Robert Gordon University

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History

• Robert Gordon University was founded in 1750 as a technical college. The original college evolved into a thriving institution with two sites, one in Aberdeen city centre and one on the southern approach to the city, at Garthdee. This development has seen the incorporation of Gray's School of Art (1885), the School of Pharmacy (1898) and the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture (1957). Full university status was granted in 1992. See our history timeline.
• From the outset, the University has focussed on delivering education that prepares students for the professional world: by working closely with employers at all stages of the students’ journey, from course development and accreditation to providing scholarships and work based placements and experiences. The benefit of this is seen in the high graduate employment record (see academic strengths below).
• Robert Gordon University has invested heavily in the Garthdee campus and is currently in the process of implementing an exciting £170-million campus masterplan to further develop the learning and research environment. Read about the amazing campus transformation.
• Robert Gordon University is a dynamic university with an international reputation for providing high quality education right through from undergraduate to postgraduate and PhD level, alongside high quality courses to support continuing professional and personal development. Find out more on the University's track record.

Location and transport

• Aberdeen is situated in the north east of Scotland. Frequent, cheap air, rail and bus connections to Aberdeen exist from the majority UK cities, making the city a very accessible place. Aberdeen airport has flights to all major international destinations, via connections through London, Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt. It’s easy to get to and from Aberdeen. Find out more about transport links.
• The UK’s number 1 student accommodation website (www.accommodationforstudents.com), identifies Aberdeen as one of the best places to be a student, based on nearly 46,000 student reviews of 62 university towns across the UK.
• The University is located on two campuses – the Garthdee riverside campus and the City Centre campus. There is a regular bus service between the campuses. The masterplan development means that the all of the academic departments of the University will be located at the Garthdee site by September 2013, i.e. in readiness for the academic year 2013–14. There is more information about this in the section relating to recent and prospective new builds, below.
• Love the great outdoors? With two rivers running through Aberdeen, its picturesque sandy beaches, the Grampian Mountains and Cairngorms National Park nearby, Aberdeen attracts photographers, artists, birdwatchers, anglers, sailors, surfers, kayakers, kite enthusiasts, rowers, walkers, golfers, mountain, rock and ice climbers, snowboarders and white water rafters and has the perfect conditions for many, many more pursuits . It’s no surprise that Aberdeenshire was named the number one region for quality of life in 2010 (Bank of Scotland Quality of Life League, December 2010). Discover more about Aberdeen.

Entry standards

• Each course description in the prospectus gives a guide to the entry requirements that the University accepts.
• International students should contact International@rgu.ac.uk for guidance on acceptable qualifications and English language requirements.
• Get more details about entry requirements at Robert Gordon University.

Student mix

• The total student population is approximately 16,400 – this is split 60:40 between full-time and part-time students.
• The total student population is 62% undergraduates and 38% postgraduates.
• The male/female split is 43:57, and the home/overseas student split is 80:20.
• The ratio of applications to places varies between courses: the most popular courses in 2011 had a ratio of approximately five applications to each place available.

Course flexibility

• All courses are based on a modular structure and offer a range of exit qualifications.
• Many courses are made up of both compulsory and optional modules that allow you to tailor your studies to your interests and ambitions.
• 93% of our undergraduate courses offer placement opportunities, increasing students' career prospects.
• Robert Gordon offers the flexibility of distance learning and part-time study options for some undergraduate courses and for most postgraduate courses.

Teaching standards

• All courses are subject to initial approval and subsequent six yearly reviews, by a panel comprising external members from academia, industry and/or relevant professional and statutory bodies.
• Course performance is monitored annually, using a range of indicators including external examiner feedback, analysis of student performance and detailed student feedback: this includes feedback from the independent National Student Survey (in 2011 the overall student satisfaction score increased from 84% to 86%, resulting in the University being ranked top of all modern universities in the UK) and the International Student Barometer (the University was placed ninth out of the 64 participating institutions).
• The University provides a range of training and support for teaching staff including a compulsory induction course for all new appointments.

Research standards

• The last national Research Assessment Exercise took place in 2008. Robert Gordon achieved the level of world class research in 8 of 11 categories that apply to their subject portfolio. Over 70% of research is classed as being of international quality.
• The University wants to improve on this high standard and has established three multi-disciplinary Research Institutes. They focus on areas of excellence, including: health and welfare (the Institute for Health and Welfare Research); engineering, computing, architecture & built environment and art & design (IDEAS – Institute for Innovation, Design and Sustainability Research); and management, governance and society (ImaGeS – Institute for Management, Governance and Society Research). Read more about research at Robert Gordon University.
• The University achieved an outstanding response rate for the 2011 Postgraduate Research Student Survey (PRES) at 85% compared to the national average of rate of 32%. It outperformed or equalled all benchmark comparisons in the majority of areas, including Supervision, Skills Development, Infrastructure, Goals and Standards, Thesis Examination and the Overall Student Experience. Robert Gordon is committed to making further improvements and has set up a graduate school board within each of the three Research Institutes to support and enhance the postgraduate research student experience.
• All research students are required to undertake a postgraduate certificate in research methods as part of their research degree programme and all research student supervisors undergo a supervisory training programme every three years.
• In 2009, the University launched a seed investment fund, RGU Ventures Ltd, which is managed by our commercialisation partner, Frontier IP Ltd.

Academic strengths

• The vocational nature of our courses is bourne out by our graduate employment rates – we are named consistently as one of the best UK Universities for graduate employment and have one of the lowest unemployment rates for graduates in Scotland. Read more about our graduate employability success rates.
• In the latest independent National Student Survey the overall student satisfaction score increased to 86% from 84%, resulting in the University being ranked top of all modern universities in the UK. In the latest independent International Student Barometer the University was placed ninth out of the 64 participating institutions.
• All undergraduate courses offer an effective combination of academic study and practical experience, with most including periods of work placement.
• All of our courses are designed and developed in close consultation with the relevant professional bodies, and, where relevant, courses will carry accreditation by the relevant professional bodies.

Student facilities, including library and computing

• Robert Gordon University aims to give students the best possible learning experience. The University has many state-of-the-art facilities, including a purpose-built Clinical Skills Centre, high-tech television and radio studios and a Green Screen Suite and is working hard to improve learning facilities across the board as part of the masterplan development.
• The University has a substantial student support network that includes study support, careers advice, medical advice (there is a GP surgery on the Garthdee site) and a counselling service staffed by qualified and experienced professionals. The support teams are in place to ensure that students' time at the University is as positive an experience as possible.
• The University has 1,600 computer workstations: all halls of residence are networked and there is wireless access in all public areas and web access to studen services such as the virtual learning environment, Campus Moodle.
• There are two main libraries, one in the St. Andrew’s Street building in the city centre and one in the Aberdeen Business School building at Garthdee. They have an extensive portfolio of print and electronic information resources, IT equipped learning spaces in purpose built accommodation (850 study spaces), and expert staff to provide support through user education and information skills training, face-to-face and at a distance. A new, purpose built, library will open on the Garthdee site in 2013.

Disability service

Students' Union

• RGU: Union is all about making a student’s experience the best it can be. The Union exists to support students by providing a number of different services and opportunities for them to get involved. It is run by students, for students. Elections are held every year to elect a team of full-time Presidents and part-time Vice Presidents, who are mandated to serve in the best interests of the student body to improve student experience at the University.
• RGU:Union has seven 'spheres' of activity that work together to help students through their University journey:
• Representation – the Union represents students views on any issue to the University, the local community and at a national level. The Union acts on behalf of students to ensure that these issues, e.g. funding for education, cost of living, quality of a course or social life, can be resolved.
• Welfare and advice – the Union acts independently from the University, offering confidential advice to students who may experience difficulties, whether academic or personal. There are trained staff members and elected students on hand to assist with any problems.
• Societies – there are more than 40 societies currently, to allow like-minded students to enjoy a shared activity. Societies range from course related ones such as the Law Society and the Business Society, to charitable ones such as RAG (Raising and Giving) or Tesseract (Humanitarian Architects), to fun ones such the Electronic Gaming Society and the Toast Appreciation Society.
• Sport – there are more than 30 different sports clubs, using the indoor facilities at RGU:SPORT and outdoor facilities throughout the city. Clubs compete locally with the University of Aberdeen in the Granite City varsity competition, as well as nationally in the Scottish Student Sport (SSS) league and the Colleges Sport (BUCS) league.
• Volunteering – the Union supports students in gaining experience through volunteering and is accredited as an Investor in Volunteering (IIV) – one of only two Unions in Scotland to achieve such an accolade. In recent years, volunteers have undertaken activities such as skydiving, fire walks, sports coaching, youth work, fundraising and much, much more. The Union also takes a full part in the annual Torcher Parade – Europe’s largest student torch-lit parade.
• Student Media – the Union assists with the production of Reform the RGU student magazine, helping with everything from interviews, articles and production to printing and distribution. There are plans to set up a new student radio and TV station.
• Commercial Services – RGU:Union offers a wide range of entertainment and social facilities in Aberdeen’s only student union bar. Events include stand up comedy nights, talent competitions, live DJs, live bands and live sports, spread throughout the bars and café. There is also a wide range of University merchandise for sale in the shop.

Sport

• RGU: SPORT has a six-lane 25m swimming pool; nine badminton court sportshall; three state-of-the-art fitness areas including a strength and conditioning suite; three exercise studios where a wide variety of group exercise classes (including Les Mills BTS) are offered; 11m-high lead climbing wall and bouldering room, and Starbucks café.
• Wide range of memberships on offer to students and the local community and over 30 sports clubs for students. A sports scholarship scheme is available to support talented athletes.
• RGU: SPORT is located in the centre of Garthdee Campus – within a 3 minute walk of all buildings and there is a regular bus service connecting the two campuses, which takes just 20 minutes.
• Read about sport at Robert Gordon University, including more about the range of sporting facilities and the current sports timetable.

Recent/prospective new builds

• Construction work is well underway on the £170-million development of the Garthdee campus. The current phase will consolidate all academic delivery on that site by September 2013.
• Within the 24,000m² facility under construction, will be housed some of the best teaching and research facilities in Europe. They include a major new library and learning resource centre along with tailored accommodation for the Schools of Computing, Pharmacy and Life Sciences and Engineering. The building will also have beautifully designed social and informal learning spaces.
• As part of the overall campus development programme, upgrading works will be undertaken to the existing facilities within Aberdeen Business School and the Faculty of Health and Social Care to improve the location and accommodation for Student Services and to provide a better student study and informal learning zone.
• A community Health Centre and a new Nursery are on the Garthdee campus and both facilities are open to students and staff.
• Discover more about Robert Gordon University’s commitment to the substantial development of the campus through its Masterplan.

Availability of part-time work

• The buoyant economy in Aberdeen allows students to enjoy a vibrant part-time jobs market in all sectors.
• The Careers Centre's Part Time Jobs Portal is an online service pulling together part-time work opportunities from a variety of local external sources (e.g. JobCentre Plus, local press, recruitment agencies, recruitment websites, major retailers and hospitality/leisure providers along with retail/lesiure park notice boards) in to one easily accessible resource. This is supplemented by an annual Part Time Jobs Fair, held each September, co-ordinated by the Careers Service.
• In addition ot this, MY CAREERS, the Careers Services own online opportunities notice board, advertises a large number of local opportunities from local employers looking to fill part-time posts.

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