Our consultant Edwin had the opportunity to join a select number of counsellors from across North America on an “Explore England” tour that will cover visits to Northumbria, Lancaster, The University of Manchester, Keele, and the University of Birmingham. We’ll post updates and photos from his trip so follow along to see where he’s headed!
Second stop: Lancaster University
Founded in 1964 and situated on a 360-acre green campus, Lancaster University (LU) is a public research university that is located in Bailrigg, Lancaster, near Morecambe Bay. For its 12,000 students, the university offers Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy degrees, and classes taught by more than 1,000 academic staff members. Twenty-five percent of the school’s students are from overseas and LU is partnered with other post-secondary institutions in 25 countries around the world. Lancaster University offers many study abroad opportunities with countries such as Malaysia, China and Ghana.
With a focus on international research excellence, 83% of the research completed at LU is ‘internationally excellent or world leading’ (REF 2014). LU earned the following rankings:
- Politics, Philosophy and Religion: Ranked 3rd overall, and top in the UK for research impact.
- Business Management: Ranked 1st in the UK for research power, and for the number of research-active staff.
- Sociology: Ranked 3rd for world-leading research and 2nd for research impact.
- Mathematics and Statistics: Ranked 5th overall, and 3rd for research impact.
- Computing and Communications: Ranked 7th in the UK for world-leading and internationally excellent research.
- English Language and Literature: Ranked 3rd for research power.
Lancaster University supports students in developing skills for global employment; “97% of Lancaster University graduates have gone into work (82% at graduate level) or further study within six months of graduating” (DLHE 2015). Its campus Careers Service offers lifetime support to Lancaster graduates with the help of specialist career consultants and workshops on interviews and resumes, and recruitment fairs in the students’ final year. Students also have the opportunity to take part in live, company-based projects, and work placements, which allow students to connect with employers on campus. For LU students, “The Lancaster Award” is a unique achievement that helps them stand out from the crowd and enhance their future employment prospects. This award recognizes achievements in: written assignments, work experience, career development workshops, and community work.
Lancaster University is one of the few universities in the UK that has a collegiate system. The nine colleges (Bowland College, Cartmel College, The County College, Furness College, Fylde College, Graduate College, Grizedale College, Lonsdale College and Pendle College), eight for undergrads and one for post-graduates, are steeped in history and traditions, and each has its distinctive personality, as well as a number of community-based events in which students can participate. Students choose a college for accommodation based on social interaction and networking, not on academic interest. The residences in the colleges received the “Best University Accommodation Award” in the 2015 National Student Housing Survey.
