How to apply

On this page​

• Before you apply
• What do I need to send with my application?
• When should I apply?
• Next steps (download an application form)

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Please email your application to credit-applications@open.ac.uk.  You will need to send a completed credit transfer application form along with an electronic scanned copy of your official academic transcript.  For credit transfer assessments towards named degrees, please also send your syllabus information/learning outcomes.  We will contact you by email if we need further supporting evidence.  We may ask you to provide original documents at a later stage in the process.

Please be aware we may not be able to deal with credit transfer enquiries or assessments as quickly as usual.
 

Before you apply...

• Please ensure your previous study is eligible for an assessment of credit transfer.  If you're unsure, please email us before you make your application. 
• You will need to obtain the necessary documentation as detailed below.  If you do not provide the correct documentation, your application will be unsuccessful.
• We do not pend applications awaiting further/correct evidence so if your application is unsuccessful, if you opt to resubmit, it will be treated as a new application and will be processed in date order of receipt.
• If in doubt, check the eligibilty of your previous study online by using our previous study finder.
• Read our top 5 things you need to know about credit transfer

What do I need to send with my application?

All applications for credit transfer must be emailed to us at credit-applications@open.ac.uk. You will need to send a completed credit transfer application form along with an electronic scanned copy of your official academic transcript.  For credit transfer assessments towards named degrees, please also send your syllabus information/learning outcomes.  We will contact you by email if we need further supporting evidence.

If you previously studied at a UK/ROI university:
An official academic transcript/diploma supplement that lists the modules completed, grades achieved and credits awarded at each academic level/in each year.  It will either be on official letter headed paper or be stamped/signed by the registry department.

If you previously studied at a Scottish college:
Your official detailed Record of Achievement (ROA) from the SQA that lists each Higher National unit completed, the SCQF credit value and the SCQF level (NOT your college learning agreement as this is not an official document).  If your ROA does not show the SCQF credits of each unit, you will need to obtain from the SQA a Credit Value Statement and provide this in additon to your ROA.

If you previously studied at a college in England, NI or Wales and your qualification is awarded by BTEC/EDEXCEL/PEARSON:
Your official Notification of Performance that lists the units completed, grades achieved and credit value of each unit (NOT the Candidate Details from your colleage as this is not an official document).

If your previous study is on the Ofqual RQF (formerly QCF) register and carries QCF credits at FHEQ level 4 or above:
Your certificate, and an official transcript that lists the units completed at each academic level and QCF credits awarded.

If you have completed/part completed a professional qualification in the UK:

• An official transcript that lists the units completed, grade achieved (or pass/fail basis) and confirmation of any exemptions,
• Your certificate, if the qualification was completed.

If you studied at a university overseas:

• Your official academic transcript that lists the unit titles, grades achieved, and credits awarded – it must clearly show the title of the qualification you were studying towards/completed,
• Your certificate, if the qualification was completed,
• If your documents aren’t issued in English, in addition to the above, an official translation made by a certified translator.

If you do not have the necessary documentation, you will need to contact your previous university or professional/awarding body to request they send the documents to you.

Syllabus information/learning outcomes

The syllabus gives a detailed description of each of the modules/units you have completed.  It allows the academic expert to map how closely your previous study matches the learning outcomes of the modules in the qualification/s you are applying for credit transfer towards.  The syllabus information must relate to the study you completed, we cannot accept syllabus information pertaining to different versions of the courses you've completed.  You do not need to provide syllabus information/learning outcomes if you apply for credit transfer towards the BA/BSc Open degree (QD).

Changed your name?

If your documents are in a different name to that provided on the application form, or if you have already registered with us and your name differs to that on your documents, you will need to provide official evidence of your name change.  This will be in the form of your marriage/civil partnership certificate/change of name deed poll, or sworn declaration. 

Any other documentation?

If you are applying for credit transfer towards one of the following, in addition to all of the documentation listed, you will need to provide: 

Social Work England degree (Q32) - if you are applying for exemption from K123, the Social Work Admissions Team will need to obtain an academic reference from the previous institution where you studied.  There is a section at the end of this application form where you can provide the name and email address of a suitable academic referee – such as your previous tutor or head of department.  If you do not have these details to hand now, please still make your credit transfer application, but please have them ready asap as the Social Work Admission team will contact you to obtain this information.

Masters degrees: Childhood and Youth (F55), Education (F70) and Open (F81) – if you are a graduate, you will also need to provide your degree certificate,  If you do not have an undergraduate degree, please ring +44 (0)300 303 2477 before you apply for credit transfer, to discuss entry requirements.

When should I apply?

Ensure you apply for credit transfer in good time to plan your studies.  A credit transfer assessment will determine where you start your studies, and what you need to study in order to complete your chosen qualification.

It usually takes around 6 weeks to process a credit transfer application.  However, for applications submitted between May to September, this can take considerably longer.

If you are planning to start your studies in February 2025, the final date for credit transfer applications is 5th December 2024.  Please apply ahead of the final date to ensure you have good time to plan your studies.  Applications received after the final date will not be processed in time for a February 2025 start.   Unfortunately, the credit transfer final date has now passed for study starting in October 2024. The final date was 8th August 2024.

We process applications in strict order of date received, so if you make your application very close to our final date, we'll let you know the outcome very close to the final enrolment date.  This will mean you might not leave yourself with enough time to plan your studies.

Please note - we do not part process and pend applications awaiting further evidence.  If you provide incorrect documentation and/or submit an incomplete application, we will confirm to you what additional information is required and will close your application at that point.  If you then resubmit your application with the correct documentation, this will be treated as receipt of a new application for assessment and will be processed in order of the date of receipt.

A note about the February intakes: there are a number of modules that have February presentations but these are predominantly level 1/first year modules, so if you expect your previous study to exempt you from the first year of a degree (for example) you may not find any suitable modules that start in February.  Please also note that some of our qualifications do not have any modules with February presentations.

Next steps

When we receive your application, we will email to let you know we have received it.

Download an application form

A credit transfer application is for external/non-OU study only.  If you have completed study with the Open University and wish to discuss linking Open University modules between Open University qualifications, please speak to your Student Support Team - their details can be found on your StudentHome page.