Queen Mary College of London has stopped accepting new college students onto their Queen Mary On-line programs, delivered in partnership with CEG digital, with ongoing programs stopping in January 2027.
The UK Russell Group College introduced the adjustments in an e-mail despatched on the finish of Might to college students presently learning the programs on this system. The Queen Mary On-line web site additionally states that recruitment for “our on-line programs has closed”.
4 postgraduate levels have been supplied by Queen Mary On-line, in addition to postgraduate certificates and diplomas.
Whereas most presently learning are anticipated to complete their programs by the stipulated 2027 date with out difficulty, within the e-mail to college students, Queen Mary On-line acknowledged that some college students with considerably altered examine plans could possibly be impacted.
Queen Mary On-line confused that for any college students affected, they might discover all choices to permit college students to efficiently full their applications.
The precise programs have been delivered for Queen Mary by CEG Digital, a part of the Cambridge Schooling Group.The Queen Mary On-line programs are distinct from different on-line programs delivered by Queen Mary instantly, not in partnership with CEG Digital – these run independently will proceed to be delivered.
In style with worldwide college students, the Queen Mary On-line web site boasts the college’s “firmly worldwide” outlook. The programs supplied a chance for international college students to achieve a postgraduate diploma from a UK college with out the prices related to residing in and learning in particular person at a UK college.
Not like different on-line programs on the establishment, the Queen Mary On-line course charges have been fastened on the identical worth for each UK and worldwide college students.
Jun, a world scholar who studied an MA at Queen Mary On-line, loved her time on the course. She had at all times wished to check at a UK college, and Queen Mary On-line supplied the “good” alternative, she stated.
“I really feel puzzled since they gave no purpose for stopping it… UK universities are very well-known for his or her distance studying applications and it’s reasonably odd that QM would cease,” she continued.
Abir Ahmed Chowdhury, who works in worldwide improvement in Bangladesh, additionally famous he had a great expertise at Queen Mary On-line, having studied an MA Worldwide Relations from 2018-2020.
“I feel it’s introduced loads of advantages… I’ve a Masters diploma from a international college that has such a excessive fame,” stated Chowdhury.
He added that financially it was a great choice, explaining that he was capable of pay the monetary prices whereas working – which wouldn’t have been doable if he went to the UK to check in particular person – however referred to as the axing of the QMO programs a “large loss”.
“I feel it’s a giant disgrace… as a result of lots of people for private causes can’t go overseas… for them not having the chance to take action at such an excellent college like Queen Mary, I feel it’s a giant loss”.
Queen Mary On-line originated in 2016 when the college partnered with CEG Digital to ship on-line masters. Rebecca Lingwood, vice-principal of Scholar Expertise, Instructing and Studying at QMUL then said that the “strategic partnership with CEG Digital is vital to supporting our goals to increase our instructional providing”.
On-line training can also be featured as a part of Queen Mary’s Imaginative and prescient 2030, the long-term technique for the college launched in 2019 ; the college proposed that “everybody who has the potential is ready to entry a Queen Mary training with out essentially coming to London.” This was deliberate via “vital funding in postgraduate on-line studying”.
Within the announcement, Queen Mary said it was a “dedication to increasing studying alternatives over the long run”. Nonetheless, Queen Mary On-line has confronted difficulties.
I feel it’s a giant disgrace… as a result of lots of people for private causes can’t go overseas
Abir Ahmed Chowdhury, scholar
When the Queen Mary-CEG partnership was introduced in 2016 the college introduced the primary 4 applications. A 12 months later in September 2017, the primary program was launched, an MA in Worldwide Relations; an LLM Worldwide Dispute Decision began shortly after in Might 2018, adopted by an MSc International Public Well being in September 2018 and at last an MA Worldwide Public Coverage in Might 2019.
For the reason that the launch of the latter, no different programs have been efficiently launched.
Gideon Shimshon, who ran the Queen Mary On-line initiative in his directorate function, left in April 2022 – and the establishment didn’t rent a substitute, with the place ceasing to exist.
When approached for remark, a consultant of Queen Mary advised The PIE Information: “Queen Mary continues to extend its variety of programs and presently delivers over 50 on-line diploma programmes throughout a spread of topic areas, solely 4 of that are delivered in partnership with CEG.
“The top of this explicit partnership, primarily based on mutual settlement, has no bearing on Queen Mary’s persevering with enhance in on-line programmes of examine as a part of our numerous and wide-ranging training portfolio,” the consultant stated.
Brendan Webb, CEO industrial of CEG said within the announcement that it was “supporting Queen Mary because it explores new prospects” for on-line studying provisions.
“We’re… making certain continuity of service for present college students. We want them properly with their subsequent section and we proceed our collaboration with the College in different areas,” he stated.
Queen Mary lately noticed success in its non-online work, successful the Finest Analysis Collaboration in London and Excellent Contribution to Scholar Employability prizes on the inaugural London Greater Awards.
