Aberystwyth University

Award Winners

Aberystwyth University has been awarded the prestigious ‘University of the Year for Teaching Quality’ accolade in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019. It makes it the first Welsh institution to be ranked number one for the award, whilst the league table also propels Aberystwyth into the U.K.’s overall top 50.

The university is also included amongst the top five in the U.K. for student experience, first place in Wales. It has maintained a top 50 spot amongst 131 higher education institutions, and was recognised with a gold award in the 2018 Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF).

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 U.K. 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.”

Aberystwyth University’s gold award in the TEF demonstrates its commitment to providing outstanding teaching. It takes pride in a history of academic excellence dating back to 1872, and continues to develop stimulating and relevant degree programmes taught by research-led experts.

Supported by the superb facilities and resources, Aberystwyth faculty align teaching and research to provide programmes of study that make use of the lecturers’ disciplinary research to educate students on the latest developments in their specific fields.

Aberystwyth aspires to provide a varied and engaging learning environment to challenge and encourage students to grow in knowledge and research skills by using a wide range of learning techniques.

The overall league table of the 2019 Good University Guide ranks Aberystwyth fourth across the U.K. for reaching quality, reflecting the results of the 2018 National Student Survey which placed it second in the U.K. for quality of assessment and feedback.

Through a combination of experienced tutors, innovative learning techniques and excellent facilities, Aberystwyth gives students access to a high-quality education.

Three distinct faculties made up of 17 academic departments make up Aberystwyth University:

Faculty of Art and Social Sciences

• School of Art
• School of Education
• Department of English and Creative Writing
• Department of History and Welsh History
• International English Centre
• Department of International Politics
• Department of Law and Criminology
• Department of Modern Languages
• Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies
• Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies

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

Faculty of Business and Physical Sciences

• Aberystwyth Business School
• Department of Computer Science
• Information Management, Libraries and Archives
• Department of Mathematics
• Department of Physics

Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences

• Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences
• Department of Geography and Earth Sciences
• Department of Psychology

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

International English Centre

Aberystwyth University also provides a specialist International English Centre (IEC) offering various courses to international students as well as general support for their English language development. International students can enjoy English language tuition rated amongst the highest quality in the U.K., with the UEC ranked third in the EL Gazette’s 2018 league table of university English language centres in the U.K. The IEC offers a range of comprehensive programmes and courses, including International Foundation Certificate, Pre-Masters and Pre-Sessional courses along with general English courses of a number of levels.

All departments combine teaching, research and service staff to support students throughout their studies.

International and EU applicants will be required to provide evidence of sufficient English knowledge, which they must provide before being formally accepted to commence study. The university accepts IELTS or TOEFL results, but also has other suitable qualifications recognised, such as the SELTs and tests where Aberystwyth University will make its own assessment.

IELTS score requirements for undergraduate courses

• Score of 6.5, with minimum 5.5 in each component for Science courses.
• Score of 6.0 overall, with minimum 5.5 in each component, for BSc Computer Science and Business School courses.
• Score of 6.5, with minimum 5.5 in each component, for Arts and Social Sciences courses.

IELTS score requirements for postgraduate courses

• 6.0, with minimum 5.5 in each component, for programmes under Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics and Management and Business (MSc and MBA).
• 6.5, with minimum 5.5 in each component, for courses in Art Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences Education and Lifelong Learning, History and Welsh History Information Studies Law and Criminology (Taught LLM courses) Management and Business (PhD and MPhil) Modern Languages, and Welsh.
• 7.0, with minimum 6.0 in each component, for courses in Geography and Earth Sciences, International Politics, Law and Criminology (PhD, MPhil and LLM by Research), Psychology, and Theatre, Film and Television Studies.
• For English and Creative Writing courses, students require a score of 7.5, with minimum 7.0 in each component for Masters, and 7.5 in each component for PhD.

A generous range of scholarship packages are available to international students studying either undergraduate, postgraduate or research programmes.

International students are offered the following scholarships:

Aberystwyth International Scholarship

Students will be automatically considered and assessed for this GBP 2,000 per year scholarship towards full-time tuition fees.

International Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship

Provides a discount on tuition fees worth GBP 8,000 over three years on a merit basis to international students studying full-time who have demonstrated significant academic excellence.

Students do not need to apply for scholarships as they will be automatically assessed upon application. EU applicants are eligible for a much wider range of scholarships ranging greatly in the amount awarded.

Excellent academic and non-academic facilities are offered to students at Aberystwyth University, including:

Aberystwyth Arts Centre

Largest arts centre in Wales, situated on the main Penglais Campus and featuring extensive artistic programme in music, drama, dance, film, visual arts and more.

National Library of Wales

National Library based next door to Penglais Campus, providing access to a huge collection of reading materials.

Sports Centre

Modern-fitted gym, free weights room, various exercise classes, swimming pool, climbing wall, running track and 3G all-weather artificial pitches are amongst the excellent sports facilities.

Students’ Union

Over 50 sports clubs, nearly 100 societies and various volunteering initiatives and support services are all based from, and supported by, the Students’ Union, allowing students to pursue interests in an organised and rewarding manner.

Learning resources

Modern lecture halls, hi-tech labs, large computer rooms and learning hubs are all around the university to assist students in their studies.