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UCP Marjon

UCAS Code: P63

Location: Plymouth, south-west England Show on Map

Site: Single site outside city

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University college, awarding its own degrees

Student Population

Total Students:	4,055
Undergraduates:	54%
Postgraduates:	46%
FE Students:	0%

Undergraduates

Total undergraduates:	2,170
Male:	33%
Female:	67%
Full Time:	97%
Mature on Entry:	41%
UK Students:	94%
State school entry:	96%

Teaching Staff

110 full-time, 85 part-time

Broad study areas

Sports; education & teacher training; children, youth & community studies; media, linguistics & communication; music & performance arts.

Freshers

Admission Information:	All applications considered on merit. AS-levels accepted in combination with A-levels or equivalent.
Points on Entry (Mean):	226
Drop Out Rate:	10%
Accommodation:	College arranges accommodation for almost all first years.

Institution

Founded:	1923, from St John's Battersea (1840) and St Mark's Chelsea (1841); moved to Plymouth in 1973.
Structural features:	Church of England university college.
Site:	22-hectare campus, 5 miles from Plymouth city centre and overlooking Dartmoor, Plymouth and Plymouth Sound.
How to get there:	Intercity trains to Plymouth from London Paddington, Birmingham and the north; coaches from major cities and airports throughout Britain; M5 and A38 (London 4 hours by road); by air (Plymouth and Exeter airports connect with number of centres); or ferry (France and Spain). Local bus service to university college.

Student services & facilities

Student advice & services:	Student support department, counselling service, disability support, study skills, academic counselling, student volunteering, careers, job shop, Chaplain, Christian Fellowship and study groups.
Amenities:	SU bar and snack bar, shop, minibus, printing service, specialist bookshop, chapel, drama theatre, coffee and snack bars; many amenities in Plymouth.
Sporting facilities:	Sports centre including sports halls, gym, weight-training room, multi-use courts, climbing wall, indoor 25-metre pool; floodlit all-weather sports pitch. Also Dartmoor and the coast for walking, climbing, water sports.
Accommodation:	Accommodation on campus for all first years who apply and meet admissions requirements by the closing date. 460 places available on campus (for first years and international students), 162 in catered halls of residence and 298 in self catering village houses. Rents £80−£105 per week single, or £60 pw sharing (including internet access, insurance, partial cleaning) plus £750 pa for dining-in-scheme (compulsory in halls of residence, optional in village houses). Information provided for those looking for private accommodation; rents locally average £90 pw (house share), up to £150 pw (1-person flat), £110 pw in private halls (41 weeks).

Study opportunities & careers

Library & information services:	150,000+ volumes (incl 18,000 children's books), 500 print journals, 5000 electronic journals. 200 study places. Information provision, £84 pa spent for each student (FTE). Separate IT service, open 24 hours/day. 400 PCs in 2 suites, all with access to the internet and library catalogue (ratio of workstations to students 1:6); wireless network. IT support (4 technicians, 2 administrative); library and computing induction courses for new students.
Other learning resources:	3000 videos and DVDs.
Study abroad:	Teaching practice opportunities in Germany, Cyprus, Gibraltar and Channel Islands; study opportunities in USA.
Careers:	Specialist careers adviser and information room. Careers fairs, career management workshops.

Money

Living expenses budget:	Minimum budget of £6000 pa (excluding tuition fees) recommended by College.
Term-time work:	College allows part-time work for full-time students. Part-time jobs advertised in student services office, local paper and Job Centre.
Financial help:	Scholarships of £3000 in Year 1, open to students resident in England whose family income is up to £25k pa (priority given to eg care leavers, students from partner colleges, mature students, those with a family income of under £17.5k pa); partial fee waivers for eligible students not awarded a scholarship. Also scholarships of £500 pa for students with 360 tariff points on entry. Hardship fund can provide loans and non-returnable grants to students needing financial support. Apply for help to student services.
University tuition fees:	Home students typically pay £7800 pa for first degree courses,international students £8975 pa.

Courses

Academic features:

Modular framework for all BA courses, allowing full- and part-time study. Teaching practice opportunities in London and in Europe, as well as Devon and Cornwall. Some 2-year fast-track degrees offered.

Awarding body:

University College Plymouth St Mark & St John

Main undergraduate awards:

BA, BEd, BSc

Length of courses:

3 years

Main subjects offered:

Childhood Studies
Community Studies
Creative/Performance Writing
Drama
Education
English
Health
Linguistics
Management
Media Studies
Music
Physical Education
Speech Therapy
Sports Sciences
Sports Studies
Teacher Training
Youth & Community Work

Student view

Zak Liddell (English Literature), Deputy President

Living

What's it like as a place to live? Students on campus are always impressed with the strong sense of family that Marjon has. Marjon is a warm and friendly place to live.

How's the student accommodation? The halls of residence have well equipped kitchens and large rooms; most halls of residence are now ensuite, whilst the student village houses come equipped with their own washing machines. All students living in halls are supplied with a dining-in scheme card which is included in rent and gives £750 to spend on site in the shop, cafe etc.

What's the student population like? The student population is quite diverse with lots of people from different backgrounds. We have a large Malaysian population, LGB students, etc. Yet no matter how different students may be, they are all Marjon students and therefore family.

How do students and locals get on? Being outside of the city centre means the only direct contact students have with locals is if students go into town or live nearer town in their 2nd/3rd year. The general view of students is neither extremely positive nor negative. There are places which our students avoid on a Saturday night to prevent any problems with intoxicated locals.

Studying

What's it like as a place to study? Most courses are teaching or sport focused. The sport facilities at Marjon are excellent. However smaller courses such as English literature have plenty of resources online and in the library. Teaching courses are very well respected at Marjon with a long history in teacher training.

What are the teaching staff like? Obviously all staff are individuals and their attitudes towards students vary. However, for the most part, the lecturers are very supportive of students. Every student has a personal tutor who is there to provide help for any student facing problems.

Socialising

What are student societies like? The large majority of societies we have are sport teams. Marjon has a wide variety of sport teams including: rugby, football, lacrosse, cricket, netball, swimming, water polo, hockey etc. Other societies include: dance, snow sports, surfing, Malaysian. Plans are in motion to start and LGBT society as well. If students are not interested in joining a sport team they are more than welcome to support, as most students do.

What's a typical night out? The most popular night out is either a Friday night event at our SU Bar or a trip to Oceana (the local club) on a Wednesday, where we have exclusive deals for Marjon students.

And how much does it cost? Average night out can range from 10−30 quid depending on the deals you go for and where you go.

How can you get home safely? SUB nights are on campus so it's easy enough to get back to halls. For nights out off campus, there are always registered taxi ranks. We advertise certain companies, which are printed on freshers bands so students always know the number.

Money

Is it an expensive place to live? Plymouth isn't overly expensive, with plenty of student discounts available around the city. Depending on how much your student loan is, and how sensible you are with money, depends on how long it lasts. However most students are able to live comfortably and still enjoy themselves.

Average price of a pint? On average £2−£2.50. However if you go to certain bars on the right nights you can get a beer for a pound!

And the price of a takeaway? There are a lot of takeaways in Plymouth, including a 24-hour McDonalds walking distance from Marjon campus. Students can order things such as a full curry meal for as little as £10! Again you just have to know where to go.

What's the part-time work situation? There are some jobs available on campus and a few nearby supermarkets, however most work is found in the city centre. Students undertaking part-time jobs need to be aware of travel to/from work and also must remember not to let work interfere with their studies.

Summary

What's the best feature about the place? Despite being a small institution we exceed expectations whilst maintaining a sense of community.

And the worst? We are not acknowledged enough and often overlooked.

And to sum it all up? Marjon is a small institution with high standards and a big heart where, no matter the problem, help is always given because once you're part of Marjon, you are family, and we look after our own.

Past Students

Joy Carrol (writer of Vicar of Dibley), Paul Potts (singer), Gavin Love (Plymouth Raiders basketball coach), Bernard Cornwell (author, the Sharpe Novels).