The University of York

The University of York occupies a campus to the East of the city, now in two parts either side of the sleepy village of Heslington. The older campus (now referred to as Heslington West) is centred on a large artificial lake which provides a home to the University's large duck and goose population. The University also owns the King's Manor building in the city centre which hosts the departments of Archaeology and Medieval Studies.

Background and History

The University was founded as a secular university in 1963 with a collegiate system modelled on those of Oxford and Cambridge. Since then it has undergone rapid expansion to now include eight colleges spread across the two main campuses. The colleges themselves are named after local features and notable people and consist of Derwent, Langwith, Vanbrugh, Alcuin, Goodricke, Wentworth, James and Halifax. Despite attracting a large amount of research funding the University of York is not in the Russell group and is instead one of the larger members of the 1994 Group' of universities.

Location and Accessibility

By Rail: York is served by the East Coast Mainline and as such has high-speed connections to London and Edinburgh. The campus itself is approximately 5 miles from the station.

By Road: The campus is situated just off the York Outer Ring Road (A1237) which is itself connected to the A1 and the A64. Although parking is available on campus for open days, parking for students during term time is strictly limited.

Most facilities are wheelchair friendly and accommodation is available designed for usage by people with disabilities.

What's on Offer

BA,BSc,MA, MSci, , Graduate (Conversion) Diploma, Graduate Diploma, Postgraduate Diploma, Postgraduate Certificate, MRes, MPhil, Phd, EngD

Entry Requirements

Entry conditions vary with some of the more popular courses being considerably more difficult to get on to.

Examples include:

Psychology: AAA/B at A-Level, 35 at IB or a Diploma with three distinctions for BTEC.

Medicine: AAA at A-Level and A for Maths GCSE if not taken to AS/A2, 36 points at IB, BTEC is not accepted.

Chemistry: ABB for students who take three sciences or AAA for students who only take one, 32 at IB and a diploma with two distinctions for BTEC.

University Accommodation

A wide range of accommodation is availableon campus ranging from shared rooms with shared bathroom facilities to en-suite palatial suites which come with catering within colleges. The prices reflect this with the cheapest single rooms available at a relatively cheap price, compared to the larger catered rooms. Also, if you're willing to share a twin room, price drop significantly. Note- the accommodation type you apply for in your first year will largely dictate which college you are assigned to, as certain colleges have certain types of facilities.

Private Accommodation

There are plenty of cheap options for private rented accommodation in York with many students choosing to stay around the Heslington, Tang Hall and Fulford areas. Rental prices are comparatively cheap and the university runs a list of approved private sector landlords who ascribe to their code of standards, which should be the first port of call for students wanting to move off campus.

Faculties and Departments

The University of York is divided into nine different colleges, among which are divided many different subjects areas, which include: Archaeology, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics and related studies, Education, Electronics, English and related literature, Environment, Health Sciences, History, History of Art, Hull York Medical School, Language and Linguistic Science, York Law School, York Management School, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Politics, Psychology, Social Policy and Social Work, Sociology, Theatre Film and Television.

Academic Strengths and Research Profile

The University of York has a number of highly rated departments for research; Psychology, Computer Science, Economics and English all received 5* at the previous Research Assessment Exercise. York is also known as being a world leader in the fields of Health Economics and Green Chemistry.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees vary depending on the course of study and whether you wish to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level. Fees for international students are also likely to be considerably higher than those for UK/EU students. For further information it is advisable to contact the university directly or visit their website.

Grants, Bursaries and Financial Support:

A number of opportunities for financial support are available including 171 grants of £4,500 under the National Scholarship Programme at York and also the income assessed York Bursary which offers a mixture of fee waivers and money towards accommodation.

Academic Facilities

Lecture rooms and academic facilities at York are a mixture of 1970s pre-fab buildings on the old campus, interspersed with brand new laboratories and lecture rooms as the university has grown. The new Heslington East campus offers brand new facilities and each college has its own computing room for the use of students. The central library holds most academic texts and is also home to the Borthwick Institute for Archives, one of the largest archive repositories outside London. The Manor House library in the city centre is also home to considerable archives of 17^th and 18^th century journals as well as texts on architecture and medieval history.

Other on-site Amenities

As a collegiate university, York has separate recreational facilities in each college, including common rooms, computer rooms and bars. Each college has a Junior Common Room Committee (JCRC) which organises everything from social events to recycling drives and is responsible for the pastoral care of the students of that college. York has large, recently refurbished sports facilities and a number of onsite cafeterias.

Medical and Social Care

The Student Union run an advice service and a medical centre is also available. Pastoral care is available both from the colleges and from the central counselling service. York has a number of multi-faith prayer rooms onsite as well as a dedicated Islamic prayer room. Methodist, Anglican and Roman Catholic Chaplains are available on the campus.

What's on in the Area

York has a lot to offer and is often packed with busloads of tourists at the weekend. Local sights include York Minster, the Jorvik Viking Museum, the city walls and the Shambles (a medieval street where the buildings lean over and nearly meet in the middle). Nightlife in York is improving, although is still limited given the size of the town - many students will find regular trips to Leeds are required to experience the bright city lights. The music scene in York is also growing and starting to attract bigger names on the gig circuit.

Moving On

York has an active careers service which is available to students permanently, even after they graduate. A number of careers fairs operate throughout the academic year and offer chances for students to meet potential recruiters.

Notable alumni include Greg Dyke and a large selection of MPs and members of the House of Lords including shadow deputy prime minister Harriet Harman.

York/Leeds rivalry is kept alive by the annual Roses' sports tournament.

The University of York is home to more ducks than any other university in the country.

Is York the place for you?

The campus setting and small town life allow you to live cheaply and focus on your studies- rent, restaurants and nights out are cheaper here in the North than in most places in the country.

York lacks the excitement of a big city but makes up for it in many ways and has much more of a community feel than many universities, helped along by the collegiate system.

Consistently in the top universities, York has an excellent reputation which is only slightly marred by it being seen as one of the first choices for Oxbridge rejects.

If you're after a campus university where you can focus on your studies consider Warwick or nearby Durham as alternative with a similarly high reputation.