University Name:
See all universitiesPlymouth University
UCAS Code: P60
Location: Plymouth, south-west England Show on Map
Site: Main campus in Plymouth; partner colleges across the region
A modern university with focus on enterprise and business engagement; a member of the University Alliance group of universities.
Student Population
| Total Students: | 31,856 |
| Undergraduates: | 86% |
| Postgraduates: | 14% |
Undergraduates
| Total undergraduates: | 27,551 |
| Male: | 45% |
| Female: | 55% |
| Full Time: | 75% |
| Mature on Entry: | 44% |
| UK Students: | 92% |
| State school entry: | 94% |
Teaching Staff
2762 (full- and part-time)
Broad study areas
Architecture, building & construction; art & design, media & performance; biological, health, chemical & agricultural sciences; computing, mathematics & statistics; education & teaching; engineering; health & social work; hospitality, tourism, sport & leisure; humanities & languages; law, business, management & logistics; marine, earth, geography & environment; psychology & social sciences; medicine & dentistry (you can look up Peninsula Medical College seperately).
Freshers
| Admission Information: | Broad range qualifications welcomed (including AS-levels in combination with 2+ A-levels or equivalent); some courses have specific criteria. UCAS tariff used for many offers (key skills may count on some courses), others expressed in grades. |
| Points on Entry (Mean): | 297 |
| Drop Out Rate: | 7% |
| Accommodation: | Most first years housed in university-allocated accommodation. |
Institution
| Founded: | 1970 as a polytechnic, later merging with colleges of education, art and agriculture. University status in 1992. |
| Structural features: | Peninsula Medical & Dental College, a joint enterprise with Exeter University. Involved in Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC). Partner colleges in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Channel Islands. |
| Site: | Main campus in Plymouth city centre. |
| How to get there: | Regular rail service from London Paddington, south Wales, Midlands and the north to Exeter and Plymouth; coach services from most major cities; by road via M5, and A38 from Exeter (3½ hours London to Plymouth); to Exeter and Plymouth airports from various cities in UK and beyond; ferry links from France and Spain to Plymouth. |
Student services & facilities
| Student advice & services: | Counselling; disability support; chaplaincy; medical centre, legal and other welfare services on each campus. Nursery available. |
| Amenities: | SU building and offices; also shops, launderettes, entertainments (visiting bands, DJs etc); sporting and non-sporting clubs and societies; student community action volunteers group; student newspaper and TV. |
| Sporting facilities: | All mainstream and a variety of other sports; university diving & marine centre and partnership with watersports centre. Indoor recreation activities eg aerobics, badminton, karate, yoga, fully-equipped gym. |
| Accommodation: | Approx half of first years in university halls. 2100 self-catering places available, £81−£133 per week (from £110 pw ensuite); contracts 40 or 52 weeks. Most students live in privately-owned accommodation (university has database of some 5000 rooms): average rent £65−£85 pw self-catering (including bills), £80−£90 catered lodgings. |
Study opportunities & careers
| Library & information services: | Campus library has some 500,000 books, 13,000+ journal subscriptions (many electronic), plus audio-visual materials and 24/7 access to computing facilities. Health students also have access to specialist libraries around the region. Information provision, £72 pa spent for each student (FTE). Campus-wide access to computer network (wired or wireless) and in all student accommodation. Induction information for new students and information literacy sessions tailored to academic programmes. IT skills normally part of course programmes; short course, workshops and seminars on computing. |
| Other learning resources: | Navigation simulator, computer-aided engineering facilities, diving school. Desk-top publishing, colour laser printer, binding and lettering equipment. |
| Study abroad: | Opportunities to study in Europe (through Socrates-Erasmus), North America or Australia. Students from any discipline can spend a term or a year at a partner institution and complete degree with no loss of time. Languages can be incorporated in some degree courses. |
| Careers: | Plymouth Gateway provides access to careers fairs, skills sessions and careers bootcamps; online graduate vacancy service; interview rooms; business start-up support and incubation space; e-portfolio; knowledge transfer partnerships. SU also offers training in graduate employment skills and knowledge. |
Money
| Living expenses budget: | Minimum budget of £6144 for the academic year (excluding tuition fees) estimated by university. |
| Term-time work: | No limit to paid work imposed. Many jobs on campus. |
| Financial help: | Scholarships of £3000 (£1000 cash in Year 1, £1000 for on-campus purchases, £1000 for guaranteed internship during studies); eligible students are resident in England, whose family income is up to £16k pa, and who either attended a target school, or is a disabled student, or a care leaver or an independent student. Also various funds from government and university; special help for childcare, travel costs, students estranged from parents, serious on-going hardship. |
| University tuition fees: | Home students pay £9000 pa for first degree courses. International students pay £10,500. |
Courses
Academic features:
Modular degree scheme covering business, science, technology, education and teaching, art and design and health. First year modules offered at partner colleges in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Channel Islands, so students in south-west can study nearer home.
Awarding body:
University of Plymouth
Main undergraduate awards:
BA, BSc, BEd, BEng, BM BS, MEng, LLB, MMath, MGeol.
Length of courses:
3 years; others 4 years (BEd, sandwich courses); or one-year top-ups.
Main subjects offered:
- Accountancy
- Advertising
- Agriculture
- Animal Science
- Animation
- Archaeology
- Architectural Design
- Architectural Technology
- Architecture
- Art
- Art History
- Audio
- Biology
- Biomedical Science
- Building Surveying
- Business Administration
- Business Economics
- Business Studies
- Ceramics
- Chemistry
- Childhood Studies
- Civil Engineering
- Communication Studies
- Computer Engineering
- Computer Science
- Computer Technology
- Computing
- Conservation
- Construction
- Counselling
- Creative/Performance Writing
- Criminal Justice
- Criminology
- Cultural Studies
- Dance
- Dentistry
- Dietetics
- Drama
- E-business
- Ecology
- Economics
- Education
- Electrical Engineering
- Electronic Engineering
- Electronics
- Engineering (General)
- English
- Environmental Biology
- Environmental Health
- Environmental Science
- Equine Studies
- Events Management
- Fashion
- Finance
- Financial Economics
- Financial Services
- Food Science
- Food Technology
- Forensic Science
- Furniture Design
- Furniture Production
- Geography
- Geology
- Geoscience
- Graphic Design
- Health
- History
- Horticulture
- Hospitality Management
- Housing Management
- Human Biology
- Human Resource Management
- Human Sciences
- Humanities
- Illustration
- Informatics
- Information Systems
- Information Technology
- Interactive Games Production
- Interactive Multimedia
- Interior Design
- International Business
- International Relations
- Internet Technology
- Jazz
- Journalism
- Law
- Leisure Management
- Library Studies
- Logistics
- Management
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Marine Biology
- Marine Engineering
- Maritime Studies
- Marketing
- Mathematics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Media Studies
- Medicine
- Midwifery
- Multimedia
- Music
- Music Technology
- Nursing
- Nutrition
- Occupational Therapy
- Oceanography
- Optometry
- Performance Arts
- Photography
- Physiotherapy
- Podiatry
- Politics
- Printing/Typography
- Product Design
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Retail Management
- Rural Environment Studies
- Silversmithing
- Social Science
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Software Engineering
- Sports Sciences
- Statistics
- Surveying
- Sustainable Development
- Teacher Training
- Textiles
- Theatre Studies
- Three-Dimensional Design
- Tourism
- Transport Studies
- TV Studies
- Veterinary Nursing
- Visual Arts
- Web Development/Design
- Wildlife Management
- Zoology
Student view
Darren Jones, President and Chair of the Board of Trustees, University of Plymouth Students' Union (Graduate, BSc Human Bioscience)
Living
What’s it like as a place to live? Plymouth is an amazing place to live; our central campus is in walking distance to the ever-expanding city centre, the famous Plymouth Barbican and the beautiful Hoe and coastlines. The city is also developing quickly with brand new buildings going up every year including the most recent addition of the Drake Circus shopping centre. Plymouth is an exciting place to live and an amazing place to be a student.
How’s the student accommodation? Student accommodation is very good in Plymouth. Two new on-campus accommodation blocks (Halls) have now been built in addition to our other halls of resident just across the road from campus. The University also has an excellent accommodation service that accredits private accommodation throughout the city – accommodation that is comparably cheap with other city centre universities.
What’s the student population like? Plymouth has a very diverse student population spread out across the whole of the SW Peninsula. We also have the traditional academic community of undergraduates, postgraduates, mature and international students. Plymouth has always been a very friendly, laid back place to be and a place that you will instantly make good friends in – perhaps for life!
How do students and locals get on? There have been obvious issues with our expanding student community in the area but in comparison to other central universities we are pretty good. We are also doing much work to try and improve any tensions that may exist.
Studying
What’s it like as a place to study? We are coming to the end of an extensive building program on campus with brand new buildings being ready for student use. We also offer a wide range of degree programs from the traditional science and arts degrees to the more quirky degrees such as surf science and technology.
What are the teaching staff like? The teaching staff are lovely in Plymouth, with the spectrum of motivated and enthusiastic new academics to renowned, academic stars; and the university is very proud of its ethos for staff-student relationships.
Socialising
What are the student societies like? We have around 100 different clubs and societies at UPSU ranging from football, rugby and the yacht club to fair trade, politics and Welsh soc! Our clubs and societies can form a central part of your non-academic life as a student at Plymouth; you may go to the Alps with our snow boarding and ski club (the ‘Snowriders’) or travel to Switzerland with our robotics society – anything is possible! All of our clubs and societies are very friendly and welcome beginners with an interest right through to pro’s!
What’s a typical night out? A typical night out UPSU style would be to start in the union for some of the cheapest drinks in the city (pint of Strongbow under £1.80!) and to meet with your friends before going to a sponsored club night and Cuba! and/or Ride before ending up (if you’re really hardcore!) in Goodbodies for a 5/6am cooked breakfast!
How much does it cost? Plymouth has some of the cheapest prices in the country and at the Students’ Union we offer some of the cheapest of the cheapest in the city!! You can expect to have a full night out (from 9pm to 6am) for around £20.
How can you get home safely? Plymouth has lots of taxis!! UPSU works with Taxifast (01752 22 22 22) who only ever charge a flat rate charge at any time and because everything is so close together in Plymouth it always costs around £5 if not less!
Money
Is it an expensive place to live? Far from it – Plymouth is one of the cheapest places to be a student in the country from accommodation costs to costs of living.
Average price of a pint? In the SU the average price of a pint would be around £2 or less.
And the price of a takeaway? Depending on what you want you can pay anything from a few pounds for a kebab/chips to around £10−£12 for pizza.
What’s the part-time work situation? There are part-time jobs available in the city with the main employers being the post office sorting office, telephone call centres the shopping centre and of course the SU!
Summary
What’s the best feature about the place? The location.
And the worst? The location – believe it or not – as it can also be too far away from events in other places.
And to sum up it all up? An excellent, friendly University with amazing people in a beautiful location that won’t cost you the earth to study in.
More info?
Enquiries to any UPSU executive member, tel 01752 663337 or from website www.upsu.com.
Open days
27th June 2012
Open day for whole university, 10am to 4.30pm. Student ambassadors and members of staff will be on-hand on campus to welcome you and help you get the most out of your visit.
Contact
Address:
University of Plymouth
Drake Circus
Plymouth
PL4 8AA
Devon
Tel:
01752 600600
Email:
Website:
Student enquiries:
Central Admissions & Course Enquiries (tel 01752 585858).
Application:
UCAS
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