Canterbury Christ Church University

Summary

History

Canterbury Christ Church started out as a teacher training college in the 1960s in response to a national shortage of teachers with just 70 students and nine teachers. In the early ‘70s, its first degree programme, the Bachelor of Education, was introduced and non-teacher training degrees were launched in 1976. In 1997 it was awarded the power to grant its own degrees for taught courses, and with it came the name change to Canterbury Christ Church University College.

Since then it’s taken over and opened a number of campuses across the Medway and in 2005 was awarded full university status. 

In 2009 the multi-million pound Christ Church Sports Centre opened as well as Augustine House, the award-winning library and student services centre.

In 2014 the University purchased the site of the former Canterbury Prison as part of an ambitious redevelopment plan for the Canterbury Campus whilst in 2015, the Petros Court student accommodation in Canterbury was opened alongside a new indoor sports centre at Polo Farm Sports Club.

University Environment

Canterbury Campus

Canterbury is renowned for its vibrant and friendly atmosphere, and combines an exciting contemporary buzz with years of tradition and history. It’s a World Heritage site, home to three universities, a renowned Cathedral, a centre for the arts, as well as a host of shops, bars and restaurants. Canterbury’s location means that London and Europe are within easy reach, and a visit to the coast is just a short drive away.

At the University, facilities for students studying at Canterbury include the award-winning library, Augustine House, the Students' Union at the St George’s Centre, and the University’s various arts and culture venues.

Medway Campus

The Medway Campus, once the site of HMS Pembroke is close to the Historic Dockyard, the naval town of Chatham, the cultural centre of Gillingham, and the beautiful cathedral city of Rochester. The Campus provides a supportive and professional learning, teaching and research environment in the heart of the Medway towns and within easy access of London. It is a popular choice for people looking to develop a career in the education or health and social care sectors.

The Campus is also home to the Institute of Medical Sciences, a centre of excellence for postgraduate medical education and research. The Centre for Career & Personal Development is also based at the Medway Campus and offers an exciting range of programmes to practitioners working, or wanting to work, in career guidance, career counselling and career learning; alongside offering programmes for those supporting young people.

Academics

Schools & Departments

Faculty of Arts & Humanities

• School of Humanities
• School of Language Studies and Applied Linguistics
• School of Music and Performing Arts
• School of Media, Art and Design

Faculty of Education

• School of Childhood and Education Sciences
• School of Teacher Education and Development

Faculty of Health & Wellbeing

• School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work
• School of Allied and Public Health Professions

Faculty of Social & Applied Sciences

• Engineering at Christ Church
• School of Psychology, Politics and Sociology
• Christ Church Business School
• School of Law, Criminal Justice and Computing
• School of Human and Life Sciences

Research

Nearly 90% of Canterbury Christ Church’s research was recognised as world leading or internationally significant in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework results (REF). The areas of particular research excellence included; Allied Health Professions; Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science; Politics and International Studies; Education; Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism; English Language and Literature; History; Theology and Religious Studies; Music, Drama, Dance and Performing Arts; and Communication, Cultural and Media Studies.

International & Industrial Opportunities

Current undergraduates have the opportunity to study abroad to gain experience studying at a partner institution in Europe through Erasmus+. This scheme gives you the opportunity to study aboard for either a single semester or for a full academic year as part of your degree.

A year in industry which offers you the opportunity to explore a role in an organisation over a 6 – 12 month period is available on some degree courses. You will complete your year in industry in your third year, after your first two years of study and then return to complete your fourth and final year.

Fees & Finance

Scholarships

The University offers twelve Choral Scholarships and three Organ/Conducting Scholarships. Scholarship holders may be reading any subject at either graduate or postgraduate level. The twelve Choral Scholars form the professional core of the University Chapel Choir, and are supplemented by voluntary (unpaid) singers. Choral Scholarships are worth £800 per annum and Organ/Conducting scholarships are £1,000 per annum.

The Supplementary Instrumental Scholarships are awarded to a number of Music students in their first year of study. These awards are worth £300, which pays for 10 hours of teaching with one of their specialist instrumental or vocal teachers on a second instrument (if you are already taking performance modules), or on your main instrument if you are not already taking performance. Scholarship holders will be expected to play their scholarship instrument in one or more university ensembles, such as orchestra, wind ensemble, big band, university chorus, etc

Sports scholarships of £400 to £1500 per annum are available to elite level sports performers of any sport.

Bursaries

The Canterbury Christ Church University Grant of up to £1,000 per year is available to English or EU students with a household income of £25,000 per annum or less, and must also satisfied other additional eligibility criteria.

The Care Leaver’s Bursary of £3,600 cash award over the duration of study (£1,200 per academic year), is available to UK students under 25 years of age and who are, or were, looked after under a Care Order when age 16 for at least 13 weeks; has a household income of £25,000 per annum or less and not be in receipt of other Christ Church financial support.

The University is also providing extra support to students in England on nursing, midwifery and most allied health professional courses; visit the university website for more details.

Facilities

Learning Facilities

The main library in Canterbury is based in Augustine House, a state-of-the-art building with full Wi-Fi. It covers four floors and offers a range of learning spaces to support collaborative learning, group study work or quiet individual study. There are also seven group study rooms and over 200 PCs throughout the building, plus 200 i-Borrow laptops which you can use anywhere in the building.

The Drill Hall library collection held at the Universities at Medway contains in the region of 130,000 items, including books, journals, library catalogues, CDs and DVDs to support your studies. The Library has seating for over 600 students and have over 400 PCs and laptops.

Salomons Library is located in Tunbridge Wells and holds a specialist collection covering clinical psychology and mental health care, management, and primary education.

There are fully-equipped recording studios and media suites to support Digital Media students. Health students can benefit from the University’s simulation suites, which include replica wards, midwifery and child nursing environments, an operating theatre and scrub room, radiography suite and emergency response area.

Sports Facilities

The Christ Church Sport has fantastic facilities for sport including a state-of-the-art Sports Centre and utilises a number of external venues across Kent.

The Sports Centre houses a multi-station fitness suite, sports hall, exercise studio and climbing wall. The Polo Farm Sports Club, provides specialist teaching space for academic programmes and a venue for the University’s netball, cricket and hockey teams. Its facilities include a sports hall with three multi-use rooms; two water-based hockey pitches; one sand-based Astro turf pitch; two cricket pitches; outdoor cricket nets; and an indoor tennis centre and outdoor tennis courts.

The Medway Park sporting venue with Olympic standard training facilities is available to students at the Medway campus.

The University offers Elite and Performance Sport Scholarships, ranging from £400 to £1500 per annum to sports people achieving County level or equivalent in any sport.

Students' Union

Students’ Union

Christ Church Students’ Union (CCSU), provides support and representation for every student across all the campuses. CCSU is located in the St George’s Centre. The Centre is also home to a bar, coffee lounge, as well as providing accommodation to 200+ students. It is the leading building for student welfare, support and high profile student events, such as the annual Summer Ball and Freshers' Week.

The CCSU Sports Federation offers over 40 different sports ranging from more traditional activities such as Rugby, right through to American Football, Snowsports and Equestrian. This gives you the chance to continue a sport you're already involved in, or try something completely new. Most sports clubs compete in BUCS (British University & Colleges Sport).

There are also 40+ societies that you can join. Christ Church’s online student magazine UNIfied, published throughout term with news, features, editorials, etc., if you're interested, In addition, if you are interested in radio and would like to get more experience in the field, CSRfm is your Community and Student Radio station in Canterbury and has lots of opportunities available.

The Union can also help you with academic and other issues such as money management, housing and well-being. Christ Church Volunteering is a partnership between the University and CCSU to promote opportunities for students to volunteer within and contribute to the communities in which you study.

Student Support

Religion & Spirituality

The University’s team of three chaplains work across all its campuses, providing support, help, and engagement for all. This includes a confidential listening service where any student can bring and discuss their problems in a non-judgmental environment. You set the agenda, and can talk about everything and anything that might be on your mind; from issues with classmates, tutors or colleagues to relationships, family matters, financial concerns, bullying, essay deadlines or work-related stress.

The Chaplaincy can provide information on all the churches in and around Canterbury and contacts for those who are willing to support you in finding your spiritual home. They can also help you make contact with your own community of faith.

They also maintain Buddhist meditation rooms, quiet spaces and Muslim prayer rooms.

Health & Wellbeing

The University offers all students a fair and enjoyable learning experience. The Student Support and Wellbeing Advisers can help you if you need someone to talk to. The advisers support students in making informed decisions through one to one conversations, be it related to personal, general wellbeing, financial, housing, or academic matters. The Wellbeing Advisers can be a triage service to other more specialist areas within the Student Support, Health and Wellbeing Department, including Mental Wellbeing and Disability Services. If they cannot help, they can link in with the other departments within the University who can and any external services and resources, where possible.

The Student Disability Service can support and advise you if you are facing disabling barriers to studying independently at the University, including advice on facilities and services available; information about funding for academic support; liaising with academic tutors to ensure you get the support you need; and arranging practical support such as special arrangements for exams and assessments.

Counselling is free of charge to all students registered with the University and the University’s Mental Health Advisers can help with general mental health-related queries.

Career Facilities

The CORE team based on the Ground Floor of Augustine House, Canterbury, can offer you all the information, events and guidance relating to careers, jobs and planning your future that you’ll ever need. This includes CV, application and supporting statement advice; volunteering; information and advice on placements; information on interviews and assessments; and information on student enterprise, business start-up advice and sourcing funding.

Unitemps is Canterbury Christ Church University's recruitment service to students, graduates and the community. It offers part-time and vacation work, internships, placements and full-time work opportunities both within the University and in the local area.

Accommodation

Canterbury

Student residences are single study bedrooms grouped in either houses or flats with a choice of en-suite or shared facilities. Many feature communal living and dining areas, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to meet new people and make new friends. They are spread across the city, however many are in the city centre of Canterbury or near the University.

The purpose-built Parham Road Student Village houses over 500 students in a mixture of houses and flats.

Medway 

The accommodation in the Medway campus is shared with the University of Kent and is a 10 minutes’ walk from the Medway campus boasting its own social area, launderette, Tesco Express store, Subway, Domino's Pizza, as well as a bar and bistro. It offers contemporary bedrooms in a busy and student friendly environment. 

Accommodation in the Medway campus is arranged in clusters of flats for 5-8 students, with each flat sharing a fully equipped kitchen. Bedrooms all have their own en-suite shower and toilet, and each room is networked. Students are expected to arrange cleaning their own flats between themselves.

International

English Language Requirements

Standard undergraduate programmes require a minimum English level of IELTS 6.0, with no less than 5.5 in each section. Some non-standard programmes require IELTS 6.5 overall.

International Support

If you’re an International student, the Student Support and Wellbeing Advisers can help with information particularly relevant to you. This includes renewing/extending your student visa, working in the UK, opening a UK bank account; funding for international students; life in the UK; and support for disabled international students.

The Academic English Service is a dedicated resource to help you improve your English in your studies. It runs workshops, study groups and can provide one-to-one tutorials.

Media