🐋 Marine Conservation Diploma

I am sure the question all of you are asking is: how long do I need to spend on each module? Well, that varies from module to module and from person to person.

All the modules have course notes, videos, recommended readings and tasks. Modules 2, 3 and 5 also have assignments. These assignments are compulsory to submit if you want the diploma accreditation. The modules with assignments will take you a bit longer to complete.

For module 1 we would suggest spending around 6 hours to complete the module. Fully completing each module means going through all the notes and finishing the tasks, watching the videos, doing the suggested readings and then finally completing the multiple choice questions.

Remember, it does not have to be a full 6 continuous hours. The cool thing about the Volunteer World and CGCSs VLE is that you can work on something for 30 minutes, take a break for a few hours or a few days and then when you open the VLE again it will take you directly to where you left off.
Once module 1 is completed, module 2 will open up for you. Module 2 should take you about 8 hours to complete as there is an assignment in Module 2. Module 3 should also take you 8 hours to finalise as there is another assignment in this module.

Module 4 is the module you will complete while you are physically doing your volunteership. We know that you will be very busy meeting new people, experiencing new activities and volunteering in your chosen field, but we ask you to please find around 6 hours during your whole trip to complete module 4.

Module 5 you will do when you return from your exciting trip. This module is primarily reflecting on your trip and contains the most important assignment. You should spend around 8 hours on this module.

Your personal volunteering itinerary, from preparing in your home country to arriving abroad and thereafter, will determine your personal timeline for completing the Diploma. This course is designed as a self-paced learning course, allowing you to log in and complete the modules at your own pace.

For example, you can enroll in the course and complete Modules 1, 2 and 3 within two weeks but only go abroad on your volunteer experience six months later. You would then only be able to complete Modules 4 and 5 after your volunteer adventure. Each unique situation considered, the course should take anywhere from six weeks to one year to complete.

The Centre for Global Citizenship Studies, together with Volunteer World, built this course because we feel people that volunteer should have the opportunity to gain a recognised academic qualification alongside their work, to assist in university applications and opens doors around the world. Credits earned from an accredited organisation such as CGCS travel internationally, and this is a particularly important factor as UK credits are recognised by UK NARIC. NARIC is the National Academic Recognition Information Centre and is responsible for providing official information on international education, training, and skills acquired outside the UK.

Basically, with NOCN accreditation and NARIC recognition, the CGCS Diploma programme is internationally credit bearing and adds to the qualifications obtained by a student. Therefore, alongside a High School certificate, Bachelor or Master’s Degree programme, the CGCS qualification adds credits and recognition.

Ideally you should complete Modules 1, 2 and 3 before your trip, Module 4 while you are on your trip, and Module 5 once you return. If you are unable to complete the first 3 modules before you go, it isn't a problem, you can complete them once you return. But you should try to do as much as you can before you leave. If you do not have time to do Module 4 while you are overseas, you can also complete it once you return home.

The pass mark for this course is 50%.

As with all credit bearing qualifications, the CGCS programmes can be used as recognition to improve university applications by adding credit to a portfolio, as well as improving job applications as an extra item of academic credit to add to a resume.

We often get asked if this UK qualification can traverse the pond, and be relevant in a US University context. Our answer is - of course. Further and Higher education in the UK is a highly regulated industry and very highly thought of internationally. The credits obtained in the UK are assessed by institutions on a case-by-case basis, and on an individual university basis. Submitting your NOCN CGCS diploma certificate, as well as your volunteer experience, will of course be only a welcome addition to your application.

United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, most universities use the Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS). A full workload for one semester is credited with 60 CATS points, also known as Units, per year 120 CATS.

United States
In the United States most programs use the Semester Credit Hours (SCH) system, which is based on the assumption that a full-time study load is 30 US credits per year. A US Credit generally consist of a weekly workload of one hour in class and two hours outside of class for the duration of one semester. This means the total workload for one US Credit is in general between 45 and 50 hours, of which a minimum of 15 contact hours is required.

Europe
Introduced in 1989, the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) is now widely used throughout European countries. In this system, 60 EC or ECTS are the equivalent of a full-time study year, or between 1500 and 1800 hours. This means the workload for one EC or ECTS is between 25 and 30 hours.

Given the data above, you would assume 1 US credit = 2 ECTS = 4 CATS, which is what many universities accept as a rule of thumb. There are also universities that use 3 US credit = 5 ECTS = 10 CATS. In the end every university can determine their own conversion rate.