Institution The University College Plymouth St Mark & St John - Plymouth

With over 150 Years of heritage, tradition and experience, Marjon has travelled a long road in becoming a University College.

Marjon is a Church of England Voluntary College. Its constituent Colleges, St John's (1840) and St Mark's (1841) were founded to meet an urgent educational need for trained teachers at a time when government made no direct contribution to higher education.

The original College of St Mark was founded on the belief of Derwent Coleridge, it’s first Principal, that the primary purpose of the College must be to widen the educational horizons of its students. James Kay-Shuttleworth established St John's to provide teacher training t o meet the social and economic needs of industrialisation based on the concept of education as self realisation. Both Colleges stressed the importance of interchange between academic study and broader experience; and the role of an enlightened teaching profession in furthering social and economic development. Both Colleges were among the first to open access to degree level study outside the universities. The two Colleges merged in 1923, establishing a single institution in Chelsea which developed a wider reputation for academic excellence and commitment to teaching. The College moved to Plymouth in 1973, and its educational activities have continued to evolve in response to local, regional, national and international needs.  In 1991 the College became affiliated to the University of Exeter, which accredited it to run undergraduate and postgraduate programmes leading to degree awards of the University.

In 2007 Marjon received Taught Degree Awarding Powers which provided it University College Status and the ability to accredit its own degrees.  With this new status, the College was once again retitled as it is now known, University College Plymouth St Mark & St Joh