Edinburgh Napier University

Edinburgh Napier has a cluster of three campuses, located approximately three-and-a-half miles to the South-West of Edinburgh's city centre. The different campuses each have different styles of architecture and different feels to them. While the Sighthill Campus is filled with state-of-the-art buildings offering facilities such as a crime scenario room, the Merchiston Campus is built around the fifteenth-century Merchiston Castle.

 

Background and History

Edinburgh Napier was founded as Napier Technical College back in 1964, and attained university status in 1992. Napier is very much focused on providing vocational degrees, and is a teaching-led university with a fairly modest research output.

Location and Accessibility

Road: The main campuses can be reached by following the A70 out of Edinburgh.

Rail: Edinburgh Napier's campuses are approximately three to four miles from Waverley, Edinburgh's main railway station, but the suburban Slateford and Kingsnowe stations are a much shorter walk from the campuses.

Disabled access: Edinburgh Napier keeps its profile on disabledgo.com updated (http://www.disabledgo.com/en/org/edinburgh-napier-university) so that students can get detailed, up-to-date information on disabled facilities for individual university buildings.

What's on Offer

BA, BEng, BM, BSc, LLB, MSc, MDes, MBA, PG Dip, PG Cert

Entry Requirements

BBBB-BBCC at Highers, BCC-CCC at A Level, varying requirements for entry with HNC or HND according to the course.

University Accommodation

New students who apply by late August are guaranteed to be accepted for university accommodation. Edinburgh Napier's accommodation is based in the city centre, meaning that students need not suffer the feeling of isolation from the bright lights that many students who study at out-of-town campuses feel.  

Private Accommodation

There's a reasonably good supply of student accommodation in Edinburgh, with prices varying according to the exclusivity of the postcode.

Faculties and Departments

Edinburgh Napier University is divided into three main faculties: The Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Creative Industries, the Faculty of Health, Life and Social Sciences and the Business School.

Academic Strengths and Research Profile

Edinburgh Napier's main research strengths are in the fields of nursing and information management. Student satisfaction surveys for teaching generally reveal Edinburgh Napier students are happy with the teaching they receive.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees vary depending upon the type of course that you wish to undertake, and whether you are a Scottish student or from the rest of the UK/EU. For a full list of fees, contact the University directly or visit their website. Financial Support The university has a total of £250,000 of scholarships and hardship bursaries available for undergraduates each year.

Academic Facilities

The university has invested close to £100 million pounds in recent years to improve its academic facilities across the board. For some subjects it has some of the most state-of-the-art facilities available, such as laboratories that can simulate high-altitude conditions. Integrating information technology into classrooms and lecture theatres has been a major part of the re-fit effort.  

Other on-site Amenities

Edinburgh Napier's main student bar can be found in the Cowgate, in a space above The Three Sisters bar. However,the multi-campus nature of Napier means that the university's social scene is a little unfocused.

Medical and Social Care

The university doesn't have its own medical services, but it does offer a range of alternative therapy services to students, such as hypnotherapy and couples therapy. Edinburgh Napier Students' Association is the main facility for students seeking advice.

What's on in the Area

The immediate area around the Edinburgh Napier campuses is perhaps a little quiet and suburban, but the centre of Edinburgh has much to offer, whether you are looking for culture, shopping, food or nightlife. Glasgow is also less than an hour away fromEdinburgh by train for an additional bit of excitement.

Moving On

In addition to offering standard careers counselling, the university's Careers Service also provides an Employability Service that works with employers and recruiters to provide employment opportunities for students.

The war poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon were both once treated at Craiglockhart War Hospital, the buildings of which are now part of Edinburgh Napier's Craiglockhart Campus. Edinburgh Napier is named after John Napier, the sixteenth and seventeenth century mathematician nicknamed Marvellous Merchiston, who was also the owner of Merchiston Castle. Famous Edinburgh Napier alumni include Gordon Smart, editor of The Sun's infamous Bizarre showbiz column.

Is Edinburgh Napier University the place for you?

If it offers a vocational subject that you're interested in, Edinburgh Napier is likely to have some of the best teaching facilities in the country for it. The multi-campus approach may be great for allowing faculties to have purpose-built facilities, but it also means that Edinburgh Napier lacks the unified feel that universities such as Sheffield Hallam or Nottingham Trent may experience.