1 | C91 |
| CMAS101 | Introduction to radio astronomy | 10 | 1 | C91 |
| CMAS102 | Exploring the radio universe | 20 | 1 | C91 |
| CMAD201 | Minerals and rocks under the microscope | 10 | 2 | |
| CMAD202 | The ecology of fossils | 10 | 2 | |
| CMAD203 | Fieldwork | 10 | 2 | |
| CMAD204 | Carbonate sedimentology | 10 | 2 | |
| CMAD205 | Regional studies in geology 1 | 10 | 2 | |
| CMAD206 | Regional studies in geology 2 | 10 | 2 | |
| | | | | |
| CMAD301 | Volcanoes and volcanic materials | 10 | 3 | |
| CMAD302 | Tectonics and geodynamics | 10 | 3 | |
| CMAD303 | Making and interpreting field measurements | 10 | 3 | |
| CMAD304 | Metamorphic petrology | 10 | 3 | |
| CMAD305 | Sedimentology in the field | 10 | 3 | |
| | | | | |
Oxford University Department for Continuing Education
Diploma in English Local History
is worth 120 points at Level 2 and comprises two modules (each worth 60 points)
| OU course code | Course title | CATS points | Level | Can count towards |
| COXR205 | English local history to c.1550 | 60 | 2 | B01, B03 |
| COXR206 | English local history from c.1550 | 60 | 2 | B01, B03 |
Advanced Diploma in Local History via the Internet
is worth 60 points at Level 3
| OU course code | Course title | CATS points | Level | Can count towards |
| COXR305 | Local history via the internet | 60 | 3 | B01, B03 |
Advanced Diploma in Archaeological Practice
is worth 120 points at Level 3 and comprises two modules from a list (each worth 60 points)
| OU course code | Course title | CATS points | Level | Can count towards |
| COXR301 | Diploma in applied archaeology | 60 | 3 | B03 |
| COXR302 | Resources for landscaping archaeology | 60 | 3 | B03 |
| COXR303 | Studying material culture - Module 2 | 60 | 3 | B03 |
| COXR304 | Environmental and scientific archaeology | 60 | 3 | B03 |
Diploma in British Archaeology
(2 years part-time) is worth 120 points at Level 2 and comprises two modules from a choice of six (each worth 60 points)
| OU course code | Course title | CATS points | Level | Can count towards |
| COXR201 | Prehistoric archaeology | 60 | 2 | B03 |
| COXR202 | Romano-British archaeology | 60 | 2 | B03 |
| COXR203 | Early Mediaeval archaeology | 60 | 2 | B03 |
| COXR204 | Mediaeval archaeology | 60 | 2 | B03 |
| COXR207 | Anglo-Saxon archaeology | 60 | 2 | B03 |
| COXR208 | Neolithic and Bronze-Age Britain | 60 | 2 | B03 |
| COXR209 | Palaeolithic Mesolithic archaeology | 60 | 2 | B03 |
| COXR210 | Later prehistory | 60 | 2 | B03 |
University of Wales (Bangor)
| OU course code | Course title | CATS points | Level |
| CNWR301 | 14th-century Wales | 60 | 3 |
| CNWR304 | Wales 1660-1789 | 60 | 3 |
| CNWR305 | Early Mediaeval Wales | 60 | 3 |
| CNWR306 | Cymru 1050-1400 | 60 | 3 |
| CNWR307 | Hanesyddiaeth Cymru | 60 | 3 |
| CNWR322 | Church, chapel and hustings in Wales | 30 | 3 |
| CNWR326 | Crisis and conquest 1267-1283 | 30 | 3 |
| CNWR327 | The making of the gentry 1282-1450 | 30 | 3 |
| CNWR328 | Wales, England and Europe during the Renaissance | 30 | 3 |
| CNWR329 | Society, homes, fashions, Renaissance Wales | 30 | 3 |
| CNWR330 | Religion and the spirit of reform in Wales | 30 | 3 |
| CNWR331 | Religion and politics in Wales 1870-1920 | 30 | 3 |
| CNWR332 | Wales and minority nationalism in Europe | 30 | 3 |
| CNWR333 | Argyfwng A Choncwest | 30 | 3 |
| CNWR334 | Cymru, Lloegr Ac Ewrop Adeg Y Dadeni | 30 | 3 |
| CNWR335 | Crefydd A'r Ysbryd Diwygiol 1790-1868 | 30 | 3 |
| CNWR336 | Cymru A Chenedlaetholdeb Lleiafrifol | 30 | 3 |
| CNWR337 | The making of the gentry | 20 | 3 |
| CNWR338 | Society and economy in 14th-century Wales | 40 | 3 |
| CNWR341 | Gentry, society and economy in Wales | 60 | 3 |
Cardiff University
These courses are no longer running but, if you have already studied them, you can count them as collaborative credit.
| OU course code | Course title | CATS points | Level |
| CCFR301 | The dilemma of South Wales 1909-1939 | 60 | 3 |
| CCFR302 | Wales and the Tudor state 1534-1603 | 60 | 3 |
| CCFR320 | Settlement and society | 30 | 3 |
| CCFR321 | The dilemma of South Wales 1909-1939 | 30 | 3 |
| CCFR322 | Wales 1775-1972 | 30 | 3 |
| CCFR323 | Wales 1200-1714 | 30 | 3 |
| CCFR324 | Religion and politics | 30 | 3 |
| CCFR325 | Development of Welsh society 1735-1832 | 30 | 3 |
| CCFR326 | Culture and society in Wales 1880-1980 | 30 | 3 |
| CCFR327 | The age of Owain Glydwr | 30 | 3 |
| CCFR328 | Wales and the Tudor state 1534-1603 | 30 | 3 |
| CCFR329 | Welsh politics and society 1832 - 1885 | 30 | 3 |
| CCFR330 | Religious life and thought in Wales | 30 | 3 |
| CCFR331 | Government and society in Stuart Wales | 30 | 3 |
| CCFR341 | Urban South Wales and the Great War | 60 | 3 |
