Argyle Community Trust and Plymouth Marjon University celebrate milestone with new five-year Academic Partnership

Released: 20.02.24

Plymouth Marjon University is proud to announce a full five-year academic partnership with Argyle Community Trust – the perfect way to celebrate ten years of a unique partnership with the prestigious football club.

2023 marked a major milestone, with Argyle and the University having worked collaboratively on high-quality and inclusive higher education in football since 2013. The first-class facilities at Marjon combined with subject experts and experienced Argyle staff in a student-centred environment, create unrivalled opportunities in sport for learners.

Marjon was named in the top four universities in the UK for Career Prospects at the What Uni Student Choice Awards 2023, with many Marjon students having gone on to have successful careers at Plymouth Argyle and Argyle Community Trust.

Marjon was also named as one of the top two universities in England for Student Satisfaction, and in 2023 was ranked top three in England for Social Inclusion in the Good University Guide 2024, aligning with the Trusts’ important visions and values.

Argyle Community Trust’s Higher Education Coordinator, Tim Dudding, expressed his delight at the new partnership:

"We are thrilled to announce the new five-year partnership between Argyle Community Trust and Plymouth Marjon University. We very much look forward to building on the previous ten years of successful collaboration.

“The partnership will allow current and future students to benefit from academic delivery from industry professionals, a high-quality British University and Colleges Sport (BUCS) football provision, and countless voluntary and paid work placement opportunities.

“Over the next five years we seek to capitalise on the exciting developments at the Club and for Marjon to provide a flagship student experience for all those associated with our programmes.”

The Partnership at Plymouth Marjon has been led by Senior Lecturer and Programme Area Leader, Dr Phil Brown:

"We are delighted to celebrate the tenth anniversary of our partnership with Argyle Community Trust. There have been so many benefits to both organisations, not least the brilliant collaboration in supporting student learning and employment of Marjon graduates. 

“We have signed this five-year Academic Partnership Agreement to enable us to collaborate on student learning, industry placements, and co-created student-led projects supporting the local community.

“An integral part of the new partnership has been the appointment of a Higher Education Coordinator. Through this dedicated role, we can deepen our joint work and professionalise the student football playing programme at Marjon. This will see male and female footballers benefit from high-quality coaching from professional coaches, and have sports science, strength and conditioning, sports therapy, and performance analysis support from students studying programmes across Marjon’s School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation.”

Professor Claire Taylor, Vice-Chancellor at Plymouth Marjon University said:

“This partnership is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Dr Phil Brown and the team, and both organisations, in providing high quality and inclusive degree programmes in football; it really evidences the University’s vision of being a beacon of opportunity within the city and wider South West region. I am confident that this partnership will provide a unique student experience for all those associated with our programmes, and I look forward to seeing the exciting developments that will come out of this collaborative work over the next five years.”

The Trust continues to support students on the BA (Hons) Football Coaching and Development and BA (Hons) Sport Development and Coaching programmes, which align with the University’s mission and projects.

The new partnership allows those interested in the football playing programme to choose to study any degree at Plymouth Marjon University, which dramatically increases the opportunities for students who may pursue varied career paths alongside their competitive football experiences.

The partnership has already seen students on the BSc (Hons) Football Science programme collaborating with both the Trust and Plymouth Argyle on performance aspects of football.

Find more about courses at Marjon here.