Institutes / Universities
- Overview
- Services
- Rankings
- Accommodation
- Courses
- Scholarships
Overview
MLA College is a UK distance learning provider. Its biggest selling point is that degrees are awarded by an established UK university. The college was founded in 2012 as Marine Learning Alliance Ltd, began at the University of Plymouth, and is now a registered Higher Education Institution in England. It’s registered with the Office for Students, and all its current undergraduate and postgraduate degrees are validated by the University of Plymouth. In 2023, it was acquired by Global Education Holdings (GEDU), a UK higher education group.
MLA College specialises in part-time distance learning, delivered to students worldwide. Course materials can be downloaded and studied at your own pace, online or offline, with no compulsory live lectures. This makes it a strong fit for people balancing work, such as seafarers. It’s less suited to school leavers who want campus life.
The college also has a strong sustainability focus, through its partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) on sustainability programmes. Flexibility with start dates is another plus, as there are three intakes a year, in January, May and September.
Services
Because everything happens online, support is built around tutors and the learning platform rather than campus services. Students learn through the award-winning Total Learning Package (TLP), which holds all teaching and learning materials. A core team of subject-specialist academics supports students, and associate lecturers with industry experience supervise dissertations.
Students also get access to University of Plymouth resources. As students of both institutions, MLA learners receive support and resources from Plymouth and automatically become members of its Students’ Union.
The college doesn’t stop supporting students at graduation. Graduates can join the free MLA College Alumni Society, which offers mentoring, a jobs board, and a 25% discount if they return for further study. For help with costs, MLA awards a limited number of £500 bursaries each year, including places for women entering maritime and STEM careers.
Rankings
As a small specialist college, MLA College doesn’t appear in major global league tables such as QS or THE. Its recognition comes mainly from its industry niche. At the National Maritime SME Awards 2023, it was runner-up for Best Maritime Training and Education Programme. Families comparing quality should focus on the degree-awarding partner: MLA’s UK university degrees are validated by the University of Plymouth.
Accommodation
MLA College doesn’t offer accommodation, because of it's study format being online. Its programmes are designed so students can earn a degree without moving abroad, which keeps costs as low as possible. Students study from home, wherever they are in the world. For parents, this means no rent, deposits or overseas living costs to plan for. However, it also means no halls of residence or in-person student community.
Location
MLA College’s offices are in central Plymouth, a coastal city in Devon, in south-west England. Students don’t need to live there, though. Degrees can be studied from anywhere in the world, whether students are at sea or working on land.
Courses offered at GEDU / MLA College
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