The International Schools Review Forum

Being an American, I'm clueless about education in the UK. Is MMU (Manchester Metropolitan University) accredited and is it at least an okay university? I'm looking at an MA in English Language Teaching from them, but don't know if their degree would count in the international arena.

Any help, especially from those awesome British teachers, would very much appreciated. Any thoughts about the program would also he helpful.

Thanks in advance!

Yes they are accredited, and your degree would be recognized. Its a big school, pretty new, and would be "average", comparable to a non "flagship" state system university in the USA. Its not Cambridge or Oxford, but isnt a crummy polytech either. No one will be impressed, but they wont laugh behind your back either. Its a Masters degree, thats about it.

Unlike what Psyguy said it did used to be a polytech college. However it's been a university since the 90's.

It's not a bad university by any means. You can have a look here for more details on their ranking in the UK and worldwide. http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.c ... tropolitan

No it wasn't a polytechnic it absorbed a poly and another college. Back in the 90's. Never the less that was 20 years ago, it's NOT NOW a polytechnic.

[quote="PsyGuy"]No it wasn't a polytechnic it absorbed a poly and another college. ][/quote]

I agree it's no longer a poly. However there is still a snobbery amongst some people and businesses about whether it used to be a poly or not.

Information from the website I mentioned: History

Manchester Metropolitan became a polytechnic in 1970 and a university in 1992.
Initially developed from the Manchester Mechanics' Institution (1824) and Manchester School of Design (1838). L. S. Lowry attended.

So it was definitely a polytech.

Thanks for the info. So what is so bad about a polytech? In America it would be a good thing - RPI, WPI, etc are all great schools.

It looks like MMU is at least okay - right?

Nothing is wrong with it, it is just snobbery. It's a good school.

Of course, it's not Oxford or Cambridge. Mind you, neither are 99% of the other unis in the UK, so who cares. I don't know what your arena looks like, but mine is second tier and an MA from MMU would be very nice indeed.

Your right they were a poly, then absorbed a couple more polys in the 80s and 90s.

Polys were like community colleges in the USA, they couldn't award their own degres, though they offered the coursework all the way up to doctorates. Internationally, they now tend to represent private for profit schools that focus on more technical and vocational education?