University of Central Lancashire, details of Central Lancashire university

Central Lancashire 

University ranking

• 2010  79
• 2009  63
• 2008  =63

History

• The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) started out in 1828 as the Preston Institute for the Diffusion of Knowledge.
• After a series of further incarnations, the university adopted its current name in 1992.

Location and Transport 

• Excellent road and rail links. The first section of the M6 motorway was completed at Preston!
• The university is 50 minutes away from Manchester and Liverpool by train. Also on the doorstep of the Lake District.
• The city is served by an excellent local bus network with several services stopping frequently at university locations.

Accommodation

• Over 2,000 places in university-owned/leased accommodation. All bedrooms have phones and free high speed internet access.
• Prices range between £69.93 and £81.00 (for en-suite) per week.
• More information on accommodation at Central Lancashire can be found here.

Entry standards

League Table

• Requirements range from 200–300 entry points.
• Further details on entry standards at Central Lancashire can be found here.

Bursaries and Scholarships

• Tuition fees (2009): £3,225.
• For 2009 entry the University Bursary 2009 will be £500 per qualifying student in the first year of study, £310 in subsequent years for eligible students, where the principal earner in the household in which the student lives earns less than £60,000 gross per year. 
• For 2009 entry UCLan is also offering Excellence Sport Scholarships of £4,000.
• For 2009 entry, the Gilbertson Scholarship of £3,300 will be available to all UCLan students achieving a First Class degree, progressing to PG study at UCLan.
• Harris Bursaries are available to students facing hardship (up to a maximum of £1,000 per year).
• More information on bursaries and scholarships at Central Lancashire is available here.

Student mix

• 40% male: 60% female (undergraduate).
• 86% home: 34% overseas (undergraduate).
• 97% state schools.
• Applications to places ratio 22,000: 4,000.

Course flexibility 

• A large programme of combined honours courses.
• Opportunities for part-time and distance learning.

Teaching standards

League Table 

• TQA Rating of 24/24 in American Studies, Deaf Studies, Nursing, Education Studies and Psychology.

Research standards

League Table

• 4 out of 5 in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise in History, Law and Physics.
• By 2010 the university will have made an investment of £9.2 million to create ten major international research centres.
• Recently opened research centres include the UK’s first International Centre for Sign Language and Deaf Studies and the John Tyndall Nuclear Research Institute.

Academic strengths 

• Over 500 undergraduate courses and more than 200 postgraduate taught courses.
• New courses launched regularly.
• Strong focus on employability for all courses, with 95% employment rate.
• UCLan has the highest number of graduate start-up businesses in the North West.
• UCLan has been selected by the National Skills Agency for Nuclear to develop foundation degrees for the entire nuclear industry.

Student facilities, including Library and Computing

League Table

• Over £60 million being invested in teaching, learning and leisure activities.
• 24/7 access to a newly refurbished library with a fantastic range of new facilities including group and individual study pods, laptops to borrow and a cafe.
• 24-hour access to computers, with more than 2,000 situated throughout the university.
• Excellent online resources and Europe's largest 3D lecture theatre. 
• Through UCLan's new 'Futures' award scheme students can gain credit in a host of different ways ranging from the recognition of work experience or volunteering activities, language development, industrial placements, live student projects, mentoring work and much more.  Possession of the Futures award enables UCLan graduates to demonstrate clearly a range of practical skills demanded by employers such as communication, initiative and leadership.

Disability Services

• Information about our disability services is available here.  
• To contact  the Disability Advisory Service at UCLan, telephone/textphone 01772 892593, fax 01772 892939 or email. 

Students’ Union

• A £6.5-million 1,600 capacity venue, ‘53 Degrees’, hosts concerts, club nights and comedy. See here for details. Voted SU of the year in 2005.
• Thirteen elected representatives makes up the union body, with offices centrally-based within the university campus.
• Diverse range of societies, with everything from Manga to snowboarding.
• For more information about the student's union at the University of Central Lancashire, visit the website.

Sport

• A £12.2-million sports arena, with indoor and outdoor facilities for most sports, including the region’s only Premiership standard football pitches.
• Foster Sports Centre provides students with a well-equipped gym and sports halls. Over 30 classes taught per week.
• UCLan’s partner institution Myerscough College boasts the International Centre for Golf Education.
• More information about sport at the University of Central Lancashire can be found here.

Recent/prospective new builds

• A new £15.3-million Media Factory has top facilities for performing arts and media courses. Business incubation units also provided.
• The School of Dentistry is housed in a new £5.25-million building.
• New Centre for Outdoor Education in Llangollen, North Wales. By September 2009 this will have been refurbished to incorporate specialist outdoor education provision.
• Exciting new £10 million campus in Burnley to open in September 2009.

Availability of part-time work

• Every year The Bridge, a job shop run by the Students’ Union, finds employment for over 2,800 students and generates over £3.1 million for them.
• Plenty of opportunities for part-time work in retail and bar work.

For further information

• www.uclan.ac.uk
• Contact the University of Central Lancashire
• University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 2HE 
• +44 (0)1772 201201 
• Travel and maps