University of Kent

History

• Royal Charter granted in 1965; First students enrol at Canterbury campus.
• Opening of the Tonbridge Centre in 1982.
• Brussels campus launched in 1999.
• Launched new Medway campus in 2004 and University of the Transmanche, working with four French universities.
• New site for Brussels campus opened in 2006.
• Postgraduate centre in Paris launched in 2009.

Location and transport

• Campuses in Canterbury and Medway and specialist centres in Brussels, Paris and Tonbridge.
• The Canterbury campus is vibrant, friendly and cosmopolitan, 20 minutes walk from Canterbury city centre. Medway campus has state-of-the-art modern buildings and facilities. Brussels centre is located in a world centre for international affairs.
• University of Kent is well-connected to London (via road or high speed train) and continental Europe (via ferry or Eurostar).

Entry standards

• Kent accepts a wide range of qualifications and always tries to judge applications on the basis of academic potential.
• The university consider your experience, alternative qualifications, and other information provided on the application form.

Student mix

• Male to female ratio: 47:53.
• Home (UK) to international student ratio is 79:21.
• Home to overseas ratio: 88:12.

Course flexibility

• Fully modular degree programmes provide students with the opportunity to study a wide range of options across all.
• Most degree courses include an option of studying abroad, studying in industry or both.
• A vast range of degree combinations are available with joint degrees and major/minor degree subject options on offer to students.

Teaching standards

• National Teaching Fellowships awarded to Kent staff three years' running.
• Kent scored 82% for teaching quality in 2006 National Student Survey, ranking 22nd out of 128.

Research standards

• University of Kent was ranked 24th in UK for world-leading (4*) research in the Research Assessment Exercise 2008.

Academic strengths

• University of Kent offers a wide range of excellent courses, spanning the sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities
• Drama, History, English, Engineering and Digital Arts, Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, Biosciences, Forensics, Business, Economics, Law, Social Policy, Psychology, to name a few.
• Up-and-coming – Architecture and Conservation at Canterbury, Journalism and Pharmacy at Medway.

Student facilities, including library and computing

• Kent has received £16 million in grants towards new teaching and research facilities covering the period 2008–11.
• Academic facilties include 1.3 million books and periodicals, over 2,000 computer terminals, superb laboratories and studios and a learning advisory service.
• Social facilities include cafes, bars, nightclub, theatre and cinema.

Disability services

• Kent Union, the students' union at the University of Kent, has around over 120 societies and 50 sports clubs plus an award winning community FM radio station, student newspaper and can offer students hundreds of volunteering opportunities in a number of areas.
• The union's on campus live music venue, bars and night club consistently win awards for their commitment to the safety and welfare of their members and play host to top class acts such as Florence and the machine and Dizzee Rascal
• Kent Union provide excellent representation of its members through fully trained course reps, student committees and part-time and full-time officers –meaning students at Kent can really take their education into their own hands.
• Find out more about Kent Union and its officers on the website.

Sport

• Canterbury has facilities for over 30 different sports ranging from a dance studio to football pitches and a climbing wall.
• Medway has growing number of sports teams for serious athletes and beginners and co-launched an annual inter-university boat race.
• There are sports scholarships of up to £5,000 a year available to talented sportsmen and sportswomen from all subject areas.

Recent/prospective new builds

• The award-winning Jarman building has been opened in October 2010. Housing state-of-the-art facilities including drama and film studios, computing and editing suites, a large art gallery and teaching rooms, the building received a RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Award in May 2010.
• The University is currently building a new Centre for Music Performance on its Canterbury campus, creating an exciting Arts Hub for students, staff and the wider artistic community at the heart of the campus; the Colyer-Fergusson Building will be completed in Spring 2012.
• Canterbury developments include 495 new rooms for undergraduates from September 2011 and an extension of existing catering facilities to enable unique bed and bistro accommodation package. A prospective college building could provide a further 784 bedrooms for the Canterbury campus.

Availability of part-time work

• Jobshop is Kent Union's job agency advertising 3,200 vacancies last year. It also gives advice and information on part-time working.
• Plenty of supermarkets, bars and shops in Canterbury.
• Job opportunities in Medway in nearby shopping centres and new 'Dickens' World' theme park.

Click here for more information about living in Canterbury