The Country relies on young minds
…developed to the highest possible levels for social development
The Maltese economy is knowledge based, depending on Tourism, Finance, and ICT as the prime export earners to the Country. Maltese and international students are preparing to join a number of higher education institutions. Just twenty years ago, the only option was to read for an undergraduate degree with the University of Malta. We now have a handful set up in Malta, under NCFHE. But do number of Institutions mean higher quality, or is it just a question of quantity?
Quality or Quantity
Saint Martin’s Institute has decided that it is quality that matters most!
Higher education is the basis of economic development for a nation. Analysing the economic superpowers, it is very apparent that what these countries have in common are a number of top Universities, that investigate new knowledge through research, and teach young (and not so young) minds the standards of the time, in preparation for the future needs of society.
Saint Martin’s Institute of Higher Education is one such higher education institution, that is an established participant in the development of quality human resources.
Top Scoring Students — Globally
We are proud that year after year, our students do extremely well in their examinations, in competition with thousands of other students world-wide.
Saint Martin’s Institute graduate Luca Peric attained the Academic Achievement Award in the BSc (Hons) Creative Computing awarded with First Class and has the highest score globally in the Dissertation, and Nicholas Schembri is to be awarded the Academic Achievement Award in the Certificate of Higher Education in Creative Computing. Both these students have placed first in the world. Two other students, John Sammut placed first world wide in Data Compression, whilst Samuel Grech attained top scorer in Advanced Graphics and Animation.
Why do students choose Saint Martin’s Institute of Higher Education to study for their BSc (Hons) degree?
Saint Martin’s Institute of Higher Education is a Recognised Teaching Institution for the University of London. Students are aware that just by attaining a degree, they are one of the many graduating every year. The University of London is a recognised world authority in research and education and defines global standards. Students choose to read a University of London degree because they know that the syllabi they are to follow are scrutinised by world ranking authorities and ranked highly on a global benchmark.
How do students and their parents equate the high standards of the University of London programmes when the admissions criteria seem somewhat easier to achieve?
Reading for a degree is a different experience from compulsory education. The values inculcated by Saint Martin’s Institute is one of an open door policy. A lot of effort is invested by the Institute’s academics to ensure that the student has the necessary motivation and is ready to make the effort required to achieve the standards as set by the University of London. Students must possess a minimum level of academic skills set at ordinary level with Mathematics and English passes as a must.
How are students and parents guaranteed this claim of high standard of the degrees offered at Saint Martin’s Institute of Higher Education?
There is one important factor that cannot be argued. Saint Martin’s Institute students are examined solely by the University of London examination boards, and their achieved degree classification at the end of their three years of study, depends solely on their performance in their University of London exams. These examinations are held in Malta under the supervision of the Registrar of Examinations of the Ministry of Education. The exam papers are set, corrected and marked by the University of London, and invigilated by an independent authority, thus ensuring a separation between the teaching and the assessment for the award.
How do Saint Martin’s students fare?
We are delighted by the performance of our students. Over a span of two decades, students achieving first class honours in their respective degrees have surpassed our expectations.
Read : Academic performance
Regularly we read and hear criticism by industry leaders that graduates are not prepared for the reality of the corporate world. How does Saint Martin’s Institute counter these accusations?
The Institute admits there will always be a gap between what students are taught in the classroom and the expectations of individual employers. Employers will have their own priorities, whilst the Institute feels responsible to cater for all the students in the cohort. Also it is the duty of a higher education institution to teach and prepare students for the needs of the future. Alas many employers are short sighted and grumble that graduates are too theoretical. Unfortunately, what they don’t realise is that the theories are studies of best practice and if graduates are encouraged to implement some of these applicable theories, a firm may actually have a positive experience through their implementation. Another important strategy is to minimise the gap between the classroom and the workplace by encouraging and facilitating internship opportunities for students with renowned employers in Malta and through Erasmus+ with European companies in the EU 28 member states. This bridge between classroom and workplace started as early as after the first year of study provides for a continuous reality check that what is taught has practical use in well managed firms.
Read : Paid Internships at PwC
Whilst State Institutions offer free tuition, Saint Martin’s Institute charges tuition fees. How do you justify these fees?
It is a known fact that without tuition fees Saint Martin’s Institute cannot offer its service. Unlike the State Institutions, Government and Church schools (including sixth forms), the Institute does not enjoy ANY financial transfer that enables the payment of salaries or the development of infrastructure. One must bear in mind that the State Institutions are not free — they cost millions of tax payers’ money. The faceless taxpayer (not the student) is footing the bill.
Is there any financial assistance to students reading for University of London degrees at Saint Martin’s Institute?
Students wishing to read for a University of London degree at SMI are able to do so with a regular payment of €100 per month for five years, totalling to an investment of €6000 for a world recognised degree. This is possible through a combination of a low interest loan and income tax rebate paid to parents who are in employment through the GetQualified scheme. If a student is not able to have the support of parents or guardians to meet the monthly payment, the Institute may be able to provide the student with a moratorium in payments for the duration of the degree. Students also receive stipends and maintenance grants as this table. In addition to this, students have the opportunity to participate in paid internship during the summer recess and for a couple of hours during the academic year.
Read : Your Taxes for Your Child
What is the main differentiator of Saint Martin’s Institute?
The Institute is focused on student’s needs with a ratio of an academic for every fifteen students. Class groups are also small and new student intake every year is capped at a hundred students to ensure that students get the attention they deserve. Many parents and educationalists try to promote the idea that reading for a University degree is tantamount of being thrown in deep seas in a storm, with survival of the fittest a necessity. This is far from the truth as benchmarked internationally. Students need individual support and continuous feedback by the academics and this is carried out through a system of assessment involving written feedback with a clear indication of what is wrong and how this may be overcome. Cramming bodies in a lecture theatre with an untrained part time lecturer who is simply reading from a PowerPoint presentation does not result in effective learning. The Institute provides a faculty of full time academics supported by academics from the University of London who travel to Malta to carry out workshops with SMI students whenever necessary.
ACT
Call Saint Martin’s Institute on +356 2123 5451 or email on infodesk@stmartins.edu or complete this form for an appointment.
