Spurgeon’s College secures full degree awarding powers 

Spurgeon’s College has successfully secured full degree awarding powers from the Office for Students (OfS) following its assessment by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)

Students joining the college on its courses from the next academic year will have their qualifications awarded in the college’s name for the first time. The award is not subject specific, allowing the college to create new degrees in other disciplines.

In securing Degree Awarding Powers, the college has shown itself to be 'an emerging self-critical, cohesive academic community with a clear commitment to the assurance of standards supported by effective (in prospect) quality systems.'

In a statement, Spurgeon's said this marked an 'important step towards the college’s ambition to become the first home-grown University in Croydon.'

The statement added, 'For the theological education sector this is a significant moment, helping to secure the future of theology in the United Kingdom.'

The college has been training Baptist ministers for more than 165 years. It also plays an important role in supporting underrepresented groups within Croydon into Higher Education – with 38 per cent of the student body identifying as Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) – and delivers courses flexibly as weekday, evening or weekend courses.

The Principal of Spurgeon’s College, the Revd Professor Philip McCormack said, 'Securing degree-awarding powers marks a critical step in the college’s journey towards becoming Croydon’s first home-grown university, and we are incredibly proud to have secured approval from the OfS.

'This decision is the result of many years of work at the college to provide high quality teaching and to develop a strong community of students, and are we are looking forward to awarding degrees to our students in the College’s name.' 

Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and MP for Croydon North, Steve Reed MP said, 'Spurgeon’s College has a crucial role to play in supporting opportunity and access to quality higher education in Croydon. The OfS’s decision to award Full Degree Awarding powers is a vital step in the college’s journey and ambition to become Croydon’s first home-grown university, and I want to congratulate them for this fantastic progress.' 

Spurgeon's is currently an approved partner of the University of Manchester, delivering programmes it has developed, which are approved by and lead to an award of the University of Manchester.