This module allows you to explore an engineering problem in depth, working as part of a small team. Your team will choose its problem from several options, each with a particular engineering focus but all involving a broad range of engineering knowledge and skills, from design through structural and control engineering to sustainability. A central aspect will be the contribution of your engineering practice within the team and the need to apply skills such as analytical design and engineering analysis.
You will attend two compulsory residential weekends that run over three days, from Friday to Sunday. At the first one, which takes place at the very start of the module, you will learn about functioning effectively as a team and get to know each other by confronting a variety of practical and intellectual challenges. You will join fellow students to form a team of four or five. Your team will select their project from those on offer and refine it by developing an appropriate aim and SMART objectives.
After the first weekend and working at a distance from the other team members, you will individually and jointly pursue agreed lines of enquiry on your engineering project. Your progress through the project is recorded in your team wiki, in online records of team meetings and in team and individual reports, submitted as tutor-marked assignments.
All the teams will report back at the second weekend, some 20 weeks later. This will allow you to discuss with other students and staff members before developing a plan for your final project report, your end-of-module assessment (EMA). This is submitted several weeks later.
This is not a content-focused module. Instead, you and your team will be responsible for gathering together the information you need to pursue your project. You will be given a project brief with background material about group working and project management. You will have access to a full range of information resources through the internet and online or conventional libraries. You will keep in touch with your tutor and work collaboratively with your fellow team members through frequent online meetings and your team wiki.
This module is the culmination of work towards your Master of Engineering (M04) or Postgraduate Diploma in Engineering (E22) – and completes the academic base under UK-SPEC for professional recognition as a Chartered Engineer.
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
Course work includes:
Two of the assignments will be joint submissions from your team, and two will be personal accounts of your achievements and contributions to the team's work. The end-of-module assessment also consists of a group and individual project reports, together with an assessed presentation and technical summary document from the second weekend.
This module has two residential weekends.
The module starts with the first ‘team forming' weekend; attendance is compulsory. If you don’t attend, you’ll be unable to continue with the module (you would need to withdraw and register on the next start).
A crucial part of the module assessment takes place at the second weekend – your team’s presentation of its progress so far. So, it’s important for you and your team that you attend. You’ll not automatically fail the module if, for good reason, you cannot be there in person. In any case, you must contribute your share of effort to your team’s presentation over the weekend.
The residential weekend dates for the September 2026 start are as follows:
The residential weekend dates for the January 2027 start are as follows:
You’ll have access to a module website, which includes:
You can only study this module as part of specific Open University qualifications.
T885 is a compulsory module in our:
Team engineering (T885) starts twice a year – in September and January.
It will next start in January 2027 and September 2027.
We expect it to start for the last time in September 2030.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
You must be studying towards one of the qualifications listed below and have completed the required modules.
You may register on T885 while still studying the last required 30-credit module. However, we’ll cancel your registration if you have not passed it before T885 starts.
Once you’ve reserved a place, we’ll check that you meet these entry requirements and contact you if we need to discuss anything. If you don’t meet these entry requirements, we must cancel your reservation/registration.
Written transcripts of audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our disability support pages.
| Start | End | Register by | England fee |
|---|
| 11 Sep 2026 | 30 Jun 2027 | 13 Aug 2026 | Not yet available* |
| 22 Jan 2027 | 31 Oct 2027 | 03 Dec 2026 | Not yet available* |
| *This start date is open for pre-booking, which means you can reserve your place ahead of the fees being confirmed. We’ll publish updated 2026/27 fees and funding information on the 25th of March. |
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
This module has two residential weekends. There’s no additional cost for the weekends, but you’ll need to pay for your travel.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in England.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate tuition fee loans in Northern Ireland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Scotland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Wales.
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You pay the OU through OUSBA in one of the following ways:
Joint loan applications
If you feel you would be unable to obtain an OUSBA loan on your own due to credit history or affordability issues, OUSBA offers the option to apply for a joint loan application with a third party. For example, your husband, wife, partner, parent, sibling or friend. In such cases, OUSBA will be required to carry out additional affordability checks separately and/or collectively for both joint applicants who will be jointly and severally liable for loan repayments.
As additional affordability checks are required when processing joint loan applications, unfortunately, an instant decision cannot be given. On average, the processing time for a joint loan application is five working days from receipt of the required documentation.
Read more about Open University Student Budget Accounts (OUSBA).
Studying with The Open University can boost your employability. OU courses are recognised and respected by employers for their excellence and the commitment they take to complete. They also value the skills that students learn and can apply in the workplace.
Over 30,000 employers have used the OU to develop staff so far. If the module you’ve chosen is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could approach your employer to see if they will sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees.
You can pay part or all of your tuition fees upfront with a debit or credit card when you register for each module.
We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.
We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may wish to pay part of your tuition fee with a debit card and pay the remainder in instalments through an Open University Student Budget Account (OUSBA).
We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may get support from your employer to pay part of your tuition fee and pay the remainder by credit or debit card.
For more information about combining payment options, contact an adviser.
Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2026. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
