Uk62

62

UNIVERSITY GUIDE

SEPTEMBER 10, 2006 . THE SUNDAY TIMES

www.yorksj.ac.uk

University of Worcester Henwick Grove Worcester WR2 6AJ Tel 01905 855 111 [email protected] www.worcester.ac.uk

Sunday Times ranking 99 (107=) Teaching excellence 16.7% Student satisfaction 67.5% Head teacher ranking 64= (50) Peer ranking 77 (76=) Research quality 6.2% A/AS-level points 254 A-levels for entry 76% Unemployment 3.7% Firsts and 2:1s 49.9% Student/staff ratio 23.5:1 Dropout rate 14% (16%)

Sunday Times ranking 103 (100=) Teaching excellence 33.3% Student satisfaction 70.1% Head teacher ranking 122= (78=) Peer ranking 99 (110) Research quality 11.2% A/AS-level points 213 A-levels for entry 80% Unemployment 7.2% Firsts and 2:1s 45.4% Student/staff ratio 20.2:1 Dropout rate 20% (16%) Undergraduates 3,462 (2,633) Postgraduates 442 (1,059) Teaching staff 220 Applications/places 4,678/1,071; 4.4:1 (+11%) Clearing entry 13% Bursaries 100%: £500-£700 Scholarships 50: £1,000 EU/overseas 3.1%/0.7% Mature 27.4% State school 96% Lowest social classes 35% Low-participation areas 15% Live in 17% (96%) £50-£75 It became a university only last year but Worcester has already embarked on a big expansion programme. It has firmly bucked the national decline in applications, with an 8% rise. Thanks to its extensive joint honours and major/minor degrees, it already has hundreds more course options than most longer-established rivals. Several new foundation degrees are added this month, plus certificates and diplomas covering organic professional gardening and theatrical make-up and costume. The parkland campus is in the St John’s district but a second campus is being built on the former Worcestershire Royal Infirmary site. The £90m investment will create a centre for arts, business and humanities. A further £50m is to be spent on a library and history centre, which will be the first joint university/public library in the UK. Degrees are effectively discounted to £2,500 a year through a universal £500 bursary. There is a further £200 for students on state maintenance grants. The 50 strongest first-year performers are rewarded with £1,000 scholarships for their second year. Worcester has one of the UK’s highest proportion of female students, thanks to its health-related and teacher-training courses. Open days September 24; October 25 and 26. Student view Chris Hitchcock, president of the students’ union: USP A fair majority of the undergraduates live on campus. Worst feature We are a sporting university but our facilities are off campus.

Undergraduates 3,632 (1,377) Postgraduates 199 (513) Teaching staff 175 Applications/places 5,447/1,444; 3.8:1 (+1.8%) Clearing entry 13% Bursaries 27%: £1,000-£1,500 Scholarships None

Crossing fields: environment students studying water quality make use of a lab at Hull York medical school Location The area around our campus is populated by students. Social scene Purely based around the students’ union and its events. Rated excellent (3) Education; hospitality, leisure, recreation, sport and tourism (sport); nursing and midwifery.

University of York Heslington York YO10 5DD Tel 01904 433 533 [email protected] www.york.ac.uk Sunday Times ranking 7 (7) Teaching excellence 93.8% Student satisfaction 72% Head teacher ranking 17 (14) Peer ranking 11 (10) Research quality 79.1% A/AS-level points 428 A-levels for entry 79% Unemployment 5.5% Firsts and 2:1s 71% Student/staff ratio 12.7:1 Dropout rate 5% (7%) Undergraduates 7,277 (1,440) Postgraduates 2,524 (1,386) Teaching staff 539 Applications/places 21,441/2,376; 9:1 (-5.2%) Clearing entry 4.8% Bursaries 40%: £600-£1,400 Scholarships <20: £1,000 EU/overseas 4%/11.3% Mature 6.9% State school 77 Lowest social classes 18% Low-participation areas 8% Live in 40% (100%) £61-£96 The outcome of a public inquiry later this year will determine this

university’s future. The proposed Heslington East development would increase its size by 50%, add several departments, such as law, and remove it from the ranks of our smaller universities. Only Cambridge and Loughborough have better records in teaching assessments over the past decade and a similarly impressive research record ranks the university sixth in the UK. English, psychology and computer science gained the highest 5* ratings in the last assessments in 2001. Such academic strength helped to carry York to our university of the year award in 2003, the year the Hull York medical school opened. Competition for places is fierce. York prides itself, however, on achieving a social balance absent from many other high-achieving

TOP TEN IN YORKSHIRE UK ranking Page 1 York

7

(62)

2 Sheffield

20

(52)

3 Leeds

29

(31)

4 Hull

38

(30)

5 Bradford

52

(17)

6 Sheffield Hallam

71

(53)

7 Huddersfield

75= (29)

8 Leeds Metropolitan

82

(34)

9 Leeds Trinity & All Saints

96

(57)

10 York St John

99

(62)

Source: 2006 Sunday Times league table

universities. It expects up to 40% to qualify for a bursary worth £600 to students from families with incomes of £26,501 to £37,425, rising to £1,400 for those with incomes of less than £17,500. Electronics and chemistry scholarships will be offered. New degrees this year and next enhance strengths: bioarcheology, electronic engineering with nanotechnology, and accounting, business finance and management. The university is divided into seven colleges, which also house the academic departments. Sport and student media are strong and there is a good arts and music tradition. Open days October 5. Student view Micky Armstrong, president of the students’ union: USP Aside from concrete buildings our campus is like a park, very green with lots of wildlife. Worst feature The ducks who are keen to attack in the mating season. Location You never have to leave because everything is on campus. Social scene York is a bar and pub city, but if you need to go clubbing Leeds is just half an hour away. Rated excellent (22) Applied social work; archeology; architecture; business and management; computer science; economics; education; electrical and electronic engineering; English; history; maths, statistics and operational research; modern languages (language and linguistic science); molecular biosciences; music; nursing and midwifery; organismal biosciences; philosophy; physics and astronomy; politics; psychology; social policy and administration; sociology.

York St John University Lord Mayor’s Walk York YO31 7EX Tel 01904 716 598 [email protected]

EU/overseas 0.8%/0.4% Mature 15.2% State school 95% Lowest social classes 30% Low-participation areas 17% Live in 25% (85%) £55-£98 Britain’s newest university formally takes the title on October 1. It gained taught degree-awarding powers in February (its degrees had been awarded by the University of Leeds for 80 years to that point) and the university title was approved by the privy council in July. Applications to York St John have stood up well, no doubt due in part to the decision to charge less than the maximum £3,000-a-year tuition fees. By undercutting most universities by £500 a year, York St John has secured a commercial advantage. About a quarter of students from families with an income of less than £20,000 will get an additional bursary of up to £1,500. While the number of mature students is relatively low at one in five, York St John recruits heavily from the lower social classes and from areas with a poor record of progression to higher education. With the prospect of graduation in York Minster, the university has a great location. Teacher training remains to the fore, although there is now a wide range of health courses. Humanities, business, media, sport and performance art complete the picture for the 3,500 undergraduates. Open days October 21 and 25. Student view James Johnston, vice-president of student activities: USP A big-hearted institution where students are embedded in the culture from the start. Worst feature Our sporting facilities could be better. Location We are in the heart of the city, so transport is unnecessary. Social scene Regardless of taste everyone gets together on Wednesday nights. Rated excellent (2) Allied health professions (occupational therapy and physiotherapy); teacher training.