Newcastle University

History

• Newcastle University can trace its origins to the School of Medicine and Surgery established in 1834, and was awarded university charter as the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1963. Following a re-branding exercise in 2006, the university's official trading name is now Newcastle University.

Location and transport

• A 50-acre city centre campus in the heart of Britain’s number one student city (MSN Travel 2008-2011).
• Newcastle is a compact city that is renowned for its hospitality and nightlife, rating in the top 10 nightlife destinations in the World (Tripadvisor).
• A world-class cultural destination with museums, galleries and theatres housed in stunning architectural buildings and an array of restaurants and shops liningthe picturesque streets. The nearby MetroCentre is one of Europe’s largest shopping and leisure complex.
• Newcastle borders the county of Northumberland, with its ancient castles and unspoilt coastline.
• The Metro rail system (which has a station opposite the campus) connects the city to nearby suburbs, the airport and the coast.
• A good road network provides fast motorway links with all major cities in the UK; London is around 3 hours by train and Edinburgh is around 1.5 hours.
  

Entry standards

• Entry standards are relatively high, with most courses asking for BBB or higher at A level (or equivalent). Offers of places on any degree are made on the basis of individual achievement, ability and potential to succeed.
• In addition to considering evidence of ability such as exam performance, the university also looks at other evidence in UCAS applications that indicate potential to succeed on a degree programme.

Student mix

• Men 51%, women 49%.
• Home 83%, overseas 21% (UK to outside UK is 3.5:1).
• State 71.5%, public 28.5%.
• An average of 7 applications per place (this varies from course to course).

Course flexibility

• Approximately 200 undergraduate degrees to choose from.
• Some courses cover more than one subject, and our Combined Honours degree offers students the opportunity to study up to three subjects from a list of over 20.  
• Some courses share a common first year, enabling transfer to other similar courses after the first year.
• Most courses include a work placement or the opportunity to spend time overseas and we have almost 200 exchange partners worldwide.

Teaching standards

• All courses are reviewed regularly to ensure they reflect the most recent subject developments.
• In 2010 the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) complimented the University on the excellence of its research-based teaching and the training for employability of its students. We also received a ‘judgement of confidence’ from the QAA for our management of academic standards and quality of learning opportunities – the highest rating available.
• Newcastle’s score in the annual National Student Survey (NSS) 2011 is higher than the national average, with 89% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing that they were satisfied with the overall quality of their course. Fifteen individual subjects came in the top ten nationally for overall student satisfaction with Chemical and Process Engineering and Speech Sciences both achieving a 100% satisfaction score.
• Most of our academic schools have advisory boards which include graduate employers as members, and we undertake regular surveys of employers’ perceptions of Newcastle graduates’ skills to inform improvements to our courses.

Research standards

• A member of the elite Russell Group, an association of leading research-intensive UK universities.
• Placed as one of the UK’s top 20 research institutions with the publication of the UK’s official survey of research quality, the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008.
• The quality of our research has been recognised through prestigious awards such as the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education, most recently for our work on ageing and health.

Academic strengths

• All of the research active and academic staff are leaders in their fields. Studying in a cutting-edge research environment means that undergraduate students benefit from the knowledge of some of the leading experts in their areas.
• We have worked with employers to define a set of skills which students will need in life beyond university, and this knowledge underpins the development of degree programmes and extra-curricular activities.
• Our award-winning ncl+ initiative provides opportunities for students to develop employability skills through activities outside of their degree, such as working as a student ambassador or writing for the University newspaper.
• The Career Development module enables students to count their work experience, volunteering activities or part-time employment towards academic credit for most courses.

Student facilities, including library and computing

• 1,300 PCs across campus across over 40 clusters, including some with 24-hour access. Wireless access across campus and in all study bedrooms.
• The university library service is the only one in the UK to be awarded the government's Charter Mark five government Charter Marks and the new Customer Services Excellence standard. As well as the main library, there are libraries in the Medical School and Law School. These house over 1 million books and 100,000 electronic resources, 15,000 electronic journals, 2000 study places, and a computerised online catalogue.
• We are a leading university in providing technology-based support for our students. Our Blackboard virtual learning system allows students to submit work online, access reading lists, take part in online discussions and e-mail their academic tutors. The ReCap lecture recording service allows students to review lectures and other recorded materials, enhancing their understanding of complex topics and assisting their exam revision.
• The Careers Service is one of the largest in the UK and has won several national careers awards in recent years, including being the first UK university careers service tobe awarded the Matrix Quality Standard for the high quality information, advice and guidance that they deliver. It was also rated eight in the world, out of 203 institutions, in the annual International Student Barometer survey 2010. The Careers Service provides support for up to 3 years after graduation.

Disability services

Students' union

• The Students’ Union is the social hub of the University, and is run by recent graduates who are elected each year.
• An £8-million refurbishment of the Students’ Union has recently been completed (see recent/prospective new builds below).
• Over 140 societies and sports clubs are supported by the Union.

Sport

• A long tradition of sporting achievement, finishing in the top 15 out of 146 in the British Universities and Colleges Sports table (BUCS) for the past six years.
• The sports centre incorporates a double-court sports hall with a state-of-the-art 125-station health and fitness suite, three activity halls, four squash courts and a dance studio.
• There are 45 acres of county-standard pitches just a short distance from the campus. There is also an 18-hole golf course, and a university boat house based on the River Tyne.
• All students have the opportunity to take part in sports activities through an intramural sports league where students can create their own teams.
• The University has an Elite Athletes Squad whose former members include Olympic Gold medallist Ed Goode and rugby player Tom May.

Recent/prospective new builds

• As one of the UK's leading universities, we are committed to providing the best student services and facilities and have invested more than £200 million in improving the campus in recent years.
• Recent developments include an £8-m refurbishment of the Students' Union facilities, which was completed in September 2011. The refurbishment was planned in consultation with students and includes the creation of a large multi-purpose space for gigs and events; a new coffee shop and bar spread over two floors; a bigger and better union shop; a 200-seater computer room, and social learning areas with 24-hour access.
• A multi-million pound teaching and accommodation complex for international students, due for completion by summer 2012. Three new buildings in the heart of campus will provide state-of-the-art facilities, including approximately 540 bedrooms and comfortable communal spaces where students can socialise. Newcastle is one of only six universities in the UK which has a partnership with INTO to offer programmes which enable international students to develop the academic and English language skills needed for direct entry to degrees at the University.
• Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed) opened in November 2011 as the UK's first university to develop an overseas campus offering full UK medical degrees in-country, and plans to offer biomedical science from 2012.
• Newcastle University has long been a world leader in marine technology subjects and the first full year of students have graduated in naval architecture from Newcastle University Marine International (NUMI), a branch campus based at Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore.

Availability of part-time work

• Newcastle's popularity as a regional centre and national tourist destination means that there are plenty of part-time work opportunities available for students.
• The Careers Service provides a variety of tools to help students find part-time work while they are studying and full-time work in the holidays. This includes an online job search facility which offers vacation work, placements and internships, and a searchable directory of over 600 graduate employers in the North East. The Newcastle Work Experience programme offers Newcastle University students paid placements in North East SMEs.

Notable alumni

• Newcastle has a close relationship with its alumni, offering a comprehensive package of benefits and services, designed to help graduates make the most of their life after University.
• As a Newcastle graduate you will be following in the famous footsteps of people who have since risen to the top of their field in a wide range of professions. They include: Controller of BBC Drama, John Yorke; Commercial Director of London 2012, Chris Townsend; musicians Maximo Park; barrister and author, Constance Briscoe; journalist Kate Adie; world champion rower Ed Coode; comedian Rowan Atkinson; and President of Walt Disney International, Andy Bird.

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