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Military aviation degree taking wing at the OU

Friday, 17 August 2007

The Open University and the Royal Navy are working together to underpin a new Navy academy with an OU-validated foundation degree programme in Military Aviation Studies.  The Milton Keynes university has approved the new Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Military Aviation Academy (RNFAAMAA) to deliver the degree, which was featured at the opening ceremony of the Academy last month at 702 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset. Dr Kate Clarke, director of Open University Validation Services (OUVS) and a guest at the opening, said: “This partnership is a good example of what can be achieved by constructive engagement between an employer and the university. “The Open University takes considerable pride in its partnership with the Royal Navy. “As well as meeting its needs as an employer and students’ needs as naval officers, this Foundation Degree also contributes to a national agenda that is aiming to raise the UK’s game in the development and valuing of higher level skills.” Commander Ivor Milne (Rtd), project manager for the RNFAA, said: “I have no doubt that this Academy will compete success-fully with any university in recruiting high calibre ‘A’ level students. In so doing we will give our graduates the best chance of progression to high rank in an amazingly exciting flying career. And for them it will be free of education-related debt!” Undergraduates will join the academy, whose main campuses are at the Royal Naval Air Stations Culdrose (Cornwall) and Yeovilton (Somerset), after initial officer training at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. After graduating from the academy with their aircrew ‘Wings’ and a Foundation Degree, the graduates will be appointed to front line squadrons. Since its establishment in 1969, the Open University has reached over 2.5 million people. It now has more than 140,000 undergraduate and 19,000 postgraduate students who study at home or in their workplace. Another 19,000 people are studying for Open University validated awards.

 

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