St Martin’s Institute of IT is a licensed tertiary education teaching institution for the University of London, offering students of all nationalities the possibility to read for a portfolio of University of London degree in commerce and computer science from its campus located in Hamrun, 10 minutes outside the capital city of Malta, Valletta.
The institute was set up in 1985, with the aim of offering Maltese students the possibility of studying computer science at ordinary and advanced level. Students achieved such high results, that the school rapidly became the top school in an era where computer science education was not available in mainstream full-time education. St Martin’s also identified the need to offer high quality tuition in commerce, and introduced courses in accounting, economics and marketing, apart from the ever popular computer science.
In the meantime, the institute did not rest on its laurels. Knowing full well that once computer science was integrated into full-time education, and as younger generations grew up comfortable with the new technologies, St Martin’s Institute of IT had to look ahead and carve its own space in the Maltese and international market.
In 1995, 10 years after its foundation, St Martin’s applied to the University of London to participate in the international teaching institution network. After detailed due diligence, and five years of very hard work in development, St Martin’s was allowed to accept its first University of London BSc (Hons) Computing & Information Systems students in 2000, becoming a teaching institution in 2001.
The past seven years have seen dramatic developments, both in St Martin’s Institute and in the education scene in Malta. St Martin’s has enjoyed seven years of unsurpassed results. Students, led by a committed faculty of lecturers, achieved close to 100 per cent passes every year in their annual examinations, with exceptionally high marks that has resulted in three consecutive graduations where half of St Martin’s students achieved a first class honours degree, and 70 per cent of the 2006 graduates achieving the coveted first class honours. Such results are unsurpassed in University of London history, noting that the examination process is fully controlled by the university, with examinations prepared and marked by university examiners, and invigilated by the Ministry of Education.
Until 2004, St Martin’s was offering diploma and degree courses to mature students reading for the qualifications as evening students. Once the Maltese decided to join the European Union, St Martin’s made its move to join the University of Malta and to also offer its portfolio of qualifications to full time students. The portfolio today includes;
• Diploma Computing & Information Systems
• Diploma Creative Computing
• Diploma Social Sciences
• BSc (Hons) Computing & Information Systems
• BSc (Hons) Creative Computing
• BSc (Hons) Information Systems & Management
• Diploma Economics
• BSc (Hons) Accounting & Finance
• BSc (Hons) Business
• BSc (Hons) Economics
• BSc (Hons) Economics & Management
• BSc (Hons) Management
• BSc (Hons) Mathematics & Economics
The qualifications offered at St Martin’s are led by two Institutions of the University of London. The computer science degrees are led by Goldsmiths College, while the degrees in commerce and finance are led by none other than the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE). These two colleges are renowned for their research capabilities, with the LSE voted as the number three most prestigious after Oxford and Cambridge. Through St Martin’s, students are able to read for the same degrees, sitting for the same examinations, without the accommodation and living expenses of central London.
The private sector has always had an important role to play in educating the Maltese, with church and private schools offering education from kindergarten to sixth forms. But it was only St Martin’s Institute of IT that challenged the status quo in tertiary education and this has not gone unnoticed by the policy-makers. Instead of opposition, there seems to be consensus that even at tertiary level, Malta needs plurality. Such a transition has been reinforced with the recently launched scheme, the Government Scholarship for Undergraduate Studies Scheme, which offers up to 150 deserving students the possibility of earning the same stipends and maintenance grants as those paid to students who opt to read for their degrees at the University of Malta.
This is in addition to the financial incentives offered through the myPotential scheme, students reading for the computer science degrees will also receive a rebate of up to 75 per cent of all their expenses upon successful graduation. The myPotential scheme also applies to students reading for the degrees as evening students. This scheme is currently open for Maltese students until 4 September 2007.
St Martin’s has a superb track record, and this has come about through a culture of dedication and the will to achieve. St Martin’s, keeping its feet firmly on the ground, is looking forward to playing an integral role in Malta’s future. Through its very close relationship with the University of London, it is working towards offering Maltese graduates the opportunity to read degrees at postgraduate level. This process has already started, with a foundation established between St Martin’s Institute of IT, Goldsmiths College, Queen Mary and Royal Holloway to establish postgraduate programmes on location, plus cooperate in research and development initiatives. This strategy will lead St Martin’s in the next decade, transforming the institute from a teaching institution into a university in its own right, based upon research.
The institute is located in Blata l-Bajda, Hamrun, and consists of two buildings, a state-of-the-art tuition centre that hosts some 250 students simultaneously, and a building currently being refurbished as a learning resources centre, including a library, reading rooms, and discussion areas. The area is very central and also offers good parking (especially with the further expansion of the park and ride car park on National Road).
Prospective students are invited to call 2123-5451 or email [email protected] for further information about the programmes and their commencement dates.