Associate study

There is no such thing as a typical associate student. When you enrol you will find yourself in the company of:

• those seeking to improve their eligibility for entry to a degree course at Oxford Brookes or another institution
• those wanting to update their knowledge and skills for professional, career or personal reasons
• applicants for admission with credit who have studied at university level before and are taking modules to complete the process of transfer to a new course
• people with conditional offers for a place on the first year of a degree course whose condition of entry is to pass one or more modules
• people who already have a degree but are wanting a change of direction and are sampling a new area of study
• graduates who are applying for higher degrees or professional qualifications but who need further study to meet entry requirements
• Oxford Brookes staff wishing to update or add to their skills
• mature students who are feeling their way back into learning, to study a subject they have always wanted to and only now have the time to commit to it (see also the Guide for Mature Students).

Are associate students like other students?

Associate students are treated just like other students. You will be regarded as an equal member of a module group and have the same rights of access to library, computers, Upgrade and staff as students on diploma and degree courses. Upgrade is the university’s advice service for anyone wishing to improve their study skills; it offers frequent sessions, both drop-in and prebooked, on all sites to students throughout the academic year.

If you are returning to study as a mature student, you also have the support of Jim Pye, the Mature Student Adviser. Jim advises on any difficulties, problems and stresses that mature students may encounter. He is part of the Upgrade team and is able to offer support and advice to associate students who are finding academic tasks – such as assignment writing – problematic. He is also a member of the Brookes counselling team, with a particular responsibility for mature students. Associate students can make appointments to see him as a counsellor.

If you want to make an appointment to see Jim, contact him through Student Services telephone +44 (0) 1865 484650 or email jkpye@brookes.ac.uk .

Can my study count towards an award?

As an associate student your results will be held on the same record system as all other students but the credit will not automatically build to an award. However, all modules carry Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) points for credit purposes.

A single basic module has a credit value of 15 CATS points at level 1 and a single advanced module is 15 CATS points at level 3. As long as you have not taken associate modules specifically to meet the university’s entry requirements, the credit can be transferred into an award bearing course if you subsequently apply and are admitted.

Can I continue as an associate over a number of years?

Once you are accepted as an associate and you wish to register for further modules each semester or from one year to the next, you will not have to re-apply.

Could my study as an associate lead to a place on a degree course?

The university can give no guarantee that associate students will be offered a place on a degree course if they subsequently apply. However, success as an associate is taken into account when applications are considered, as are other qualifications (eg A-levels, Access, BTEC, Open University, GNVQ) together with work experience and life experience. Applicants may be made offers for a place on a degree course conditional on success as associate students – for example, ‘pass 3 modules at grade B’.

You should consult the current Undergraduate Prospectus for information about the university’s general entry requirements and the specific course requirements for all diploma and degree courses.

You may also wish to attend an open day to find out more about the courses on offer – check the university’s website for details or contact the Enquiry Centre on +44 (0) 1865 484848, email query@brookes.ac.uk.

Oxford Brookes undergraduate courses are broken down into equal-sized units of study called modules, each of which is self-contained in teaching, learning and assessment. While students on diploma and degree courses must take controlled programmes of modules according to their course, most of the modules are offered as free-standing units to associate students.

How much study time does a module take?

Most of our modules are one-semester (15 weeks) long and carry a single credit. There are two semesters in an academic year. To study a one-semester, single-credit module requires about 150 hours of study over the 15 weeks. Formal teaching takes place over the first 12 weeks, with the last weeks available for examinations, if these are part of the module assessment.

Formal teaching is likely to be between three hours per week in subjects such as humanities and social sciences, and six hours per week in science or technology and some vocational subjects. Typically, three hours’ teaching is timetabled into a morning slot between 9.00-12.00 noon, an early afternoon slot 1.00-4.00 pm or early evening slot 5.00-8.00 pm.

How will I learn?

Modules use a variety of teaching and learning methods and are likely to include:

• lectures, probably a one-hour, formally delivered talk
• seminars, usually a one or two-hour session in which students, either individually or in groups, prepare and present discussion papers for fellow students
• practicals, usually apply to science, technological and vocational subjects
• tutorials, for one or more students to have discussions with the staff member(s) teaching the module.

How are modules assessed?

Modules are assessed by a variety of means such as 100% coursework, 100% unseen examination, or by a combination of coursework and examination. An overall mark of 40% constitutes a pass on any module, provided any specific criteria applying to parts of the assessment have been met. Failed modules may normally be retaken in the following vacation provided you have gained 30% but the maximum mark then awarded can only be 40%.

How many modules can I take as an associate student?

It is usual to take one, two or three modules in any academic year; the maximum permitted is five module credits in a year, and three in any one semester.

Can I choose any modules?

The university reserves the right to limit the modules taken by associate students. For example, it may have to exclude associates altogether from some subjects or modules whose popularity or specialist nature justify rationing or exclusion. You are likely to begin with basic modules – introductions and groundwork that are usually included in diploma and first year degree course requirements. Associate students will only be allowed to take advanced modules if they are thought to be suitably qualified.

How do I choose modules?

You can find information from the university’s website about all the modules offered. Go to www.brookes.ac.uk and from the home page select Students and Staff, then from Online Resources select Undergraduate Modular Programme Handbook. The information includes a brief description of each module’s content, the semester, day and slot it runs and the way it is assessed. Some modules run more than once a year. The timetable remains broadly the same from year to year to help you plan ahead. Occasionally a module may be withdrawn or its slot changed. If you cannot access the web pages, you can simply indicate the subject(s) you wish to study on the application form and we will make an initial selection for you.

• Part time associate fees are £1,125 per module in 2012-2013. Students may study up to five modules per academic year. Full time associate fees are £9,000.
• Part time associate ELQ fees are £425 per module in 2011-2012. Full time associate ELQ* fees are £4410.

The application form is available from the Enquiry Centre – it is short and simple. It asks for the level, duration and results of any previous study, the reason why you wish to study as an associate student and the subjects or particular modules you wish to be considered for. We also need the name and address of a referee who will be prepared to write a confidential report about your suitability for study as an associate student. We would prefer this person to be someone who has taught you recently but if this is not possible a recent employer is perfectly acceptable, as is a person of some standing in the community who knows you well.

References from family members are not acceptable.

Is there a deadline for applications?

The Admissions Office must receive application forms by:

• 21st December 2011 for modules starting in January (semester 2)

•  the end of July for modules starting in September (semester 1)

Are applications ever turned down?

It would not be fair to applicants or to our staff and other students to recruit associate students who would be out of their depth. If it is our view that an applicant is trying too high a level of study for their present capabilities or the application is inappropriate in other ways, we will be unable to offer you a place. At the same time we will do our best to advise about alternative, intermediate levels of study or appropriate foundation and access courses to help the candidate prepare for admission at a later date.

If I have any further questions who can I contact?

If you have questions about qualifications, courses or the application process, contact the Admissions Office, telephone +44 (0) 1865 483040.

Students who do not have EU residential status should contact the Enquiry Centre about associate study, telephone +44 (0) 1865 484848, email query@brookes.ac.uk

Accommodation

Please note that it is not possible to provide university accommodation to part-time associate students normally resident in the EU.