University of Strathclyde

History

• Established in 1796 when Professor John Anderson, one of the leading figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, left instructions in his will for 'a place of useful learning'.
• Received the Royal Charter in 1964.
• Today Strathclyde’s ambition is to be among the leading technological universities in the world. It is committed to the highest standards of teaching, research and knowledge exchange, and has a track record of making technologies and innovation applicable for the benefit of society and the environment. It is proud of its strong links with business and industry. It challenges traditional academic boundaries to solve global problems, and at the same time takes pride in its place at the heart of the city of Glasgow. It is home to students from more than 100 countries.

Notable alumni

• John Logie Baird – Invented the world's first working television.
• Thomas Graham – Formulated the Law of Diffusion of Gases.
• David Livingstone – Explorer and medical missionary.
• James 'Paraffin' Young – The driving force behind the creation of today’s oil refinery industry.
• James Blyth – Wind energy pioneer.
• Henry Faulds – Originator of fingerprint identification.
• James Croll – Early investigator of climate change.
• Robert Thom – Inventor of water filtration systems.
• Sir Tom Hunter – Entrepreneur and Philanthropist.
• Sanjay Jha – Chairman and CEO, Motorola Mobility.
• Professor Maurice Taylor – hotelier and entrepreneur.
• Professor Ivor Tiefenbrun – Managing Director, Linn Products.
• Jim McColl, OBE – Chairman and CEO, Clyde Blowers.
• Afzal Khushi – Managing Director, Trespass.
• Sir Brian Souter – CEO, Stagecoach.
• Dame Elish Angionlini – Former Lord Advocate (now Visiting Professor at Strathclyde.

Location and transport

• Located in the centre of Glasgow, one of Europe's most exciting cities, and close to Scotland's stunning scenery, including Loch Lomond.
• The University's Jordanhill campus, in the West End of the city, is joining the main John Anderson campus in 2012 to create a unified, city-centre campus, as part of a £350-million campus investment plan.
• City centre location close to central train and bus stations and only 20 minutes from Glasgow Airport.

Entry standards

• Entry requirements vary depending on the course you choose. Visit the online prospectus.

Student mix

• Although 70% of students come from the west of Scotland, Strathclyde welcomes students from over 100 countries.
• 49% male to 51% female.
• Around 95% of students are from state schools. Strathclyde is committed to diversity and encourages applications from people from all walks of life.
• Approximately one fifth of those who apply to Strathclyde are accepted.

Course flexibility

• Strathclyde has a reputation for innovative, flexible learning which is relevant to students and employers.
• BA in Arts and Social Sciences offers a range of subjects before one or two are studied in-depth at Honours level.
• Students can take elective subjects outwith their discipline, including classes at the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship designed to develop employable skills.

Teaching standards

• Most recent external review highlighted that Strathclyde engages with students and reflects on, develops and enhances the student experience.
• According to the most recent National Student Survey, our student satisfaction levels, at 87%, are higher than the UK average.

Research standards

• Challenging conventional wisdom is part of the University of Strathclyde’s genetic fingerprint. Today, Strathclyde is recognised as one of the UK’s leading international technological universities, and prides itself on partnership with the public and private sectors.
• This vision is being realised through the University’s plans for an £89-million Technology and Innovation Centre, to transform the way academics, industry and the business community work together to solve global challenges from climate change to disease, and bring major employers to the University’s doorstep.
• The University of Strathclyde’s research power and its continuing growth in its areas of strategic importance were confirmed by the latest Research Assessment Exercise (2008).
• Strathclyde Business School has been rated top in Scotland by a wide margin, and rated in the top 10 UK-wide, with 65% of staff classed as world class (4*) or internationally excellent (3*).
• Other areas that performed impressively were Chemistry (joint submission with Glasgow University under the WestChem research pooling), Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Law, Mechanical Engineering (incorporating staff from Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management), Pharmacy (Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences).
• Overall, around 50% of Strathclyde staff were rated as world leading or internationally excellent in the RAE 2008.
• In 2011 the University’s Advanced Forming Research Centre was announced as a leading partner in the first UK-wide Technology Strategy Board Catapult Centre. The high value manufacturing centre will allow business and industry to commercialise the results of world-class research, and provide routes to new, high-tech markets.
• The Government also announced that the University is to lead the UK-wide EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing inContinuous Manufacturing and Crystallisation. The collaborative initiative involving leading academics and industrialists is seeking quicker, more effective and more sustainable methods of manufacturing products such as medicines, foodstuffs, dyes, pigments and nanomaterials.

Academic strengths

• High quality teaching is informed by research into teaching and learning as well as academic scholarship.
• Strathclyde promotes excellence through continuous innovation in the curriculum and in approaches to teaching and learning.
• Provides learning experiences that make students highly employable, capable of advanced study and confident in their own abilities. Our students have higher than average graduate employment rates.
• The University’s academic strength is demonstrated by its collaboration with other Scottish universities through research pooling initiatives, as well its links with outstanding partners overseas. Strathclyde has more than 200 collaborative agreements in more than 50 countries, and an estimated 2,000 informal links around the world.

Student facilities, including library and computing

• The University library is being refurbished as part of a series of campus investments to ensure the best possible student experience. New space for books and collections has been created to accommodate stock being moved from the Jordanhill campus, while other enhanced features include 190 seats for readers, drop-in group study pods, discussion rooms and a PC area.
• The library has around a million print volumes as well as 24-hour access from a suitably enabled computer to over 144,000 electronic books and over 25,000 e-journals. The library has 400 networked computers with access to the internet and email.
• The Curran Building library is home to the collection of the Royal Scottish Geographical society, which contains more than 15,000 books and editions of nearly 200 serial titles.
• The University also has over 1,350 PCs around campus and more than 30 computer labs, many open around the clock.
• A dedicated IT Helpdesk and 24-hour out-of-hours IT support.
• A personal student email account with free email, web access and 50 megabytes of disk space.
• A selection of software for students to download free of charge.
• Access to an Online Resource Centre providing online tutorials and 24-hour support.
• The mPEGASUS student web portal and iPhone app giving students access to their information on the go.
• Access to MyPlace, a virtual e-learning environment, where students can learn online and access course materials.
• An expert IT Training team offering free training in a number of key software packages.

Disability services

Students' union

• One of the largest and most popular students' union in the country, offering a diverse range of entertainment and a great student night out.
• Around 40 clubs and societies including departmental, political, personal interest and cultural. There are also many volunteering and fundraising opportunities, which are designed to develop graduate employability.
• A range of welfare and development services, e.g. ASK4, a student-run, staff-supported drop-in inquiry service for students.

Sport

• Forty-five acres of playing fields and a sports centre with badminton courts, squash courts, fitness suite, weights room and swimming pool.
• Dozens of sports clubs ranging from Aikido to Volleyball.
• Membership of the Centre for Sport and Recreation is £82.50 for the full year with semester membership and pay-as-you-go available.
• A new multi-million pound centre for sports and health is being planned for 2011.

Recent/prospective new builds

The University is investing £350 million in its campus over 10 years to enhance the student experience and further develop an attractive, dynamic and digital campus. Major developments include:

• Unifying the two campuses into one, single city-centre site in 2012.
• A new £36-million building for the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences – the University's centre for world-class research in drug discovery and development – which was officially opened in October 2011.
• The £89-million Technology and Innovation centre at Strathclyde to further the University’s close links with industry will formally open in 2014.
• The University also opened its Advanced Forming Research Centre in January 2011, a world-class research centre in partnership with Scottish Enterprise and global engineering firms to pioneer forming and forging techniques to support manufacturing for the aerospace, energy, marine and automobile industries.
• The £12.5 million Power Network Demonstration Centre – a world class research centre that will accelerate the adoption of new, 'smart' technologies, from advanced power grids to electric cars and household appliances, will open in 2012.
• In addition, the University opened its first overseas campus in Greater Noida, India, in 2011. The Strathclyde-SKIL Business School will deliver undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA level business courses.

Availability of part-time work

• Strathclyde is situated in Glasgow's city centre so part-time work is plentiful.
• The Student Employment Service posts a huge range of part-time jobs, internships and voluntary work opportunities.

Click here for more information about living in Glasgow