University of Bradford

HISTORY

The University of Bradford is a public, plate glass university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The university received its Royal Charter in 1966, making it the 40th university to be created in Britain, but its origins date back to the early 19th century. There are two campuses: the main campus located on Richmond Road and the School of Management, at Emm Lane.

It was the first British university to establish a Department of Peace Studies in 1973, which is currently the world’s largest university centre for the study of peace and conflict. The division has a reputation as a centre of excellence in peace research, international relations, security studies, conflict resolution and development and peace studies.

The university’s origins date back to the Mechanics Institute, founded in 1832, formed in response to the need in the city for workers with cutting-edge skills relevant to the workplace. In 1882, the institute became the Bradford Technical College. In 1957, the Bradford Institute of Technology, was formed as a College of Advanced Technology to take on the running of higher education courses. Construction of the Richmond Building, the largest building on campus, began in 1963. The Horton Building and Chesham building were subsequently added, on the opposite side of Richmond Road.

The Charter of Incorporation was granted in 1966, to create the University of Bradford; the then Prime Minister Harold Wilson became the university’s first chancellor.

In 1987, the university became one of the twelve founding members of the Northern Consortium.

In September 2009, it was announced that the University was to merge with Leeds College of Music. The college had originally announced a merger with Leeds Metropolitan University in April 2009, however, discussions broke down due to issues with the provision of further education courses at the college. It was later announced that this merger would not go ahead due to financial constraints. LCM’s degrees are now validated by the University of Hull.

COURSES

There are five academic faculties. These have previously been called “schools” but changed their name to avoid confusion with the sub-units also sometimes called schools in 2014. Four faculties are based at the city campus, and share many facilities, whilst the Faculty of Management and Law (which incorporates the School of Management and Law School) s a short bus ride away.

The Faculties are:

• Faculty of Engineering and informatics;
• Faculty of Health Studies;
• Faculty of Life Sciences;
• Faculty of Management and Law;
• Faculty of Social and International Studies.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

53.2% of undergraduate degree students are admitted to university with A levels or BTECS as their highest qualification for admission.

The university accepts a range of qualifications and present their entry requirements in the UCAS tariff.

Some courses have subject specific requirements. GCSE equivalents are accepted on some, but not all of their courses.

The students can read their admissions policy on their website.

ACADEMIC STRENGTHS

Key areas of excellence include physical sciences and engineering, life sciences and health services, management and business, and international relations, politics and societal impact.

Health studies students interact with service users and carers from a huge variety of backgrounds through regional NHS trusts and social care providers, experience that is priceless in the working world.

The School of Management in the Faculty of Management and Law is recognised as one of the world’s top business schools with the coveted Triple Crown of accreditations (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA).

Many Bradford academics in Development, Politics and Peace Studies and Economics advise governments and organisations around the globe. Their department hosts one of the world’s six Rotary International Centres in Peace and Conflict Resolution.

The university offers fantastic work placement opportunities and maintain a global network of potential employers. It also strongly supports entrepreneurship among its students and graduates.

Bradford has a strong track record of graduates entering professional and managerial level jobs. The university’s focus on industry relevant course content and experience means that University of Bradford graduates can expect the best start possible to working life.

TEACHING STANDARDS

All programmes are aligned with their innovative curriculum framework which puts students at the heart of learning, and offers real-world experiences and exposure to pioneering research.

They were the first UK university to adopt an innovative Team Based Learning approach in the School of Pharmacy to promote active, engaging and sustainable learning.

Over 70% of their programmes across all 5 faculties have professional, statutory or regulatory body recognition where input from their extensive network of industry contacts aids transition into employment.

Specialist teaching facilities boast state-of-the-art equipment and simulation suites for putting knowledge into practice in real-world environments.

21% of their student population are International or EU representing more than 150 countries. This offers a vibrant, diverse learning community and ensures their programmes have global reach.

They are committed to provide high quality development opportunities to support staff to provide excellent teaching and to achieve Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.

They have received prestigious National Teaching Fellowships for the last 4 consecutive years.

In the 2015 NSS they performed higher than the sector in terms of the learning resources available to students and for student personal development.

NSS scores also improved for the teaching on the course and for academic support. In addition, they are above the sector for providing clear marking criteria in advance and for feedback on work being prompt.

Their NSS open comments reveal numerous positive experiences of teaching, particularly in relation to practical aspects of programmes, TBL or problem based learning, links to industry, work-based learning and placements. Lecturers were praised for being engaging and knowledgeable, as well as for their helpfulness and support. Students also highlighted their own development including confidence, communication and problem-solving skills.

CAREERS GUIDANCE

Career Development Services offer a welcoming, supportive environment where the student can access impartial careers information, advice and guidance from their team of experienced guidance and employability staff.

Drop-in sessions, ideal for quick information and application queries.

Longer bookable appointments for any aspect of career planning and application support e.g. CV development, job applications, preparing for interviews and deciding what to do after university.

A dedicated online jobs portal detailing local, regional and national vacancies.

A dedicated online jobs portal detailing international vacancies.

Weekly employability workshop programme.

Termly graduate recruitment and career fairs.

Career-related accredited modules and in-programme workshops.

Entrepreneurship – schemes exclusive to their students and graduates which can help with every aspect of starting a business.

Placements – when it comes to preparing for the working environment, a work placement is invaluable, either as a part of the course or during spare time. Not only will academic skills put into practice, but they will also learn what aspects of their chosen career they might need to improve on while they still have their academics here to help. They will also make contacts which could be useful for the future.

91% of their graduates are employed or studying within six months of graduation according to the latest report from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (June 2015).