Outstanding performance from Marjon courses in student survey

Released: 09.08.17

In National Student Survey results released today, Plymouth Marjon University has again achieved some outstanding course results. Three of the university’s flagship courses achieved 100% student satisfaction, showing Marjon has some of the happiest students in the country. The courses, BA (Hons) Acting, BA (Hons) Outdoor Adventure Education and BA (Hons) Applied Sport Science for Coaching, reflect a range of expertise at Marjon.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Rob Warner said “We are delighted that our students have once again acknowledged how much they enjoy the experience here. We offer students a unique blend, instilling passion for the academic subject alongside practical learning and a balanced approach to personal development. This is helping our students to leave university not only with a degree, but also happy, fulfilled and ready for the world of work.”

The Acting course also achieved 100% satisfaction in 2016, and the mix of intense skills training and vocational industry experience means that students from this course are in high demand. Four students can be seen this August starring in the Barbican Theatre’s acclaimed production of Twelfth Night at the Royal William Yard and one student, Chloe Carrubba, is juggling this with roles in both Poldark and Dr Martin. Chloe, who is just about to enter her third year, credits Marjon for getting her better work by giving her the space and security “not only in my ability to act but also in who I am as a person, which now shines through in my work.”

Graduates from the BA (Hons) Applied Sport Science for Coaching course have trained in the only nationally accredited sport science facilities in the South West. Past graduates include Rocky Clarke, the most capped England rugby player ever. Rocky was awarded an honorary degree by the university last year, and is named in the England squad for the Women’s Rugby World Cup starting this week, while former student Jemma Rose was FA Women’s Young Footballer of the Year in 2011 and is a professional footballer for Arsenal Ladies.

Other programmes beating the sector average include three of Marjon’s most well-known programmes; BEd (Hons) Primary Education, through which thousands of the region’s teachers have been trained, BSc (Hons) Speech and Language Therapy which is the only accredited course of its type in the South West, and the BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy course, where students work alongside, and in support of, professional athletes such as the Plymouth Raiders basketball team who are now based on the Marjon campus.

The strong reputation of teacher training at Marjon, which was the UK’s first teacher training institute, is enhanced by the fast progression of Marjon graduates into leadership roles. Marjon Education graduates were recently revealed as the top earners in the South West and Wales according to data released by the Department for Education, which looks at earnings of graduates one, three and five years after graduation. On average, Marjon Education graduates earned £26,400 five years after graduating. This is well ahead of graduates from the University of Exeter and the University of Gloucestershire who were earning on average £24,600, and ahead of several other universities which see Education graduate earnings closer to £21,000.

The University’s next Open Day is on Saturday 7 October 2017.