Study with the University of London in Malta

The University of London established its External Programme in 1958 so that students from around the world who could not attend a full-time course at the university could still study for one of its degrees.

Today, about 106,000 students go to London to study at the University of London and an additional 30,000 are registered for the external programme in 190 countries across the world, making the University of London one of the largest and widely recognised in the UK.

A unique aspect of University of London's External Programme is that there is only one University of London degree and it is awarded both to internal and external students. The work involved in attaining the degree under the External Programme is assessed to exactly the same standard as that of an internal student.

The same assignment papers, the same examination papers and the same syllabus must be passed by any student, be they internal or external. No concession in quality or academic rigour is made for the more difficult study circumstances of external students.

This system is very distinct from any other distance learning programme, especially those developed by non-University entities such as professional bodies or even private companies, and then a 'sponsoring University is found to stamp the programme'. Such qualifications may not survive the ravages of time.

With the University of London external programme:

¤ You will receive study materials written specifically by University staff with external students in mind;

¤ Your period of registration is flexible. A minimum of two years and a maximum of five for a diploma, and a minimum three years and a maximum eight for a BSc.

Graduates of the External Pro-gramme can often obtain exemptions from related professional examinations. There are no quotas for entry. If you meet the university's entrance requirements, you may register as an external student. There is no attendance requirement in London.

Examinations may be taken at centres all over the world. In any one year, over 17,000 candidates are examined in more than 150 countries, including Malta.

Entry requirements

The University of London offers two levels of acceptance, directly to the degree, or alternatively, for students not in possession of adequate A-level qualifications, a diploma level as a foundation for the degree. In this latter route, a student is allowed to study for the first year degree subjects, with additional subjects to compensate for the lack of A-level qualifications.

To be accepted for a degrees, a prospective student must be at least 17 years old before September 1 in the year a student first registers with the university and satisfy the general entrance and course requirements for the degree.

These are Matriculation Certifi-cate (from 1997); or two A-level examinations (all Matsec subjects except for Maltese are recognised), and three further subjects at O-Level (at not less than grade 4 in SEC) preferably including Mathematics and English; or satisfy the general entrance and course requirements for the diploma, which are a pass in a minimum of four subjects at O-Level (at not less than grade 4 in SEC) including Mathematics and English.

When the student is awarded the diploma he or she may ask for the registration to be transferred directly to Level 2 of the degree.

The University has a Special Admissions Panel that may consider an application from a student not having all the listed qualifications.

St Martin's Institute of IT

Institutions around the world that wish to teach one of the diplomas or degrees have to apply for a Permission to Teach status of the University of London. To be given 'permission to teach', institutions have to submit a detailed written application, and satisfy the Lead College that they meet certain minimum standards.

The course director from the Lead College ascertains that the minimum requirements are met or exceeded via regular visits to the teaching institution, meeting management, lecturing staff and students.

St Martin's Institute of IT has been a teaching institution of the University of London in Malta since 2000.

The student population has now reached just under 100 and St Martin's has managed to sustain a 100 per cent pass rate in the diploma and degree examinations.

Prospective students may now register for diplomas or degrees with the University of London, following a course of study at St Martin's Institute of IT, full-time or part-time. Diplomas and degrees on offer are: Diploma Computing & Information Systems; B.Sc. (Hons) Computing & Information Systems; B.Sc. (Hons) Information Systems and Management; B.Sc. (Hons) Business; B.Sc. (Hons) Manage-ment; and BA English.

The academic year for St Martin's Institute of IT starts on September 1 for the part-time classes, and October 6 for the full-time. Part-time classes are held Monday to Friday between 6 and 8 p.m. and Saturday between 8.30 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. Full-time classes are held Monday to Thursday between 8.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. and Saturday between 8.30 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. Examinations are held each May.

Each year, the University of London receives over 10,000 applications. Nearly 80 per cent arrive for processing just before the deadline date of September 17.

Applications received at this time inevitably take considerably longer to process than those received earlier in the year. Students are advised to submit their applications as early as possible during the year they intend to embark on their studies, even if still intending to sit for qualifications required for entry. The university will offer a conditional acceptance, which will hasten substantially the process for admission later in the year.

A detailed prospectus is available for each of the qualifications listed. Monthly information meetings are also scheduled for prospective students and one-to-one meetings can be held to assist the prospective student reach the right decision for a future career.

For more information contact St Martin's Institute of IT on tel. 2123-5451 between 8.30 a.m. and 8.30 p.m. (weekdays), or 8.30 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. (Saturday).

Alternatively fax 2123-2630 or e-mail: infodesk@stmartins.edu or visit www.stmartins.edu.