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Earn UCAS Points or US College Credit

Academic credit

Make Your Stay Count Toward Your Studies

The reef surveys, community projects and education work you do with us can count toward a recognised qualification. Through our partnership with the Centre for Global Citizenship Studies (CGCS) in London, you can add an accredited online course to your stay, with your time at MCP as its hands-on part.

It's optional, and your programme here is the same either way. The credit comes from the coursework you complete before, during and after your stay, not from the stay on its own.

In partnership withCGCS, Centre for Global Citizenship Studies

Your options

Two Ways to Earn Credit

Pick the course that matches where you'll use the credit. Both are taught and assessed online by CGCS, and both use your work at MCP as their practical part.

Best fit

UK qualification

Level 3 Diploma, Marine Conservation

The NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Global Citizenship, Service and Leadership, with Marine Conservation as your specialism.

Credit
16 UCAS points
Level
Regulated by Ofqual at Level 3, the same level as A-Levels
Outside the UK
Recommended as 9 US semester credits or 20-21 ECTS, if your university accepts it
Before you arrive
Some online study, so ideally sign up two months ahead
Coursework
Around 26 hours in total
Time to finish
Up to three years
Grading
Pass or fail
Price
USD 750

Course details on the CGCS website

Best fit

US college credit

Marine Conservation and Ocean Stewardship

A standalone online course with Hartwick College, New York, as the school of record.

Credit
3 US semester credits
Transcript
Official Hartwick College transcript, included in the price
Before you arrive
Nothing required. Start any time, ideally before or during your stay
Hands-on part
At least 60 hours, which your work at MCP covers
Time to finish
Up to 12 months
Grading
A to F, with 50% needed to pass
Price
USD 675

Course details on the CGCS website

The diploma's US and European figures are recommended equivalents. Acceptance of transfer credit is always at the discretion of the receiving institution, so check with your university before enrolling if credit is important to you. You can look up the diploma, qualification number 610/7111/0, on the Ofqual register. Hartwick College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Step by step

How the Diploma Fits Around Your Stay

  1. Sign up

    Let us know when you apply, or email us if you've already booked. You pay the course fee to MCP along with your programme fees, then we pass your name, date of birth and email address to CGCS. They set you up on their online learning platform, and we'll confirm once you're in.

  2. Before you arrive

    Work through the preparation modules online at your own pace: cultural awareness, the ethics of volunteering abroad, and goals for your placement. Starting about two months ahead gives you plenty of time.

    Volunteer studying on a laptop in MCP's open-air bamboo classroom

  3. At MCP

    Your stay is the placement. Reef surveys, Marine Protected Area work, community projects, education and research all count, so it doesn't matter which projects you end up on. Alongside them, you work through the marine conservation module.

    Two MCP volunteers recording reef survey data on underwater slates

  4. After you leave

    Write up your reflection and final assessment from home. Everything is submitted online to CGCS, so nothing is assessed at camp, and there are no exams.

  5. Your certificate

    Once your work is approved, NOCN issues your digital certificate. Allow at least two months from the day you finish, especially if you need it for a university application.

Taking the US short course instead? There's nothing to do before you arrive. Start whenever suits you, ideally before or during your stay, and finish within 12 months. Your Hartwick College transcript is included.

Volunteers in MCP's open-air classroom during an evening presentation
Evening talks at camp cover much of the same ground as the course.

The coursework

What You'll Study

The diploma has four parts, and the marine module is where it connects most directly with your work here.

  1. Preparing for your placementCultural awareness, ethical volunteering, the social and political landscape of your host community, and clear goals for your stay.
  2. Marine conservation and ocean stewardshipCoral reef ecosystems and biodiversity, Marine Protected Areas and policy, community-based conservation, plastic pollution, overfishing and global supply chains.
  3. Your placementHands-on conservation work, which your MCP stay comfortably covers.
  4. Reflection and evaluationA final reflective report, an interview-based case study, and a critical look at your placement and its impact.

Here, the theory has somewhere to land. We monitor reefs along the coast of southern Negros, work with local governments on their Marine Protected Areas and hold a permanent seat on the management board of the Apo Island Protected Area. When the course asks why some protected areas work and others don't, you'll have seen it for yourself.

Assessment is all coursework: reflective essays, a themed essay on a marine conservation issue, a reflective journal and a final report. If a piece doesn't pass the first time, you can resubmit it up to three times at no extra cost.

The practical bits

Who Can Join and What It Costs

Who can join

Anyone who volunteers or interns with MCP. You need to be at least 18 to join us, or 17 in exceptional cases. There are no academic requirements, every nationality is welcome, and you don't need to be enrolled at a school or university.

The coursework is in English. If it isn't your first language, a level of around IELTS 4.5 is enough to manage it comfortably.

Already been with us, or here right now? You can still sign up.

What it costs

UK diploma
USD 750
US short course
USD 675

Both prices cover everything: enrolment, course materials, assessment, resubmissions and your digital certificate or transcript. The only optional extra is a printed certificate for the short course, at GBP 25.

You pay MCP together with your programme fees, and refunds and cancellations follow the same terms as your MCP booking.

Questions

Good to Know

Do I have to take a course to volunteer with MCP?

No. It's an optional add-on, and your programme here is the same either way.

How much work is it during my stay?

Not much. Most of the reading and writing happens before you arrive and after you leave. Plan for some study time on evenings or days off, much like volunteers working through their next PADI course.

Does it matter which projects I work on?

No. Reef surveys, Marine Protected Area work, community projects, education and research all feed into the diploma. The only rule is one specialism per diploma, and for MCP participants that's marine conservation.

I've already been with MCP, or I'm there now. Can I still sign up?

Yes. Current and past participants can enrol too. Just email us and we'll set it up.

How do the UCAS points work?

Add the diploma to the education section of your UCAS application as a Level 3 Diploma awarded by NOCN. Once you've passed, its 16 points count toward your tariff total, the same as an AS-Level at grade B. NOCN issues the certificate at least two months after you finish, so if you need it for an application, start early.

Will my university accept the credit?

Acceptance of transfer credit is always at the discretion of the receiving institution. Students should check with their university before enrolling if credit is important to them.

If you study in the US, the short course is the simplest route, since its 3 credits come on an official Hartwick College transcript.

Can I get a US transcript for the diploma?

It's possible through an optional add-on, but it's rarely needed. For US students, the short course is usually the better choice. Email us if you need the diploma on a US transcript and we'll explain how it works.

What if I don't pass the first time?

You can resubmit your work up to three times, at no extra cost, any time within your completion window.

Can I study something other than marine conservation?

CGCS also runs short courses in wildlife conservation, global health and other subjects. Ask us and we'll find out what's possible.

Does anyone at MCP need to sign off my hours?

No. Nobody here needs to confirm your hours or activities. Your coursework is assessed by CGCS.

Who are CGCS?

The Centre for Global Citizenship Studies is a London-based education provider that turns volunteering into formal qualifications. Its diplomas are awarded by NOCN and regulated by Ofqual, and its US courses carry credit through Hartwick College in New York. CGCS handles your teaching, assessment and certificates, and we handle your stay.

Your next step

Want to Add Credit to Your Stay?

Mention it when you apply, or email us if you've already booked or been with us, and we'll get you enrolled.

Apply to volunteer Email team@mcp.email

Coming as an intern? Take a look at our internships.

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