Sunday Times University Guide 2013
Published 2 October 2012
The vitality that made Brighton our inaugural University of the Year as long ago as 1999 is still clearly in evidence 15 years later. This is according to the latest Sunday Times University Guide.
Here is the newspaper's full profile of the University of Brighton:
This is an institution on the up, consistently close to the top of our modern university rankings, and once more among the top 20 institutions in terms of overall applications received.
Its popularity and the high quality of both the teaching on offer and the students applying to benefit from it, has led the university to raise entry requirements across the board this year. Typical offers now include BBB for business, ABB for architecture, ABB for sport and exercise science, and ABB for most sciences, too. These are some of the toughest requirements in the modern university sector.
So what is all the fuss about? History, media, social work, biology, maths and art are all rated well above the institutional average for the quality of their teaching. The university was a pioneer in the teaching of computer science, podiatry and sports journalism and it is one of just three modern universities to have a medical school, run jointly with the University of Sussex.
The 21,000 students are split across five campuses — three in Brighton, the other two in Eastbourne and Hastings. The latter — the newest outpost — has been a runaway success and new premises completed this summer will allow the course portfolio to be broadened further with the addition of nursing and biology and the addition of many more students. Stretching from West Sussex to the farthest reaches of neighbouring East Sussex, Brighton now has a truly regional presence.
The university is charging the maximum £9,000 fees but there are several avenues by which students can reduce the sum. Those from homes where income is less than £25,000, and who live in a neighbourhood where few go to university, can qualify for £3,000 of support in their first year in fee waivers and bursary and a further £2,000 in each of years two and three.
Other packages support students drawn from the local area or those taking teaching, pharmacy and architecture degrees and are worth up to £6,000 over the course of a degree.
Several new business degrees are being introduced next September, combining business with economic, human resource management, marketing and finance, plus a new top-up degree is offered through Plumpton College in the wine business.
Student view
Jacob Kahane, Students’ Union president:
First impressions
When I came to visit, lecturers were genuinely interested in me and that's why I wanted to go to Brighton.
Worst feature
There is a lack of community atmosphere because the university is split into different campuses.
Making a difference
The union is directly involved in all of the major decisions the university makes.
Deal clincher
Brighton is a progressive university in a beautiful city. The sea is right next to you; it's incredible.
Source: The Sunday Times, 30 September 2012.
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Contact: Marketing and Communications, University of Brighton, 01273 643022
