university of Aberystwyth, details of Aberystwyth university

Aberystwyth

University ranking

• 2010  55
• 2009  45
• 2008  43

History

• Established in 1872, Aberystwyth was the first university institution in Wales.
• Aberystwyth University has pioneered a number of academic disciplines – drama, geography, international politics and Welsh were first taught to degree level at Aberystwyth.
•  The university has an international reputation for the excellence of its teaching and research. 

Location and Transport 

• Superbly located on the coast in central Wales, the university’s campus enjoys spectacular views over the sea.
• The university’s campus is landscaped into a hillside and has a fine mix of classical and modern buildings.
• Direct road and rail links with all the major urban areas of Wales and England. 

Accommodation 

• All first year students are guaranteed a place in university accommodation.
• The university offers a wide choice of catered and self-catered accommodation both on the campus and the seafront.More information is available here. 
• Certain residences are dedicated for particular groups of students (international, mature, Welsh speaking, etc).

Entry standards

League Table

• A wide range of British, European and international qualifications are accepted for entry. Offers vary between 200–300 points.
• Visit the website for more details.  

Bursaries and scholarships

Tuition fee (2009): £3,225. Fees for 2010 to be confirmed.

• Placement year/year abroad tuition fee will be £625 (2008–09). No fee for full industrial year.
• Students from Wales will be eligible for a non-means tested fee grant (£1,940) from the Welsh Assembly Government towards the cost of tuition fees.
• All bursaries and scholarships are open to full-time UK and EU undergraduate students and are paid in instalments each term. The value shown is the total amount payable for each award.
• Entrance Scholarships: £3,000–£3,600 in value plus an unconditional offer and the option of residing in university accommodation throughout the course. Awarded on the basis of exam performance.
• Excellence Bursaries in specified subjects: £2,000 for students who achieve 300 UCAS points and enrol on courses in Science, European Languages, Welsh and defined Welsh-medium schemes.
• Residential Bursaries: £500 in the form of a reduction of hall fees for students in their first year.
• Sports bursaries (£1,500), Music bursaries (£1,200), Bursary for Care leavers (£3,000–£5,400)
• Eligible students must apply through UCAS by 30 June (15 January for Entrance Scholarships) and make Aberystwyth first choice by the UCAS deadline.
• For information on bursaries and scholarships at Aberystwyth University, click here.

Student mix 

• 50% female, 50% male.
• 91% home students, 9% EU/overseas.
• 94% state, 6% private.           

Course flexibility 

• All courses are modular and provide a wide range of choice.
•  Each course has at least two pathways out at the end of the first year.
•  Transfer between degree schemes is possible at the end of the first, and even in some cases, the second year, subject to passes in pre-requisite modules.

Teaching standards 
League Table 

• Voted first place in the UK for Student Satisfaction in a 2007 survey.

Research standards
League Table

• International Politics, Drama, Theatre, Film & Television Studies, Welsh and Celtic Studies all given the highest grading for research in 2001 Research Assessment Exercise.

Academic strengths 

• Accounting & Finance, Biological Sciences, Business & Management, Celtic Studies, Computer Science, Criminology, Drama, Economics, English and Creative Writing, Environmental Sciences, Film & Television Studies, Geography, Information Management, International Politics, Irish, Law, Psychology, Rural Sciences, Software Engineering, Sport & Exercise Science, and Welsh.      

Student facilities, including Library and Computing
League Table  

• University library with over 800,000 books, journals and periodicals.
• Over 800 PCs available on 24 hour access.
• National Library of Wales, one of only five copyright libraries in Britain, is next door to the campus.  

Disability Services

• For information about the disability services at Aberystwyth, telephone 01970 622955, email or visit the website. 

Students' Union 

• Superbly located on campus, the Students’ Union provides a comprehensive range of welfare, social and sporting facilities.
• Over 100 clubs and societies including surfing, orienteering, debating, environmental.
• Visit the website for more details. 

Sport

• Central sports centre provides a range of on campus services – swimming pool, team sports, fitness centre, sauna, etc.
• The coastal location provides superb opportunities for outdoor sports, mountain biking and water sports.
• More information on sport at Aberystwyth is available here.    

Recent/prospective new builds 

• New buildings for Theatre, Film & TV Studies and International Politics.
• A new £12-m Visualisation Centre provides an extensive service for research, industry and commerce.
• Major investment in the refurbishment and renovation of student residences.  

Availability of part-time work 

• The university’s Job Link scheme provides a range of opportunities for part-time work.
• There is no shortage of part-time work, provided students are flexible and offer relevant skills.

For further information

• www.aber.ac.uk
• ug-admissions@aber.ac.uk
• Aberystwyth University, Old College, King Street, Aberystwyth SY23 2AX 
• +44 (0)1970 623 111
• Travel and maps