University of Sunderland

HISTORY

The University of Sunderland is a university located in Sunderland in the North East of England.

Sunderland has been an important centre for education since 674 AD, when Benedict Biscop built St. Peter’s Church and monastery. St. Peter’s Church was the site of the greatest scriptorium north of the Alps. The oldest existing Latin version of the Bible – the Codex Amiatinus – was written at St Peter’s Church.

The university’s modern roots can be traced back to 1901, when Sunderland Technical College was established as a municipal training college. It was the first to offer sandwich courses. Pharmacy and naval architecture departments were established in 1921 and 1922 respectively. The Pharmacy Department began as a single bench in the Chemistry Department, but soon grew to become the largest in the country. From 1930, some students in the Faculty of Applied Science read for degrees of the University of Durham. In 1930, a Mining Department was established and pharmacy students could read for the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree of the University of London. Sunderland was also recognised by London University as a centre for its BEng (Bachelor of Engineering) degree in 1934.

During the Second World War, Sunderland ran special courses for the armed forces and the Ministry of Labour.

In the 1960s, a PDP-8 hybrid computer was installed at the Chester Road site. There was also an Elliot Brothers 803B digital computer.

Sunderland Polytechnic was established on 26 January 1969, incorporating the Technical College, the School of Art (which was also established in 1901) and the Sunderland Teacher Training College (established in 1908). Sunderland was among the first of 30 Polytechnics, like polytechnics or technological universities in other countries their aim was to teach both purely academic and professional vocational subjects. Their focus was applied education for work and their roots concentrated on engineering and applied science, they also created departments concerned with the humanities. It is considered one of the best universities in the North East of England.

As a polytechnic, Sunderland created the first part-time, in-service BEd (Bachelor of Education) programme in the country.

After the passage of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, the polytechnic gained university status.

COURSES

The University has four academic faculties, responsible for teaching and learning, academic development and research, and working with partners in business and industry.

The Faculties are supported by a number of service departments responsible for a wide range of activity such as student welfare and accommodation and includes teams with responsibility for managing the University estate, financial matters, and human resources.

• Arts, Design, Media: Creative and Performing Arts, Design, Dance, Drama, Music, Journalism, PR, Film, Media, Cultural Studies, Fine Art, Glass, Ceramics, Photography, Radio, TV, Video, New Media
• Business & Law: Accounting, Business, Management, Law, Tourism
• Education and Society : Education, English, Health Studies, History, Social Sciences, Combined Subjects
• Applied Science: Computing, Engineering, Psychology, Nursing, Environment, Pharmacy, Clinical Sciences, Sport and Exercise Sciences

The North East England Mining Archive and Resource Centre (NEEMARC) is a major archive for mining related data and includes health and safety information, legal records, technical reports and trade union records. NEEMARC is situated within the Special Collections Room of the Murray Library.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

The university’s entry requirements vary course-by-course. The student take a look at the subject area that suits in Sunderland or London.

ACADEMIC STRENGTHS

The university works in twelve academic areas organised within four academic faculties.

Strengths include: Sciences (including Pharmacy); Enterprise and Innovation; Advanced Manufacturing; Creative and Cultural (including Media, Art & Design); Teacher Training; Business; Software; Social Sciences and Law.

TEACHING STANDARDS

Ten academic areas are classified as having ‘world leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’ research.

Academic staff include leaders and experts in their field and have published key textbooks and several still actively work in leading areas of their field.

CAREERS GUIDANCE

Preparing the student for employment is at the heart of everything it do. With their unique Sunderland Futures programme the students will have the opportunity to develop a CV packed with the skills and experience they need to be successful in their graduate career.

Their Careers and Employability Service offers advice to help them decide what to do next, making an effective CV or application, as well as coaching for interviews and assessment centres.

Sunderland Futures encompasses personal and professional development opportunities like:

• mentoring
• placements
• studying abroad
• internships
• events like their Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair where they can rub shoulders with employers on campus.

The Sunderland Professional Award – an employer-recognised accolade – is a certificate that rewards them for making the most of their time at university and will enhance their future employment prospects by encouraging them to undertake extra-curricular activities and acquire new skills and experiences valued by employers.

And it’s not just current students who can access their services; anyone who has graduated within the last three years can receive specialist careers advice and support.