About Us

We are the First Private College in the Maldives

Villa College is the first private higher education institution of the Maldives. In 2007, it was founded by Hon. Dr. Qasim Ibrahim, Chairman of the Villa group, through the Private-Public Partnership Agreement with the government. From just 54 students in four classrooms, the College has since then expanded significantly, becoming the first in the country to offer franchise programmes through partnerships. 

Open University of Malaysia (OUM) was the first international partner of Villa College, having contributed to creating the brand of Villa College in the community. In 2015, a new partnership with the University of the West of England (UWE) was established, which has proved to be the most fruitful partnership for the College. Since then, the College has signed to collaborate with numerous universities, the most recent most significant one being the agreement signed with Taylor’s University, which will introduce Culinary Arts as a new field of studies offered by Villa College. In the last few years, the variety of programmes Villa College offers has expanded immensely, offering programmes from high demand areas such as Masters in Counseling, and also offering programmes from niche areas such as Art and Design. Villa College will continue to strive towards meeting not only the needs of the society, but also the interests of the community.

Opened in

2007

Staff

300+

Programs

150+

Alumni

18,500+

Villa College History

Maldives began to face drastic changes at the end of the 21st Century in terms of education, when the number of high school leavers began to increase as the number of scholarship opportunities to study abroad began to decline. During a time when there were limited opportunities for higher education in the public sphere, Villa College established itself on equal footing with public higher education, redefining and leading the country’s private higher education.

Milestones

Villa College began its historic journey on the 28th of January 2007, with the registration of its first institute, Villa Institute of Water Sports followed by the Villa Institute of Information Technology (VIIT) and Villa Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Studies.

Villa College in a Nutshell

Villa College has 3500+ active students studying every semester, spread out over 8 campuses and 13+ learning centers throughout the Maldives. With over 150 programmes in various disciplines recognised both locally and internationally, all approved by the Maldives Qualifications Authority (MQA), the College is looking to develop even further as the leading private higher education institution in the country.

Our Core Values

What we at Villa College believe in above everything else

We are driven by the

Needs

of the society

We affirm

Quality

as our principal priority

We strive to

Empower

people to be Creative and Innovative

We inculcate

Moral & Islamic

values

We maintain

Fairness & Integrity

in all undertakings

We endeavour to develop

Love For

Life-Long Learning

We promote a

Culture of Respect

& Harmony

We are determined to

Develop

a society with Responsible Citizens

Our Vision is to be the leading higher education provider in the Maldives, highly valued locally and recognised internationally.

Our mission is to sustain, develop and disseminate knowledge and understanding by providing internationally recognised higher education at an affordable price, through teaching, research, consultancy and training which develop intellectual capacity and values to the dynamic Maldivian community and economy.

Our Philosophies

We aim to be a leading centre of excellence in sustaining, developing and disseminating knowledge and understanding.
We aim to specialize in a range of disciplines which provide the knowledge and skills, and the competencies, attitudes and values necessary for our graduates to lead productive and successful lives.
We aim to be a prominent partner in the social and economic development of the Maldives.
We aim to sustain and build on our identity as an institution respected and renowned for its quality.
We aim to have a sustainable impact throughout the country by creating affordable opportunities for higher education.

Our Guiding Pillars

Graduate Qualities

The qualities we seek to develop in every student by the time they graduate

Graduate Attribute Academic Dimension Personal Dimension Interactive Dimension
Committed Professional
Academic Dimension
Display appropriate ethical awareness in conduct and performance
Personal Dimension
Manage self effectively and professionally
Interactive Dimension
Demonstrate professional behavior and ethical practices
Competent Technology User
Academic Dimension
Proficient in the knowledge and skills of contemporary technology
Personal Dimension
Ready to learn and use new technology
Interactive Dimension
Adopt contemporary technology to advance work practices and share knowledge
Critical and Reflective Thinker
Academic Dimension
Skillful in critical reflection for problem-solving and creative thinking
Personal Dimension
Adept at critical self-reflection
Interactive Dimension
Contribute through critical reflection on interpersonal and societal issues
Effective Communicator
Academic Dimension
Well-equipped with the knowledge and skills of effective communication
Personal Dimension
Appreciate the complexity and power of language and data
Interactive Dimension
Develop and communicate ideas and information effectively
Entrepreneurial and industry driven contributor
Academic Dimension
Develop entrepreneurial mind-sets, behaviors and skills
Personal Dimension
Self-disciplined to develop own enterprising and entrepreneurial qualities
Interactive Dimension
Apply entrepreneurial qualities flexibly in different contexts to achieve desired results
Experienced Collaborator
Academic Dimension
Aware of the need for interpersonal understanding for effective teamwork
Personal Dimension
Value and respect others' view and sensitivities
Interactive Dimension
Collaborate constructively and contribute positively
Independent Researcher
Academic Dimension
Capable of undertaking authentic research
Personal Dimension
Self-driven to seek new knowledge
Interactive Dimension
Investigate issues and justify positions with use of evidence and logical argument
Innovation Solution Seeker
Academic Dimension
Equipped with systematic methods and tools to pursuer new solutions
Personal Dimension
intellectually curious and preserverant
Interactive Dimension
Collaborate to seek creative solutions
Knowledge Expert
Academic Dimension
Stay abreast of knowledge within own discipline
Personal Dimension
Self motivate to develop & achieve full personal potential
Interactive Dimension
Contribute discipline-relevant competencies, skill & knowledge
Participate and contribute locally and globally
Academic Dimension
Responsive and aware of social and cultural norms
Personal Dimension
Value diversity across cultures
Interactive Dimension
Consider and act upon the social and global responsibilities of their actions