About the University
An independent institution in St. Petersburg, Florida, teaching online to students who cannot put the rest of their lives aside in order to study.
Education Shaped Around the Student
Saint Mary's was established to address a specific and well-documented failure in higher education. The most effective form of teaching is individual instruction, and individual instruction has never been affordable at scale. Institutions have therefore taught in the manner that can be resourced: fixed terms, fixed pace, one lecture for many students, and a single form of examination at the end.
That arrangement works for students whose circumstances fit it. It fails reliably for everyone else. Approximately one undergraduate in three leaves higher education without completing, and the reason is more often the shape of the course than the ability of the student.
The University teaches entirely online, through a platform that assesses each student individually and adjusts what is taught, in what depth and at what pace. Every lesson is produced in three formats. Academic support is available at any hour. Students choose the methods by which they are assessed. None of these are concessions; they are the ordinary conditions of study here.
How Saint Mary's Differs
Individual Instruction as Standard
Every enrolled student is taught through a platform that responds to them individually, with academic support available at any hour rather than during posted office hours.
Three Formats for Every Lesson
Each lesson is produced to be read, watched or listened to. All three cover identical material and carry identical credit, and students move between them freely.
Assessment by Choice
Eight assessment methods, from continuous comprehension credit to dissertation, all marked against the same criteria. Students select what demonstrates their understanding honestly.
No Fixed Terms
Students enroll when they are ready and progress at a pace of their own setting. Nothing expires at the end of a week, and no penalty attaches to an interrupted month.
Designed for Access
Multiple formats, adjustable pacing and flexible assessment are provided to every student from the day of enrollment, rather than granted on request as adjustments.
An International Body
Instruction is in English and delivered online. Students study from any country, with no requirement to travel, relocate or obtain a visa.
Our Christian Foundation
The University was founded as a Christian institution and its programs are taught within that tradition. That inheritance shapes how the University regards its students: as individuals owed patience, honesty and the benefit of the doubt.
Students of all faiths, and of none, are welcome. No statement of faith is required for admission, for progression or for graduation, and no part of any assessment turns on a student's religious convictions. Applicants who wish to read the University's own position may do so on the Mission and Values page.
More About the University
Mission and Values
What the University sets out to do, and the principles it holds itself to.
Leadership and Faculty
The people who design the curriculum, set the standards and supervise the teaching.
The Digital Campus
Where teaching, assessment and support actually take place.
Accreditation and Status
The University's institutional standing, stated plainly.