Keele University

HISTORY

Keele University, officially known as the University of Keele, is a public research university located about 3 miles (5 km) from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. Keele was granted university status by Royal Charter in 1962 and was founded in 1949 as the University College of North Staffordshire. Keele is the 24th oldest university in the UK List of UK universities by date of foundation, and highest research-ranked university in Staffordshire. A science park and a conference centre complements the academic buildings, making it the largest campus university in the UK. The university’s School of Medicine operates the clinical part of its courses from a separate campus at the Royal Stoke University Hospital with the School of Nursing and Midwifery is based at the nearby Clinical Education Centre.

The university college was granted university status in 1962, receiving a new Royal charter in January of that year, and adopting the name “University of Keele”.

The university is a short distance west of the civil parish of Keele, and it was decided to name it after the village. It is the only establishment of higher education in the UK to be named after a village, and this has long attracted questions as to its location. Together with Reading, Nottingham, Southampton, Hull, Exeter and Leicester, all university colleges founded a short time before or after the first world war, Keele is identified as one of the civic or Red Brick universities, albeit a very late one. 

COURSES

Keele’s academic activities are organised into the following faculties:

• Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Faculty of Natural Sciences
• Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

Associated with the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences:

Research institutes:

• Primary Care & Health Sciences
• Science & Technology in Medicine

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

They judge all applications on their individual merits and take account of all the information provided on the UCAS application forms, including predicted grades, AS level results if certificated, the referee’s report, candidate’s personal statement, GCSE results and non-academic achievements. For some courses, depending on individual circumstances, there may be some flexibility for students who have chosen two AS levels in place of a third A2 subject.

Typically, their three year degree courses ask for A level grades (or equivalent) of between AAB and BBC. They welcome applications from candidates with non-traditional qualifications and will take into consideration prior learning and experience and alternative qualifications. Students entering Keele are required to have GCSE English Language at grade C or above, or equivalent.

GCSE Mathematics or Science at grade C or above is also required for most courses. For some courses Mathematics only is acceptable and/or grade B is required.

ACADEMIC STRENGTHS

Keele is renowned for its interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach whether the student want to study Health, Humanities and Social Sciences or Natural Sciences. Teaching in small groups, the degree programmes and foundation years are seen as being distinctively challenging, flexible and foster a broader based knowledge.  Keele students are taught by researchers who develop new ideas and publish research findings, which they bring into their teaching.

TEACHING STANDARDS

1st in the National Student Survey (NSS) 2014, 2015 and 2016 (of UK broad-based universities for overall student satisfaction with an exceptionally high score of 94%). In the NSS, Final Year undergraduates were found to be the most happy with ​well-organised and ​intellectually stimulating courses, and ​lecturers being available when needed, ​good at explaining things​ and ​enthusiastic about what they are teaching.

CAREERS GUIDANCE

Keele University was ranked 1st for Employment (HESA – Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education, 2016). The 97.5% of students who graduated in 2015 found employment or continued on to further study within six months (Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education 2016). The Careers and Employability team are based in the library to offer students guidance and advice. Graduate Careers Fairs are held on campus attracting a range of employers. Employers regularly visit Keele and are eager to recruit its students and graduates.