Telephone: 01224 272000 Website: http://www.abdn.ac.uk
Fax: - E-mail: -
Applications: UCAS Students: Total full-time 10,653. Male/female ratio 1:1. First degree students 9058 (1076 from overseas). Postgraduates 1595.
Staff: 612 full-time, 148 part-time (plus 362 full-time research staff). Student enquiries: Student Recruitment Services (tel 01224 272090/1, fax 01224 272576, e-mail sras@abdn.ac.uk).
Broad study areas: Arts, sciences, education, engineering, medicine, law, theology, social sciences. Accommodation: All first years housed who wish it (24% live at home).
In brief: Traditional research-led university. Location: Aberdeen, North of Scotland. UCAS points on entry: 21.
Background: Founded: 1860 from merger of King's College (founded 1495) and Marischal College (1593). Site: 2 sites (King's College in Old Aberdeen and medical sciences at Foresterhill). Special features: Institute of Medical Sciences, plus initiatives in ethnology and cultural studies. Academic features: Access courses and summer school. Courses in animal care, health & welfare, anthropology, Celtic civilisation, organic agriculture, off-shore engineering, petroleum geology, cultural history, safety engineering, sports & exercise science, social research and all biosciences including tropical environmental science. Awarding body: Aberdeen University. Main undergraduate awards: MA, BSc, BD, BTh, LTh, LLB, BLE, MB ChB, BSc Med Sci, BEng, MEng, BScEng. Length of courses: 3 years (ordinary/designated), 4 years (honours and divinity), 5 years (MB ChB, MChem, MEng). Library & information services: 5 library buildings, over 1 million volumes, inter-library loan service, short loan collections for course books in heaviest demand; informal classes on use of library. Annual expenditure ?54 per (FTE) student, plus departmental purchases. IT and library services converged. 966 networked PCs have access to internet and so to library catalogue (ratio workstations to students 1:8), open 24 hours/day. IT support from 4 help desks in main library and in computing centre. Academic skills week for new students, plus departmental inductions. Other learning facilities: Interactive video; satellite TV for language teaching. Specialist collections: Jacobite material, transport and photographic collections, pre-1800 British and European works, first editions of early science and medical volumes. Almost 250,000 maps, many historical. Study abroad: 6% of students spend part of their course abroad, including those on courses in law with European law (or French, German, Spanish law) who study abroad for local diploma. Erasmus links with 300 across European institutions, plus 5 formal scholarship exchanges (Lausanne, Rennes, Zurich, Geneva and Kiel). Careers: Information and advice service; regular vacancy bulletins. Student support: 3 doctors, dentist, health centre, chaplaincy, counsellors, financial adviser, international student adviser, welfare adviser etc. Amenities: City centre union building with 4 bars (incl caf?bar, 1 non-smoking), 2 nightclubs, range of services, supermarket; also large campus refectory with many facilities; SRC babysitting agency, late buses, vacation employment office, university symphony orchestra, choral society and chapel choir. Sporting facilities: Swimming pool; two extensive sports fields including running tracks; rowing on River Dee; Cairngorms and Grampians (mountain hut) within easy reach for climbing, walking and skiing.
Accommodation: All first years who wish it are in university accommodation (guaranteed), 38% of first degree students. 3471 places available: 1174 half-board places (76 en-suite) at ?4-?8 per week, term time only; 2222 self-catering (271 en-suite) at ?2-?3 pw; rentals 32-50 weeks. University can offer accommodation to most students though many prefer to live in privately owned accommodation for 1+ years: ?5-?0 pw for self-catering, ?0-?0 B&B, ?0-?0 for half-board (?5-?5 with weekend meals). 24% of first degree students live at home.
Term-time work: University allows term time work for full-time students (30% believed to work); limit of 15 hours per week. Some work on campus in catering, bars, library and (in vacs) as porters, gardeners, groundsmen; also SU based Joblink agency helps finding work off campus.
Hardship funds: Total available: ?55,106 government access and other funds; awards of ?00-?00, 969 students helped. 40 entrance bursaries.
Tuition fees: Scottish and EU students pay no fees during course; other UK home students up to ?075 pa for first degrees; overseas students ?660 (classroom), ?820 (lab), ?6,380 (clinical).
Student view: Aberdeen, the silver or granite city, is the oil capital of Europe but still has a reputation for traditional activities (fishing, farming and sea-borne trade) and the lowest unemployment in the country. In NE Scotland, with spectacular local scenery, it has good access by bus, train, plane and ferry. The university is over 500 years old (3rd oldest in Scotland, 5th in UK); based on a medieval burgh with an attractive landscaped campus, cobbled street, ancient listed buildings etc. Main campus 10 minutes walk from halls of residence and 5 minutes by bus to city centre, where SU is located. More modern institute of medical sciences, at Foresterhill Hospital, 20 min walk away. University accommodation reasonably affordable in single study bedrooms and self-catering flats (mixed sex permitted); all first years guaranteed a hall place. Good library and 24-hour computing facilities available. Students' Association (SA) is the main student body and works closely but effectively with the University. It has three wings: representation (SRC), which offers welfare and academic advice as well as running about 100 societies; services (UMC), which runs the Students' Union and various shops; sports (SC), which administers about 50 sports clubs. Students' Charities Campaign raises ?0,000+ pa through life-endangering activities (bungee and parachute jumps, snogathons etc). Active University Debater celebrating 150th anniversary (Sean Connery is hon president). Student newspaper, Gaudie, and radio station, Phase FM. Below average failure/dropout rate; relatively easy to change courses as you are admitted to faculty not a course. University appoints a Regent, in charge of all student support agencies in university. Most students are Scottish; recognition given to Scottish Gaelic and 10% international students.
Student life: Housing: Not cheap in city, but lots of it. Drink: Real ale at various outlets and, of course, excellent range of whiskies. Union organises cheap drink nights (and free buses home to halls). Eats: Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Italian, fish & chips all excellent and relatively cheap. Lemon Tree good for vegan/vegetarian food and live entertainment, plus the union is excellent for cheap but quality lunches/dinners. Nightlife: Loads of rock venues, including union. Recent bands include Oasis, Radiohead, Teenage Fanclub, DJ Shadow, AC/DC, Sheryl Crow and the Fun-Lovin' Criminals. Active folk scene, several theatres, concert halls, arts centre, world cinema season, and student-run music societies. Sports: Facilities on campus (many free), for almost every sport. Hardship funds: Access funds and other student/uni-arranged hardship funds - worth applying. SRC money adviser. Jobs: SRC runs a popular babysitting agency; Joblink helps students find part-time work, often course related. Good news: SA recently formed. More info? Ring SRC on 01224 272965 or ask for Freshers' Mag.
Alumni: Sandy Gall (ITV newscaster), Iain Cuthbertson (actor), Douglas Henderson MP, James Naughtie (Today programme), David McLean MP, Alistair Darling MP (social security minister), Sir Denys Henderson (ICI), Earl of Strathmore, Ian Crighton Smith, Catherine Gavin, Nikki Campbell (radio broadcaster), Kenneth McKeller, Evelyn Glennie (percussionist), Lord Addington, Mark Renton (Trainspotting) and Michael 'Baz' Torrance (popular goatee-beard wearing stud).