In-service degree scheme??

[harrier007]

Hi All,
I'm 20 years old and I am currently awaiting a date for my flying aptitude tests having applyed to the Royal Navy recently.
I didn't go to uni and have been working since finishing my a-levels. The AFCO have recommended the in-service degree scheme, as apparently it will be useful later on in a service career.
I have been researching it and it does sound good, although degree + flying training.. heavy heavy workload i'm sure
Is there any of you guys that have gained a degree this way?

Cheers

[XV1979]

Harrier,

I was in the same boat when I joined. I was only 20, did the same as you and applied to bothed RAF and RN. The thought of spending a lot of time at sea and only probably getting helos, I went for the RAF. I'm currently doing my in-service degree, which they won't let you do until you've finished your flying training, and CR on a Sqn. However, you do need to apply for the scheme at the earliest oppotunity. If all else fail, the OU is very good.


Good Luck.

XV

[Bismark]

Harrier,

I think you may find that the RN are just about to have all of their flying training accredited for a Foundation degree - complete flying training and get a degree! Clearly to move to a Bachelors degree you weill have to do a bit more work but that can come later. This system is different to Flying Start.

Fly Navy

[harrier007]

Thanks for your help guys

[Pontius Navigator]

The OU is a good route but not that easy to fit in to a flying job.

As you say the in-service degree does not start until you are CR. You would be well advised to delay the OU until after that point too.

At the moment you become CR a certain pressure comes off and you start to get your life back. You will have spent 3 years minimum meeting training targets, exams, assessments etc. Once CR with the monkey off your back the last thing on your mind will be finding another monkey.

Say a year latter the bug bites. Depending on your job you have to look to a 'free' 6-month period - Feb to Oct (yeah maths I know) when you will be able to do the course work and then the exam. Some courses require internet access; internet access is also helpful for mutual support. You find the window and you do a 60 pt course.

You now have to find 5 more windows for 5 more courses (there are options for staff course credits). Thing is you will then hit staff courses, ISS etc, and your next posting. This makes it difficulty to do course 2. You might be lucky getting one module every 2 years until you get married. Then it stretches even further. One of my sgts is 'crashing' his course doing 120 pts each year but he is satisfied with a 2.2. He wants to be a teacher. I have taken 10 years with one course per year but this will hopefully culminate in 2 2.1s. It took many years before I had the time (capacity) to do a degree and a job and raise 2 kids one of whom is at OASC now.

[charliegolf]

Bismark

RN will have to go some. The most you can get for any Forces flying experience with OU at present is 30 or 40 point against an honours target of 360.

The METS Long Course bags 30.

CG

As an example

[teeteringhead]

Credits for all service courses allowed against an OU degree are here (http://www3.open.ac.uk/credit-transfer/professional/index.shtm) under "Armed Services"...and as Pontius (and Louie Armstrong) puts it "You've got all the time in the world..." and of course ISS and Staff Courses count as well.....

...by my calculations you can get nearly halfway there doing courses you'd probably do anyway, IOT and flying training gets up to 120 points at level 1 (max allowable), while JOCC and ISS net 30 points at level 2.

[charliegolf]

Fair point Teeters, didn't think of adding 'em all up. And if you're an ATO, you're already off....with a bang?

CG

[Roghead]

Great to learn about the credits one can earn to "offset" a degree course. All new to me, but I did leave last century. Question.... are these credits etc still valid to old retired sods like me?... If so, please call me professor :rolleyes:

[ak2863]

I have just finished the GR4 OCU cse and on successful completion of my final OU cse in October i will have a Degree in Maths from the OU. I have used all my flying cses to gain the credits i needed for Level 1. The remaining credits for level 2 and 3 i have gained from studying the relevant OU cses through flying training. I have found that you have plenty of time to do these cses during flying training, however, i would advice you to be careful when selecting the cse you want to study in order to minimise the time spent required to complete it. Also i would recommend only doing 30 points a year, to enable you to give both cses the attention they require. A 60 point cse or combination of two 30 point cses can be done, but this requires a lot of hard work.

Good Luck

[teeteringhead]

Roghead

..the courses are still valid for credits after you leave but only after certain course start dates - see my link on previous post.

Being an old git myself I enquired, and my course dates were before the cut-off. Apparently OU have to "validate" the course by checking the syllabus, and I couldn't produce my Wapiti OCU notes!;)

[Pontius Navigator]

ak2863, congratulations. I concur about 30 point courses. Raises the ante to as much a 8 years but much better than compromising both your degree and your opqual.

If you have a fixed programme for 8 months and fast and easy access to the web can I recommend U316. Easy 60 pointer - social science - environment - with well over 50% getting grade 2 marks. Good for a general 2.1 arts or science.