Birkbeck, University of London

Scores

What do these scores mean?

Birkbeck does not appear in the League Table because its students are largely part-time and so comparable data are mostly not available.

History

• Birkbeck founded in 1823 by George Birkbeck as the Mechanics Institution, offering higher education for working Londoners.
• Became part of the University of London in 1920 on condition it continued to provide flexible, evening teaching.
• In 2007 Birkbeck took its flexible teaching provision to Stratford, east London, with a selection of courses.

Location and transport

• Part of the University of London central London precint in Bloomsbury, London (WC1). Served by excellent bus, tube and rail links;  Stratford courses currently taught at University of East London, 10 minutes from Stratford tube station. A new, purpose-built campus in Stratford is due to open in autumn 2013.
• Surrounded by world-class research sources and specialist library collections, including the British Museum, the British Library and Senate House library.
• London is the economic and cultural capital of the UK.

Entry standards

• Students apply direct to the College for part-time course, and go through UCAS for full-time courses.
• Over 21 year olds are assessed individually.
• Under 21 year olds need to meet normal university entry requirements. Visit the website for more details.

Student mix

• A total student population of 17,822 broken down by 12,747 (UG), 5,075 PG Taught and Research  (mainly working during the day and studying in the evening).
• Diverse, cosmopolitan, non-traditional student body, 47% men, 53% women, with 99% of undergraduates mature students, average age 35.
• 23% of students achieve firsts, 44% achieve 2:1 and 29% achieve 2:2.

Course flexibility

• Seventy-two part-time, evening taught undergraduate degrees; 180 postgraduate programmes (available both part-time and full-time, mostly in the evenings). Twenty full-time, evening taught undergraduate programmes.
• New courses are also offered in Stratford, east London.

Teaching standards

• With staff/student ratio 1: 20, Birkbeck was voted first among multi-faculty London HE institutions in the 2011 National Student Survey for quality of teaching and also came in first for overall student satisfaction.
• The high level of research contributes directly towards the teaching quality.
• Students earn while they learn, graduating with prestigious University of London qualifications.
• Research standards.

Research standards

• Ranked in the top 150 universities in the world according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2011.
• Ranked in the top 25% of UK multi-faculty institutions in the most recent (2008) Research Assessment Exercise.
• Research in 11 subject areas is rated as 'world leading'.
• College awarded a Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher Education for brain research in 2006.
• Received £10-million in external research grant funding in 2010–11.

Academic strengths

• London's only specialist provider of part-time, evening, higher education.
• 90% of academics are research-active and many are renowned world-class experts in their fields..
• Birkbeck achieved 'broad confidence' in a recent QAA institutional audit, the highest rating.
• Awards University of London degrees and qualifications.

Student facilities, including library and computing

• My Birkbeck, a student help desk and support centre; including dedicated student support website (www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck).
• Academic support services include workshops in essay writing, time management, presentation skills, English language courses.
• Three cafes across the central London campus.
• On-site 5-floor Library; e-services provide access to 353,182 books and 19,885 E journals; 43 electronic databases; 355 study places.
• 720 computer workstationsfor students across College; full range of networked computing services and IT training.
• Consistently number one in NSS for overall student satisfaction in London.

Disability services

Students' Union

• Student support includes disability advice, free counselling service and general advice evening drop-in service.
• Twenty societies, ranging from archaeology to football.
• Refurbished bar with Sky tv and pool table.

Sport

• Birkbeck is next door to the University of London Union (ULU) which boasts wide range of sports clubs for students.
• ULU's state of the art gym offers 60-stations, 33m swimming pool and two studios, plus 50 fitness classes per week.

Recent/prospective new builds

• Completion of £18.5-million extension to the main building houses integrated library services across five floors, and a suite of new lecture theatres and teaching rooms. Includes the new My Birkbeck Student Centre on the ground floor.
• Cinema, seating 90, recently opened by the School of History of ArtsUniversity Square, Stratford, will be a state-ot-the-art five-floor building comprising 8,600 sq ms of flexible teaching and performance space, as well as academic and administrative offices, around a large atrium. Due to open for the academic year beginning autumn 2013 the building is a joint project between Birkbeck and the University of East London and will offer flexible part- and full-time, day and evening study opportunities for people who live and work in east London. The building’s facilities will also be made available to the local community, businesses and arts groups.

Notable alumni

• Marian Adkin CBE, former member of the Monetary Policy Committee
• Nicholas Baldwin,former Chief Executive, PowerGen Plc
• Alex Corbisiero Rugby Union player, prop for London Irish and England
• Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll DBE FRSA, Formerly Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum
• Edward 'Bear' Grylls, Adventurer and television presenter
• Steve Bundred, Chief Executive, Audit Commission
• Luciana Berger MP, Labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree
• Alan Davey, Chief Executive, Arts Council
• Ed Davey MP Liberal Democrat MP for Kingston and Surbiton and Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs
• Nerina Pallot, BRIT Award nominated singer songwriter
• Andy Saull, Saracens and England U21 Rugby Union player
• Sidney James Webb, 1st Baron Passfield (1859–1947) Socialist and founder of the London School of Economics
• Sir Arthur Wing Pinero (1855-1934) Actor and dramatist.

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