University of Reading

History

• The University of Reading's origins lie in the Schools of Art and Science established in Reading in 1860 and 1870.
• It received a Royal Charter in 1926, the only university to do so between the two world wars.
• In 1947 it purchased the beautiful Whiteknights campus, the former estate of the Marquess of Blandford.

Location and transport

• Reading lies at the heart of the Thames Valley in south east England, and has the fastest-growing economy in England.
• The main Whiteknights campus is set in 160 hectares of meadowland and parkland.
• Numbers 20 and 21 Reading Buses run from the railway station/ own centre directly onto the campus.
• Reading has excellent transport links: Heathrow Airport is only 40 minutes away by coach, and London 25 minutes by train.

Entry standards

• Entry standards remain consistently high, with an average entry tariff of well over 340 points.
• Find out more about entry requirements at Reading online.

Student mix

• There is a good mix of home and overseas students, with students from over 125 different countries.
• The male/female split is 43% to 57%.
• For undergraduates, the proportion of state school students is 82%, compared with 15% for independent schools, and 3% other.
• There is a high applications to places ratio (6 to 1), reflecting Reading's popularity.

Course flexibility

• Students can choose from a broad portfolio of full- and part-time programmes that is continually updated and expanded.
• Students have the flexibility to combine courses or change the direction of your studies.

Teaching standards

• Many academic staff are leading authorities in their fields engaged in international research.
• Staff calibre and commitment are major factors in our continually high performance in national assessments and league tables.
• We are involved with four national Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Two are exclusive to the university.

Research standards

• n the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, over 87% of the University’s research was rated as of international standingAreas of particular research strength recognised by the 2008 RAE include meteorology and climate change, typography and graphic design, archaeology, italian, philosophy, food biosciences, construction management, real estate and planning as well as law.
• Over £31 million of our current £45-million annual research funding comes from external grants and contracts.

Academic strengths

• International centres of research excellence in areas such as agriculture, biological and physical sciences, meteorology, European histories and cultures.
• Won the Queen's Anniversary Prize four times: 1998 for work on early modern staging; 2006 for exceptional contribution to meteorology; 2009 in recognition of the excellence of the University's Department of Archaeolog, which, uniquely within the study of archaeology, combines ground-breaking research, enterprise and teaching; and 2011 for the Department of Typography & Graphic Communication. Reading is the first institution to win a Queen's Anniversary Prize focused on typographic research.
• A broad range of courses, including specialist areas of archaeology, agriculture, construction management, horticulture, cybernetics, meteorology, real estate and typography.

Student facilities, including library and computing

• Learning resources include the university library containing over a million volumes and 8,750 e-books, and advanced computing facilities, including many wireless access points.
• Electronic media and communication tools at the Student Access to Independent Learning suite.
• Online study resources via 'Blackboard', the virtual learning environment. All Halls of Residence have data connection.

Disability service

• The union provides easy access to services, shopping, welfare services and a readymade social life.
• Bars, eating places, a games area, and a nightclub ranked as a top UK university entertainment venue.
• Over 100 clubs and societies catering for diverse interests, plus a student-run newspaper and radio station.

Sport

• Amenities include an 89-station fitness studio, all-weather pitches, indoor multi-purpose courts, cricket pitches, and hard and grass tennis courts.
• Watersports are a strong focus. Off campus we have boathouses on the Thames and a sailing and canoeing club nearby.
• Sports Scholarship Programme and Sports Academy offer free access to facilities and provide financial assistance for training and competitions.

Recent/prospective new builds

• A new £35-million Business School building opened on our Whiteknights campus in autumn 2009New £11 million project home for Film, Theatre & TV on the Whiteknights campus opens spring 2011
• The Student Union building has recently been extended.
• Two brand new halls, Mackinder and Stenton opened in October 2010.

Availability of part-time work

• We have a dedicated job centre for Reading students which advertises part-time vacancies.
• The university's location in the prosperous south east region means that there are many part-time jobs on offer.

Notable alumni

• Cornelia Parker – sculptor and installation artist, Turner prize nominee.
• Michael Rosen – broadcaster and Children's Laureate.
• Linda Bennett OBE – founder of LK Bennett, Veuve Cliquot Business woman of the year 2005.
• Sir John Collins – Chairman Dixons plc.
• Professor Peter Crane – former Director of Royal Botanic gardens, Kew.
• Nicky Kinnaird – MBE, founder of Space NK cosmetics.
• Dr Christie Peacock – animal scientist and Chief Executive, FARM Africa.
• Professor Li Shirong – President, Chartered Institute of Building, China.
• John Simpson – Chief Editor of the Oxford English Dictionary.
• Belay Ejigu Begashaw – Earth Institute of Columbia University and former Minster of Agriculture for Ethiopia.