Liverpool John Moores University

HISTORY

Liverpool John Moores University is a public research university in the city of Liverpool, England.

The university can trace its origins to the Liverpool Mechanics’ School of Arts, established in 1823 making it a contestant as the third-oldest university in England; this later merged to become Liverpool Polytechnic. In 1992, following an Act of Parliament the Liverpool Polytechnic became what is now Liverpool John Moores University.

It is a member of the University Alliance, a mission group of British universities which was established in 2007, and the European University Association.

Originally founded as a small mechanics institution (Liverpool Mechanics’ School of Arts) in 1823, the institution grew over the centuries by converging and amalgamating with different colleges, including City of Liverpool C.F. Mott Training College, before eventually becoming Liverpool Polytechnic in 1970. The University also has a long history of providing training, education and research to the maritime industry, dating back to the formation of the Liverpool Nautical College in 1892.

The institution then became a university under the terms of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 under the new title of “Liverpool John Moores University”. This new title was approved by the Privy Council on 15 September 1992. The university took its name from Sir John Moores, the founder of the Littlewoods empire. Moores was a great believer in the creation of opportunity for all, which embodies the ethos of LJMU in providing educational routes for people of all ages and from all backgrounds. This belief led Sir John Moores to invest in the institution and facilities, such as the John Foster Building (housing the Liverpool Business School), designed by and named after leading architect John Foster.

COURSES

The university is organised into four faculties:

• Faculty of Arts, Professional and Social Studies
• Faculty of Education, Health and Community
• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Technology and Environment

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

The university considers a wide range of qualifications and combinations of qualifications for entry to undergraduate programmes. These include AS / A levels, Access awards (diploma and extended diploma), International Baccalaureate, Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma, Irish Leaving Certificate, BTEC Nationals and OCR Nationals, Open University courses, Scottish Highers/Advanced Highers, the Advanced Diploma and Cambridge Pre-U.

AS levels: to ensure that they are fair and consistent when considering all applications they take a holistic view looking at all aspects of the application including GCSE (or equivalent) grades, references and their personal statement as well as information gained at interviews or auditions. Applicants must have a minimum level of literacy (normally Grade C/Grade 4 or above in GSCE English or its equivalent) and numeracy (which varies from course to course).

ACADEMIC STRENGTHS

LJMU stands apart from other universities in the UK because of its extensive links with employers operating in all sectors of the economy. Regional and local employers, representing all sectors and all types of organisations from large companies to SMEs, are working closely with LJMU’s World of Work Careers Centre to provide outstanding work placements, internships and work-related learning opportunities to students.

LJMU’s World of Work Careers Centre is dedicated to helping students get the skills, confidence and experience they’ll need to succeed in an increasingly competitive gradate job market. Current activities include:

The Centre for Entrepreneurship is the focal point for business start activity at LJMU, supporting around 1,200 students per year within the curriculum and providing expert business start-up advice to students and graduates. Up to 60 places are available on the Enterprise Fellowship Programme, which is an intensive start-up programme linked to a funding scheme where businesses can pitch for £1,500 upon trading.

In addition to honours degrees (plus degrees with foundation years), the university offers a wide range of integrated masters qualifications, such as an MEng (Master of Engineering), MPharm (Master of Pharmacy) or MComp (Master of Computing), which combine undergraduate and postgraduate study into a single course.

LJMU’s expertise in maritime education and research have resulted in new initiatives as part of the EU Atlantic Strategy plus new business incubation and skills development programmes.

TEACHING STANDARDS

All LJMU degrees are of the highest academic standard and are taught by academics actively involved in research or consultancy projects with business and industry. This combination of academic expertise and real world experience helps keep LJMU’s degrees up-to-date and secure accreditation by key professional bodies. Work-related learning is included in every degree programme, so students have the chance to engage in real world projects or go on placements and apply their skills in professional settings. No other university, either in the UK or internationally, offers students the chance to develop these World of Work skills or gives them the opportunity to have their abilities verified through an employer-validated Skills Statement and interview. The university has been awarded 6 Higher Education Academy Awards for outstanding teaching. 2015 NSS results show that LJMU is above the sector average in 5 key areas relating to: Learning Resources, Academic Support, Assessment and Feedback, Personal Development and Organisation and Management.

CAREERS GUIDANCE

Careers Zones offer campus-based career support including careers advice, CV and applications form reviews or interview practice via one-to-one appointments with Careers and Employability Advisers. World of Work Programme aims to ensure that every student is equipped with the skills and attributes they need to stand out from the crowd and successfully engage in the world of work, either because they possess skills which are highly valued by employers or because they are well equipped to set themselves up in their own business. Dedicated MyJobs&Placements vacancy website for graduate jobs, internships, placements, part time jobs and voluntary roles Extensive programme of careers and employability workshops and webinars delivered by LJMU’s team of expert trainers, and programme-specific employer events Goinglobal database allows students to search for jobs and internships around the world. The database contains country career guides, information on visas and local culture, employer directories and much more. Extensive careers resources including academic school-specific Career Planning Guides, programme-specific Career Insights and generic Career Mini Guides, which cover topics including CVs, applications, interviews and assessment centres. Other tools include online CV Builder, Careers Smart self-assessment questionnaire, which helps students understand and explore their current level of career readiness and future career aspirations.