The University of Leicester

Summary

University Environment

The University of Leicester is situated on a campus located about a mile south of the city centre. The campus is presided over by three distinctive towers built in the brutalist style: the Engineering Building, the Charles Wilson Building and the Attenborough tower. Other buildings on the campus, however, date back to the mid-nineteenth century. 

The campus is surrounded by green spaces, the largest of which is Victoria Park. Recently the campus has undergone substantial redevelopment with £300+ million invested into building projects including the new, state-of-the-art David Wilson Library and the Henry Wellcome Biomedical Research Building.  

History

The University of Leicester was founded as Leicestershire and Rutland University College in 1921 but it was not awarded its royal charter until 1957.  Between 1927 and 1957 students could be awarded external degrees from the University of London.

At its foundation, the site for the University was donated by a local textile manufacturer, Thomas Fielding Johnson, in order to create a living memorial for those who lost their lives in First World War. This is reflected in the University's motto Ut Vitam Habeant – 'so that they may have life'.

In 1963, the University won the first ever series of University Challenge. The university is also known for Professor Sir Alec Jeffries’ invention of genetic fingerprinting in 1984 and their discovery of the remains of King Richard III in 2012.

Academics

Colleges & Departments

College of Medicine, Biological Sciences and Psychology

• Department of Cancer Studies
• Department of Cardiovascular Studies
• Department of Genetics
• Department of Health Sciences
• Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation
• Department of Medical and Social Care Education 
• Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
• Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour
• Department of Psychology
• Diabetes Research Centre
• GENIE Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

College of Science and Engineering

• Department of Chemistry
• Department of Computer Science
• Department of Engineering
• Department of Geography
• Department of Geology
• Department of Mathematics
• Department of Physics and Astronomy

College of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities

• Department of Archaeology and Ancient History
• Attenborough Arts Centre
• Department of Criminology
• Department of Economics
• Department of Education
• Department of English
• Department of History
• Department of History of Art and Film
• Department of Law
• Department of Lifelong Learning
• Department of Management
• Department of Modern Languages
• Department of Media and Communication
• Department of Museum Studies
• Department of Politics and International Relations
• Department of Sociology

Research

Leicester is ranked in the top 25 universities in the Times Higher Education REF Research Power rankings. 75% of the university’s research was judged to be internationally excellent with wide-ranging impacts on society, health culture, and the environment. That Leicester also entered a substantial proportion of academics - 84% - to the REF demonstrates that its academics are continuing to develop and build upon previous world-leading research.

International & Industrial Opportunities 

The University of Leicester offers its students two programmes through which they can spend a semester or a year studying in another country. The Study Abroad programme is an inter-university exchange programme lasting one or two semesters which gives students the chance to experience university study at one of over fifty partner universities in countries outside of Europe, including those in Australia, America, Canada, China, Colombia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore. Students can also spend a semester abroad in Europe through the Erasmus programme, funded by the European Commission. The University currently has Erasmus exchange partners in 22 countries across Europe.  

Many departments at the University of Leicester have links to leading businesses and organisations, through which students can find a year’s placement during their degree. Previous placements include working with Rolls Royce, Perkins and GlaxoSmithKline. 

Fees & Finance

Scholarships

The University of Leicester offers a variety of scholarships to reward excellent students. The Chancellor’s Scholarship is a £1,000 cash card given to students in their first year. It can be used in selected University outlets, throughout the student’s degree, to purchase food, books, stationery, accommodation and sports memberships. Any student who achieves AAB or higher at A Level or equivalent will qualify, if applying for any subject except medicine. This scholarship is available to applicants from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and EU countries, but not Wales.

The University of Leicester Scholarship represents £1,000 in cash for each year of study at the university. It is offered to applicants from England who have completed the Realising Opportunities scheme, or who have a household income below £25,000. Students must have applied for, and have received, a Tuition Fee Loan in order to be eligible for the University of Leicester Scholarship.

Scholarships are only available to full-time students who have registered by December 1st. There is no need to apply for them as the university will let students know whether or not they have been successful. 

Music scholarships of £500 per year are available outstanding musicians. The money can go towards lessons with local teachers or lessons with members of the prestigious Philharmonia Orchestra.

Sports scholarships are available to students who have competed at county level and above. Applications are especially welcome in fencing, hockey, rugby union, basketball, tennis, squash, volleyball and lacrosse, although the university does consider individuals that perform in other sports. Three scholarship packages are available. The silver package includes a variety of benefits such as sports facility membership, workshops and mentoring and support. The gold package includes all these benefits plus £500 to spend on agreed expenses. The platinum package for international or national level athletes includes support of up to £5,000 on top of all the other benefits. 

Facilities

Learning Facilities

The University of Leicester’s library was dramatically extended between 2005 and 2008, at a cost of £32 million. Now known as the David Wilson Library, it provides students with group study rooms, hundreds of PCs, netbook loans, wireless access, staffed Help Zones, and a bookshop and café. The library is open 24/7 for 5 days a week, during term time. Students have access to over one million printed volumes, and a digital library of 23,000 e-journals and over 350,000 e-books and electronic resources can be accessed from anywhere with Internet connection.

The Library also has extensive collections of rare books and archives, ranging from the 12th to the 21st centuries, with particular strengths in English local history, medieval manuscripts and modern literature.

Individual departments are also equipped with the latest technology and resources. This includes the newest online technology such as discussion forums, web links and podcast lectures. In total the university has over 1,400 pcs around campus, as well as extensive printing and photocopying facilities. They also offer courses on IT skills throughout the year. 

All students at Leicester will be allocated a personal tutor to support them throughout their degree. They can offer advice on academic matters or more personal issues.

Sporting Facilities

The University of Leicester has two state-of-the-art sports centres; the Daniel Brown Sports Centre on campus and the Roger Bettles Sports Centre, which is located right next to the halls of residence. Both of these centres have fully equipped gyms, with free weights and cardio and resistance machines, as well as swimming pools, saunas, steam rooms, and spa pools. In addition, students have access to indoor sports halls, outdoor courts and all-weather pitches. The university also runs a packed programme of group fitness classes such as yoga, circuit training, body combat and Zumba. 

Sports Membership gives students access to all of the sports facilities, pitches and courts. There are a variety of packages to suit individual needs and budgets.

There are three tiers of sports scholarships available to students who have competed at county level or higher. Benefits range from university support and mentoring to up to £5000 financial aid for international or national level athletes. 

Students' Union

Students' Union

Leicester’s students' union, in the Percy Gee building, houses a shop, a café, a bank and a music venue. In 2013 they won the prestigious NUS Students’ Union of the Year award because of their ability to look after and support Leicester’s students. The union is run by the union council, which is made up of students and is democratically elected by students each year. 

The Students’ Union is home to over 150 student groups, covering practically everything from Asian Dance to Muggle Quidditch. Students can also get involved with the university’s newspaper (the Ripple), radio station (LUSH) or TV Station (LUST) which are all run by students from within the union. 

O2 Academy Leicester is a live music and club venue, within the Students’ Union. It caters for the biggest live acts on the touring circuit and is the second largest purpose-built live music venue in the city with a 1,450 capacity.

The union also provides support and advice to students on a range of issues including housing, money, safety and education. They also run Nightline a support service open from 8pm to 8am every night and staffed by specially trained volunteers.

Student Support

Religion & Spirituality

All the major world religions have representatives on Leicester’s campus. World Faiths Advisers exist for Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist students. Muslim students have prayer rooms set aside for their needs on campus. The University’s Chaplaincy provides a place to relax, pray and discuss faith. It is open each day and welcomes everyone regardless of faith. It is a base for many student Christian societies. Chaplains provide support, advice and counsel, and are happy to discuss matters of faith with students. The Chaplaincy presents an opportunity for students to explore spirituality through worship and discussion groups.

Health & Wellbeing

There is an NHS health centre located just a few minutes from the University of Leicester’s campus, which is specifically designed with students in mind. The University’s healthy living service also provides students with health support and advice, and can refer them to the appropriate local clinic. 

Leicester’s Student Counselling service offers free and confidential services to any student who needs them. This includes individual counselling, group sessions, a resource library and workshops on common issues such as exam stress. 

Students with any sort of learning or physical disability will be supported through the AccessAbility Centre. They offer pre-entry contact or visits to discuss individual requirements, assistance with Disabled Students’ Allowance applications, the organisation of alternative exam arrangements, and one-to-one specialist support. In addition, each academic department has an AccessAbility Tutor.

Career Facilities

The University of Leicester is renowned for offering its students extensive career preparation services. In 2013, they were shortlisted for a Times Higher Education Award and were highly commended by the Association of Graduate Recruiters. 

The university’s MyCareers portal gives students access to the university’s careers events, activities and workshops as well as available internships, work placements and jobs. 

Leicester’s Festival of Careers is one of the largest graduate recruitment events in the UK. In 2013 over 160 employers attended this four-day event to promote internships offering over 12,500 different graduate roles. 

The University was also the first top 20 university in the country to run a major paid internship programme. Students will benefit from 500 paid internships available for 4-12 weeks by a range of local and national businesses and organisations including the University itself. All internships will offer competitive salaries. 

Students who take part in volunteering, part time work or training courses can do so through the university-run Leicester Award allowing these achievements to be formally recognised.

Accommodation

The University of Leicester’s student accommodation is split across two areas. The majority of accommodation is in Oadby Student Village located 3.5km from the campus. There are regular buses between the accommodation, University campus and the city centre. Each hall at Oadby has its own social facilities and students will benefit from the town’s restaurants, cafés, bars and 24-hour supermarket. There is a combination of catered and self-catered accommodation available in each hall. Prices start at £85 a week and can reach £198 a week for a catered premium en-suite package. 

The remainder of student accommodation is located close to the university campus or in the city centre. These four halls are self-catered and range in price between £85 a week and £172 a week. 

All students are guaranteed a room in University allocated accommodation if they apply for accommodation by 1 September 2015.

International

English Language Requirements

International applicants whose first language is not English, and who have not lived in a country where the first language is English for at least three years immediately prior to the start of the course, must have one of the following qualifications: 

• IGCSE English Language, grade C or above. 
• British Council IELTS 6.0 to 7.5 depending on the degree programme. Biological Sciences, Arts and Social Sciences degrees require 6.5. Law requires 7.0 and Medicine requires 7.5. 
• TOEFL iBT 80 to 110 depending on the degree programme. Biological Sciences, Arts and Social Sciences degrees require 90. Law requires 100 and Medicine requires 110.

Other qualifications are also accepted, see the University’s website for more information. 

The University also offers a foundation year course specifically tailored to suit international students. This is aimed at students without the necessary qualifications to study on their chosen course and can prepare them fully for their degree. 

International Support

International students will be supported throughout their time at Leicester by the university’s International Office. Prior to applying, students can find help from one of the university’s agents situated throughout the world.

The International Students’ Welcome Programme, held during the week before the start of the academic year, provides international students with the opportunity to settle in, meet other students and carry out essential tasks such as opening a bank account, registering with the police and complying with immigration rules.

Media