The University of Central Lancashire

Summary

History

UCLan founded in 1828 as the Institution for the Diffusion of Knowledge to help people from all walks of life make the most of their potential. It was created by the Joseph Livesey’s Temperance Society born from a pledge made by seven Preston working men to never consume alcohol again. 

Since its foundations the university has expanded, with the Harris Building, built in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. The building was progressive for the period, being powered entirely by electricity, and the institute was known as a regional centre of excellence for the arts and sciences. 

UCLan is a modern university with a strong academic tradition, having been at the forefront of developing degrees in the disciplines of Journalism, Fashion, Forensics and Sports Science. The journalism division, now part of the School of Journalism and Media, is one of the oldest in the country, opening as part of the Harris College in 1962. In 1991, it became one of the first to teach journalism undergraduate degrees, with a strong emphasis on practical work.

In 2013 the university announced the launch of a self-funded undergraduate medical degree programme, available within the School of Medicine. The programme started in September 2015 with 35 students. 

University Environment

The University is based in Preston in Lancashire with further campuses in Burnley, Westlakes and Cyprus.

Preston Campus

Preston is UCLan’s main campus, situated in the heart of the North West. The City offers excellent transport links, fantastic countryside and a bustling, compact centre, close to the rolling countryside of the Ribble Valley, the spectacular Lake District, England’s largest National Park. In complete contrast, you can head west to the seaside resort of Blackpool and its award-winning Pleasure Beach or a short trip south will take you to the sights and sounds of Manchester.

It’s a ten minute walk to the shops from the Preston Campus, with plenty of buses to help you get around and trains to help you get further afield. However, you don’t have to leave Preston to catch a bit of countryside - they’ve got some impressive parks in and around the City, where you can relax and unwind, including the beautiful and historical Avenham Park with its Riverside Walk.

Burnley Campus

The Burnley Campus is in the heart of beautiful Pennine Lancashire on an iconic campus in the Knowledge Quarter of Burnley, East Lancashire. The campus is surrounded by miles and miles of open countryside and breathtaking views. Looking north, you’ll encounter the imposing grandeur of Pendle Hill, whose history is steeped in centuries of myths and legends. Beyond lie the Forest of Bowland and the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Burnley town is only a short walk from campus and here in addition to the normal shops and eating places, is the Burnley Mechanics theatre – it’s the place to enjoy some of the finest live bands, comedians, musicals and plays.

The students and staff at the Campus are very friendly and supportive. Class sizes are small, and students receive exceptional academic and personal support. The Campus plays an important part in the overall economic and social development of Pennine Lancashire and students have opportunities to participate in work placement or volunteering activities with local employers and community groups including BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, Cisco Systems and Safran Nacelles.

Westlakes Campus

The state-of-the-art Westlakes Campus offers innovative and vocational courses that meet the needs of the local community. Located on the Westlakes Science and Technology Park in West Cumbria, the UCLan Westlakes campus is focused on innovative thinking for the real world, including a keen focus on the nuclear energy sector and is instrumental in improving the economic, social and cultural standing of the West Cumbria area - Britain’s energy coast.

A combination of academic learning and practical experience ensure UCLan Westlakes graduates are well prepared for the world of work.

UCLan Cyprus    

UCLan Cyprus opened in 2012 and currently has over 700 students studying a UCLan degree. The campus is located in Pyla, Larnaka, and is the only university in the country that can offer students the advantage of an honours or postgraduate degree recognised both in the UK and in Cyprus.

Academics

Faculties & Schools

Lancashiire School of Business and Enterprise

Faculty of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences

• School of Dentistry
• School of Medicine
• School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences

Faculty of Culture and The Creative Industries

• School of Art, Design and Fashion
• School of Journalism, Media and Performance
• School of Humanities and Social Sciences
• School of Languages and Global Studies
• Lancashire Law School

Faculty of Health and Wellbeing

• School of Community Health and Midwifery
• School of Health Sciences
• School of Nursing
• School of Sport and Wellbeing

Facculty of Science and Technology

• School of Engineering
• School of Forensic and Applied Sciences
• School of Physical Sciences and Computing
• School of Psychology

Research 

Research is at the heart of UCLan’s mission and the University promotes a research culture based on quality and excellence, dedicated to cultivating a supportive and stimulating research environment that will generate the innovation required to tackle today’s global challenges. UCLan's researchers deliver highly cited academic output, as well as providing impact to the industries, organisations and community groups which the University works with. Almost 50% of the research which the University submitted to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 was assessed as 4* (world-leading) or 3* (internationally excellent), with each of the 16 research areas involved demonstrating both 4* and 3* quality.

International & Industrial Opportunities

International opportunities could see you studying at UCLan Cyprus as part of your degree, or at one of the University’s 67 European partners, in 19 countries, through the ERASMUS+ scheme. Alternatively, you can study further afield, as far as Australia, China, Hong Kong, Canada, Mexico, or the USA, as an exchange student with one of their world-wide partner institutions, for a semester or a year.

As you’ll be assessed in similar ways whilst abroad as UCLan, the time spent studying abroad will be credited to your UCLan degree. Therefore, a year abroad or semester abroad will not result in extending the length of time it takes to complete your degree.

Some courses such as engineering include work placements for a year. Work placements are as much about gaining an insight and understanding of the culture and language in the engineering profession as gaining technical skill and experience.

Fees & Finance

Scholarships

UCLan offers a range of Sports Scholarships aimed at supporting both individual and team performance. These scholarships are open to students applying to study on any full time UCLan undergraduate degree course, and are awarded at different levels according to your performance level. Excellence in Sport Award worth over £3,000 is for County and Regional level representative performers, while Elite Sports Performance Award worth over £4,000 is for National representative performers. Their package of support includes: free access to UCLan sports facilities; free scholarship sports kit; free sports club membership; free sports performance support; and in the case of Elite Sports Performance Award, includes a cash bursary payment up to £1,000.

UCLan offers two MBBS scholarships jointly with the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust for UK students from the North West of England. The scholarship will cover all tuition fees for the duration of the 5 year programme and clinical placement costs in the respective Trusts plus a bursary for subsistence. The aim of the scholars is to support local, disadvantaged students in their application to study medicine.

Bursaries

The UCLan Financial Bursary Scheme is financial support awarded to students from an assessed household income of under £20,000. The Scheme awards £2,000 in total across three academic years, in three instalments.

UCLan offers an international Travel Bursary Scheme to individuals or groups of undergraduate students (max 4) on particular courses. To be eligible for the bursary you must be able to demonstrate how an international experience will support your personal development and complement your area of study. The bursary can contribute to the cost of travel and accommodation.

Facilities

Learning Facilities

The UCLan Library offers a wealth of excellent learning resources and extensive collections of information sources. The Library has long opening hours, including 24/7 opening during term time, a wide range of different study environments for both individual and group study including bookable study rooms and pods, laptops to borrow, a cafe, and vending machines.

Students also have 24-hour access to computers. There are around 700 computers, including Apple Macs, in the Library, but you will find computers, including Apple Macs, in other buildings and study spaces on campus.

WISER  gives academic support to all students enrolled on UCLan courses. WISER helps students learn how to study more effectively and communicate at an advanced and professional level. They offer 1-to-1 support, interactive workshops and online study advice so that students can reach their full potential and achieve the grades they deserve.

Sporting Facilities

The Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre (STFSC) is an UCLan’s multi-million pound, state-of-the-art, purpose-built indoor facility on the main University Campus. STFSC offers a range of activities from UCLan Students' Union sports clubs to instructor-led classes and individual sports halls, studios and courts.

The £12 million UCL Sports Arena, is a 64 acre multi-sports site, provides facilities for athletics, rugby league, rugby union, football, hockey, netball, tennis and cycling. There are also seven floodlit training grids, a 19-station fitness suite, an indoor room for activities, theory sessions and fitness training, and a fully equipped Strength & Conditioning room with Keiser pneumatic machines, Olympic weight lifting equipment and free weights.

UCLan offers a range of Sports Scholarships aimed at supporting both individual and team performance.

Students' Union

Students’ Union

UCLan Student’s Union is here to represent you. When you enrol as an UCLan student, you automatically become a member of the Student’s Union. The Students’ Union runs a range of services including Source bar, Atrium cafe and Essentials, your student shop. It offers a bite to eat between lectures, and a place to meet up with friends and watch the best live sport.

Joining a sports club or a student-led society is a great way to get involved and make friends. Whether your interest is religion, cultural, political, academic, arts, media, performance or sports, the Student’s Union has over 150 student groups, no matter what your interest or ability there’s something for everyone. UCLan’s “Give it a Go” programme ensures you have the opportunity to get involved in a wide range of weird and wonderful activities on a no commitment, no strings attached basis.

Volunteering is a great way to make a difference, meet new friends and gain some practical skills and experience that will boost your CV. Employers find volunteering work on a CV a valuable distinguisher, it shows a pro-active approach to improving yourself in a productive way. The Student’s Union has a range of volunteering opportunities that can take up as little or as much time as you like, including one-off opportunities that you can be attended as and when you have some free time. The Livesey Award has been developed by UCLan Students’ Union to recognise the contributions of all their volunteers. There are three levels (bronze, silver and gold) of the award, reflecting the hours that you have contributed as well as the competencies you have acquired.

The Student’s Union Advice and Representation Centre, offers advice on a range of matters relating to your course, money, benefits, housing, employment and more!

Student Support

Religion & Spirituality

The University’s Oasis Faith and Spirituality Centre, exists to encourage people in the pursuit and development of their faith, and to promote understanding and respect amongst members of different faiths. It also offers a neutral space where the chaplaincy team offers pastoral and spiritual support for all, whether they have a faith allegiance or not.

The Team of chaplains and faith advisors consists of members drawn from a range of religious traditions. They offer advice and information about religious groups within the University, and places of worship in the Preston area. In the Centre there is a coffee lounge that opens every day during term, and where you can make yourself a hot drink, meet others and relax.

There are also rooms for prayer, meditation, reading, and quiet reflection. The Library can be used for reference and the loan of books.

Health & Wellbeing

The Counselling, Mental Health and Wellbeing (CMHW) service is available to help students experiencing difficulties that are affecting their wellbeing. If you feel overwhelmed, stressed, experience difficulties with your health, housing, personal life, or studies, you can get confidential support and advice from the CMHW team.

Wellbeing advisors provide guidance on issues relating to your wellbeing. They provide assessments, follow-up appointments, signposting, and can act as a liaison with both internal and external teams to help support you in your studies.

The Mental Health Advisors are professionally trained and experienced practitioners. They offer a free, confidential service to all registered UCLan students, who are concerned about their mental health. They offer assessment appointments, advice and signposting to services to best meet a student’s needs.

The Counselling Service at UCLan is staffed by a team of professionally trained and experienced professionals. Students come for counselling with a broad range of issues and difficulties, including: homesickness, depression, anger, anxiety and panic attacks, etc.

The Disability Service has  a team of experienced Disability Advisers who work with disabled students to ensure that they get the best support possible whilst studying. A range of support is offered to suit individual needs and the service works with you and your tutors to devise an appropriate examination and assessment arrangements for you throughout the duration of your course.

The Peer Mentoring Scheme provides support to students from before they arrive on campus, right up until they graduate. The trained mentors can offer some useful advice and tips to help you get the most from your UCLan experience. This is an online programme where you can select your own Mentor and ask them questions about University life, such as: getting to grips with University processes; adapting to a new culture; achieving a good life/study balance, etc.

The staff at the University’s Medical Centre are able to provide students with a caring and confidential service on a wide range of medical matters. The Medical Centre is available to help, whether you are feeling ill, want family planning advice, concerned about sexual health or need information on vaccinations for a trip abroad.

Career Facilities

UCLan’s Careers Service is part of the Student Services. based in the Careers Centre located in the Foster Building. Students and graduates can drop in or make an appointment to see a Careers professional about any career related queries they may have. You can access careers support via the UCLan’s new careers system ‘CareerEDGE’. CareerEDGE allows you: to search for vacancies; book 1-2-1 career appointment; explore career resources, etc.

GradCheck is the Careers Service new programme of specialist support for final year undergraduate and postgraduate students. This consists of a package of workshops/events, resources and one to one support to prepare you for the workplace and explore other options for after graduation.

UCLan has a range of mentoring support programmes available to both students and graduates. Having a Mentor could help you in a number of ways, including: someone to talk to; providing new networks and contacts; connecting you with employers and experts from different industries, building your confidence when applying for jobs and developing your interview skills.

The Careers Service also organises a number of events, such as careers fairs , employer presentations, workshops, etc. that are a great opportunity for you to directly interact with employers and organisations and to learn and develop skills essential to the recruitment process. These events are a great opportunity to network and make contacts with potential employers, or just to have a look around to see what attracts you.

The Livesey Award recognises the contribution of all Students’ Union volunteers. It is a ‘thank you’ for the work, time and effort you put into volunteering, and will help you understand the importance of the impact of your efforts on both the Students’ Union, the people and communities you work with, The award is designed to be as simple as possible to fit around you. There are three levels of award reflecting the hours that you have contributed to making life better for others.

Accommodation

Accommodation

There is a wide choice of accommodation on campus with around 2,200 accommodation places in University-owned and leased halls of residence. All halls are self-catered and prices include all fuel and water bills. There is free internet access in all University-owned and leased accommodation.  All bedrooms in University-owned and leased accommodation contain a single bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers and study desk. En-suite rooms have a personal shower, wash basin and W.C. Non - en-suite rooms have a wash basin with mirror. There are also adapted rooms in the halls for those students with disabilities. Recycling facilities and bicycle racks are provided throughout campus, and every resident has 24 hour access to University security.

International

English Language Requirements

If English is not your first language, the University asks for:

International Scholarships

UCLan offers a wide range of scholarships and bursaries to international students who can demonstrate academic and personal excellence.

The Excellence Scholarships are available to those students who have achieved excellent grades in their studies prior to entering their chosen UCLan undergraduate or postgraduate taught programme. The value of the award is £3,000 per year of study on their chosen programme. There is no requirement to make a formal application for this scholarship.

For a list of International scholarships and bursaries, please visit the UCLan’s website.

International Support

UCLan’s student body includes 120 nationalities. The International Student Support Team’s Orientation Programme is specifically for international students to enrol and go through important document checks before term begins. It is also an opportunity to meet other new international students and become familiar with the campus.

‘Buddies’, are current students, or recent graduates, who work closely with the International Student Support Team during the Orientation Programme to give you the best possible start to your time at UCLan. Buddies know both the University and the City of Preston extremely well; they are very friendly and approachable and many of them are multi-lingual. You will meet Buddies throughout your first few weeks at UCLan; Buddies help staff the airport pick-ups, the International Helpdesk and the social events throughout the year.

The Student Support Team published an arrival guide containing all the key information you will need when leaving home and travelling to UCLan, including how to pay your fees, the UK currency system and an explanation about the cost of living in the UK. There is also important information for international students who have newly arrived at UCLan, including how to open a bank account, manage household bills, council tax, books and stationery, travelling in the UK, how to obtain a TV licence and shopping for food.

The University offers a free Airport transfer Service for all new overseas UCLan students, arriving into Manchester airport, regardless of which country they have travelled from.

Media