University of Chester, details of Chester university

Chester 

University ranking

• 2010  90
• 2009  =90
• 2008  84

History

• Founded as Church of England teacher training college in 1839. Founders included W. E. Gladstone. Later Chester College of HE.
• Significant dates: 1975 BA, BSc degrees introduced; 1991 Nursing/ Midwifery courses introduced; 2002 Former HE section of Warrington Collegiate Institute joined Chester College of HE as its Warrington campus; 2003 taught degree awarding powers granted.
• 2005 full university status achieved; 2007 research degree awarding powers granted.

Location and Transport

• Chester campus: approximately 10 minutes walking distance of the centre of one of England’s finest historic cities.
• Warrington campus: a self-contained campus at Padgate, Warrington.
• Kingsway Buildings: a second site in Chester, opened in September 2007, approximately 6 minutes driving distance or 20 minutes walking distance from the main Chester campus; the Chester base of the Faculty of Arts and Media.
• Both Chester and Warrington are easy to reach by rail or road. Liverpool and Manchester airports are both relatively near.

Accommodation

• Chester: 931 places on campus (full-board, semi-catered and self-catered). Register of private sector accommodation maintained by Accommodation Office.
• Warrington: 535 places on campus (semi-catered and self-catered). Register of private sector accommodation maintained by Accommodation Office.
• More information on accommodation at the University of Chester is available here.

Entry standards

League Table

• A minimum of between 240 and 300 UCAS points, depending on subject, for degree courses.
• More details on entry standards at the University of Chester are available here.

Bursaries and Scholarships

Students In receipt of a full Maintenance Grant are eligible for a University of Chester bursary of £1,000 p.a.

• Tuition fees (2009): £3,225.
• Fees for placement year: £1,570.
• Eligibility for bursaries to be assessed using UUK/SLC model bursary scheme (HEBSS).
• For more information on bursaries and scholarships at the University of Chester, click here.

Student mix

• Male: female, 31%: 69%.
• Home: overseas, 97%: 3%.
• State school: public school, 97%: 3%.
• Applications to places ratio 8: 1.

Course flexibility

• Students can apply to change from single to combined honours programmes and vice versa.
• Most combinations of subjects are possible within the combined honours programme, provided that location and time-tabling constraints do not make them impracticable.
• Most programmes allow some module choice. 

Teaching standards

League Table

• High scores have been achieved in recent national student satisfaction surveys – e.g. English, Geography, History, and Theology.
• In addition, most subjects (e.g. Sport Sciences, Mathematics) scored well in the QAA teaching assessments.

Research standards

League Table

• In the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise, Studies Allied to Medicine and Theology achieved particularly creditable scores.
• A Research and Knowledge Transfer Office has been set up, under the direction of the Dean of Research, reflecting the increasing emphasis that the University is placing upon research. 

Academic strengths

• Biological Sciences, Business, Education, English, Fine Art, Health and Social Care, History, Performing Arts, Psychology, Sociology, Sport Sciences, Theology.
• An innovative Work Based Learning programme is available to all second-year students in HEFCE Faculties.

Student facilities, including Library and Computing

• Substantial investment in recent years. Library book stock is approximately 327,000 volumes. There are 1,300 PCs for student use.
• Library, Computer and IT Services have recently merged as Learning and Information Services.

Disability Services

• Diversity issues (including disability) are currently dealt with by Kathryn Fagan (Human Resources Management Services) and Darren Mooney (Student Support And Guidance). 
• Student Support and Guidance has a Disability and Specific Needs Support Worker, Tony Catt.

Students' Union

• There are thriving Students’ Union branches on both main campuses.
• At Warrington, an extensive £800,000 refurbishment of the union building was completed in 2006.
• At Chester, a brand new £2-million SU building was completed in 2007.
• More information on the students' union at the University of Chester is available here. 

Sport

• Sport and Exercise Sciences is a major subject department, so facilities are extensive.
• The facilities at Chester include a sports hall, a gymnasium, pitches for summer and winter games, all-weather pitch, squash courts, swimming pool and fitness centre.
• Those at Warrington include a sports hall, a floodlit all-weather pitch, athletics track and fitness centre.
• More information on sport at the University of Chester is available here.

Recent/prospective new builds

• Chester: Westminster Building (£4 million), officially opened as HQ (Faculty of Heath and Social Care), 2006.
• Chester: New SU Building operational from September 2007.
• Chester: former Kingsway High School developed as an additional Chester site (Kingsway Buildings) and operational from September 2007.
• Warrington: Major refurbishment of SU building, 2006.
• Warrington: Broomhead Library (£2.35 million) officially opened in February 2008.
• Warrington: Tucker Building (Business Centre/Teaching Accommodation, £3 million) now operational.

Availability of part-time work

• A wide range of job opportunities are available.
• Student Support and Guidance maintain information about job opportunities.
• About 42% of full-time students say they undertake some form of paid employment during term-time.

For further information

• www.chester.ac.uk
• enquiries@chester.ac.uk
• University of Chester, Parkgate Road, Chester CH1 4BJ
• +44 (0)1244 511000
• Travel and maps