Aberystwyth University

The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018 awarded the prestigious accolade of ’University of the Year for Teaching Quality’ to Aberystwyth University, which marks the first time an institution in Wales has been ranked number one by the Guide for this award. The Guide’s league table also propels the University into the top 50 universities in the UK.

Aberystwyth University is also one among the top ten in the UK and first in Wales for student experience. It was ranked 47th in the UK among 131 higher education institutions.

Why Aberystwyth University?

The Editor of the Sunday Times Good University Guide, Alastair McCall, said, “Aberystwyth University had taken strides in recent years to improve the student experience.”

“Students at Aberystwyth know they are on to a good thing and have been swift to acknowledge it. The University has secured some of the most remarkable scores in the UK from students for the quality of teaching it offers. It is one of a very few universities to increase its student satisfaction scores in this area from last year, against a backdrop of a much tougher National Student Survey,” said McCall.

Student satisfaction

On overall student satisfaction, Aberystwyth was ranked the best in Wales and one of the top five mainstream universities in the 2017 NSS.

The University’s employability rates are also at their highest ever, with figures published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency in July 2017 showing 95% of Aberystwyth students were in work or pursuing higher education six months after graduating in 2016.

Refurbished library

The University has invested more than GBP 1 million in a major refurbishment of its iconic Hugh Owen library. The University has maximised, updated and improved student study spaces providing additional user space based on regular student feedback. It has also updated the decoration and furnishing, and also improved the lighting, heating and ventilation to make a more comfortable environment for the students.

Aberystwyth University takes pride in its nearly 150 year-long history of academic excellence that dates back to 1872. The University is committed to providing a first-class student experience which continues today, developing stimulating degree schemes containing relevant content and taught by research-led experts, all of which are supported by excellent facilities and resources.

The University aligns teaching and research to provide high quality, research-led programmes of study that makes use of the lecturers’ disciplinary research to introduce the students to the latest findings and developments in their chosen discipline.

From lectures, practicals, presentations, workshops, field trips, individual projects and group work, Aberystwyth University aspires to provide a varied and engaging learning environment that will challenge and encourage its students to grow in knowledge and research skills.

The award by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018, which voted the University as the University of the Year for Teaching Quality is a testament to the student-orientated and research-intensive approach of the faculty. Also, 95% of the research that is submitted by the University was acknowledged to be of an internationally recognised standard or higher (Research Excellence Framework, 2014).

In its overall league table, the 2018 Good University Guide ranks Aberystwyth University fifth for teaching quality across the UK. The findings of the latest Good University Guide reflect the results of the National Student Survey (NSS) published in August 2017, which placed Aberystwyth in second place across the UK for the quality of its assessment and feedback.

Aberystwyth University is divided into six distinct institutes made up of seventeen academic departments, including:

Institute of Arts and Humanities (IAH)

IAH’s research and teaching profile sits within seven distinctive but related departments: The School of Art, English and Creative Writing, International English Centre, Modern Languages, School of Education, Theatre, Film and Television Studies, Welsh and Celtic Studies.

IAH is also home to the award-winning Aberystwyth Arts Centre and the University Music Centre.

Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences

Institute of Business and Law

Institute of Geography, History, Politics and Psychology

Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science

Institute of Professional Development

For the postgraduate students, the University offers programmes on Information Management, Libraries and Archives.

Find the complete list here…

International English Centre – Top 3 UK university for English Language Tuition

The University also has a designated International English Centre (IEC) that offers a variety of English courses to the international students, and general support in the development of their English language and literacy skills. The quality of English language tuition enjoyed by international students at Aberystwyth University is rated among the best in the UK according to figures published on Friday 13 October 2017. The International English Centre (IEC) at Aberystwyth University has been ranked third in EL Gazette’s league table of university English language centres in the UK. The IEC provides a comprehensive programme of English language courses including the International Foundation Certificate, Pre Masters and Pre-Sessional courses, and general English courses. Further information is available online.

All departments are well structured with a combination of teaching, research and service staff to support students throughout their studies.

Most academic departments and their associated teaching facilities are conveniently based on Aberystwyth University’s main Penglais Campus.

International and EU applicants will need to show evidence of a sufficient knowledge of English which must be provided before they will be formally accepted to commence their studies.

While the University accepts IELTS or TOEFL results as proof of English proficiency, it also has recognised other suitable qualifications such as Secure English Language Tests (SELTs) and tests where Aberystwyth University will make its own assessment.

IELTS score requirements for undergraduate courses

• 6.5 with minimum 5.5 in each component for Science Courses.
• Students who wish to pursue BSc Computer Science requires a score of 6.0 overall with minimum 5.5 in each component.
• For Arts and Social Science Courses, students must score 6.5 with minimum 5.5 in each component.

For more details, click here…

IELTS score requirements for postgraduate courses

• 6.0 with minimum 5.5 in each component for programmes under Computer Science, Physics and Mathematics.

• 6.5 with minimum 5.5 in each component for courses in Art Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences History and Welsh History Information Studies Law and Criminology (Taught LLM courses) Management and Business Modern Languages, and Welsh.
• Students require a score of 7.5 with minimum 7.5 in each component for English and Creative Writing (PhD).

View the full requirements here…

International students can benefit from a generous range of scholarship packages for undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes. These scholarships are available to applicants from countries such as China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Nigeria, Norway, Singapore, Thailand, USA, and Vietnam.

For international undergraduate students, the University offers:

• Aberystwyth international scholarship
  International students will be considered for this scholarship automatically which is worth GBP 2,000 a year towards tuition fees for full-time studies.

• International excellence undergraduate scholarship
  Awarded on the basis of the merits of international students, this scholarship provides a discount on the tuition fees worth GBP 8,000 over three years for full-time students pursuing a full degree.

International postgraduate students

International students commencing a Taught programme or a Research programme can be supported through a few University schemes or external schemes. A Taught programme involves two “taught” semesters consisting of traditional lectures and seminars, and a final “self-study”

Read more on these scholarships…

Aberystwyth University offers excellent academic and non-academic facilities for students, including:

Aberystwyth Arts Centre

Wales’ largest arts centre – situated on the main Penglais Campus – boasts of an extensive artistic programme in music, drama, dance, film, visual arts and more.

National library of Wales

Right next door to the main Penglais Campus, the students can access the National Library of Wales, which has a huge collection of reading materials as it has the right to store a copy of every publication printed in the UK.

Sports centre

Students can enjoy the facilities at the University’s modern-fitted gym, free weights room, various exercise classes, pool, climbing wall, running track, 3G all-weather artificial pitches among others.

Students’ Union

With over 50 sports clubs and close to 100 societies, volunteering initiatives and support services, the Aberystwyth University Students’ Union is a great way to pursue the students’ interests, make friends and enjoy social events.

Learning resources

Throughout the University, students will find modern lecture halls, hi-tech practical labs, large computer rooms, libraries, learning hubs, online provisions - all of which assists students in their studies.

You can read more about these facilities here…