Arden University Profile

One of the UK’s largest universities by student numbers, Arden focuses on delivering online undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. The university is dedicated to producing graduates with the skills and knowledge that organisations seek. Arden believes that everyone, everywhere, has the right to access quality higher education.

Degrees from this university are internationally recognised, with many courses holding external professional body accreditation. The institution’s ethos of quality education and career-focused degrees has proven popular with students. Recently, it has been recognised for the quality of its online learning* and student satisfaction**.

Online Learning

Arden describes itself as a university in the cloud. The university’s online learning platform provides a rich and engaging learning experience, hosting online tutorials and lectures. Students access digital course materials, participate in forums, and submit assignments online.

As students progress through their courses, they engage with tutors and fellow learners in live seminars and one-on-one sessions via Zoom. Dedicated student support services are also available online.

Arden University Ranking

Traditional university rankings are not designed to accurately measure online institutions. They focus on on-campus, face-to-face teaching for students who are fresh from college, and many ranking factors don’t apply to online, mature learners. As such, institutions like Arden, The Open University, and Birkbeck often do not feature in these league tables.

However, the university holds degree-awarding power and official status, meaning its qualifications are recognised in the UK, Europe, and globally. Additionally, many of its programmes hold external accreditation from chartered professional bodies.

Student Satisfaction and Online Learning

*The university received 5 stars for online learning from the QS World University Rankings in 2024. ** It is ranked in the top 16 out of 149 UK universities and higher education providers for student satisfaction, according to The Times Higher Education’s analysis of the 2024 National Student Survey.

Business & Management
Computing & IT
Criminal Investigation
Criminology
Data Analytics
Engineering
Finance
Graphic Design
Health & Social Care
HRM (Human Resources Management)
Law
Marketing
Project Management and Supply Chain & Logistics
Psychology
Tourism

Learning Platform

iLearn is the name of the digital learning platform developed by Arden to be an online university campus. In addition to digital learning environments, the platform includes a community section called Unitu, which hosts student groups. Throughout a student’s studies, there is a diverse calendar of online events, including coffee mornings, workshops, and guest lectures.

Student Support

The University understands that returning to study as a mature student balancing work and life commitments can be intense. When studying with Arden, you have access to tutors and a dedicated student support team for one-on-one support. They also runs regular workshops covering study skills, such as academic writing and critical thinking.