University of Bath

History

• The University received its Royal Charter in 1966.
• Bath's Pharmacy and Pharmacology department celebrated its centenary in 2007.
• In 1976 the university awarded the first sports scholarship in the UK and in 1995 hosted the European Youth Olympics.
• Its £35-million Sports Training Village was completed in 2004 and in 2008 played host to a hugely successful UK School Games. British and international squads will use Bath as a base for their preparations towards the London 2012 Olympics.
• In 1996 the Library and Learning Centre became the first 24-hour university library in England.

Location and transport

• The Claverton Campus is 1 mile from the centre of the beautiful city of Bath, a World Heritage Site.
• The campus buildings are set in landscaped grounds, alongside a wide range of convenient on-site leisure, social and commercial facilities.
• The campus is one of the safest in the UK and has been recognised with a national police security award.
• A frequent bus service runs from campus to the city, from where there are regular transport links to London and Bristol.

Entry standards

• The university seeks the most academically able students from an international recruitment pool.
• The average number of UCAS points on entry last year was 459.

Student mix

• Our gender mix comprises 54% male students and 46% female students.
• International students (those with non-British domicile) account for 29% of our student body and represent over 100 nationalities.
• Last year there were seven home/EU applications per place and 14 overseas applications per place.
• 75% of undergraduates are recruited from state schools and 25% from public schools.

Course flexibility

• Most courses are offered with an option of a paid placement year or a period of study abroad.
• All students are offered the option of studying a language, or subject of personal interest, alongside their degree course.
• The modular system facilitates opportunities for student choice within the curriculum.

Teaching standards

• The high teaching standards are evidenced by professional body accreditation, national subject reviews and graduate employment profiles.
• Our graduate employment prospects are among the best in the country. Within 6 months of graduation 93% of first degree graduates are in work or further study.
• 80% of employed UK first degree graduates are working in top three categories of graduate level jobs compared with 63% nationally.
• The University routinely seeks student feedback on its performance.

Research standards

• An international reputation for research excellence. We have strong national and international links with industry, government bodies, charities and other universities - our research grants and contracts portfolio is worth £87 million.
• In 2011 the University was awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education for its influential research into child poverty and support for vulnerable people.
• Our research ethos has a strong focus upon impact, tackling issues of global significance – from developing new drugs to cure breast cancer to working with Ford to develop fuel efficient cars.
• 60% of the research work submitted for the 2008 Research Assessment exercise was judged to be 'world leading' or 'internationally excellent', and over two-thirds of our research is ranked in the top ten by the RAE 2008.

Academic strengths

• Humanities, Education, Engineering and Design, Health, Management, Science and Social Sciences.
• An excellent record of supporting students to successful completion of their courses (retention) and employment (graduate destinations).
• Its Careers Advisory Service has links with 4,000 employers and 81% of employed first degre graduates are in jobs in the top three groups (professional, managerial or associate professional) compared with 63% nationally.
• Bath runs one fo the largest and most established placement schemes in the UK higher education sector which is in no small part due to its close links with business, the professions and the voluntary sector both in the UK and overseas.

Student facilities, including library and computing

• Around 500 computer workstations available for general student use plus laptop docking points as well as connectivity in all student residences.
• PCs in the library and learning centre are refreshed on a three-year cycle and there is free access to email and internet.
• The 24/7 library is one of the busiest in any UK university – it has 21,000 electronic books, 27,000 serial titles, the majority of which are available in electronic format, research databases, and an online publication store.

Disability services

• Visit the website to find out about the disability services at the University of Bath.
• Telephone +44 (0)1225 385538 or email disabilityadvice@bath.ac.uk.

Students' union

• A fantastic new £5.5-million Student Centre (opened in October 2010) which has created additional social space for students and provides a buzzing social hub for student life on campus.
• Over 100 societies/clubs address cultural, sports and arts interests. The union also offers welfare services and personal development opportunities.
• BUSU supports a vibrant social/recreational programme and its interactive website receives over 6 million hits per month.

Sport

• The £35-million Sports Training Village was completed in 2004.
• Facilities include a 50-m swimming pool, tennis and squash courts, athletics tracks, astroturf pitches, and a judo dojo.
• A number of sports have their national or other high performance bases at Bath including modern pentathlon, bob skeleton, badminton, beach volleyball and netball. It is also one of British swimming's five intensive training centres.
• A number of Olympic athletes train at the University, including Amy Williams, 2010 Olympic Games bob skeleton gold medallist, and Dai Greene, 2011 World 400m hurdles champion.
• The University will host the GB Paralympics Team, the Malaysian Olympic team, and Chinese Olympic swimming team training camps in the run up to London 2012.

Recent/prospective new builds

• The University is in the throes of completing a £110-million four year campus expansion and refurbishment plan which will add further facilities for teaching and research, as well as extra student accommodation and social space.
• The new 4 West building was opened by Sir James Dyson last year and provides valuable new research and teaching space as well as a new Postgraduate Centre in the heart of the campus.
• Plans are underway to create a new £10-m Centre for the Arts on campus providing new arts, conference and teaching facilities for both students and the community. It is hoped construction work will being in early 2013.

Availability of part-time work

• A wide range of part-time work opportunities include web design, administration, sports roles, marketing and hospitality.
• JobLink also provides advice about interviews, vacation work, tax, NI and other employment questions.

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