University of Reading

Summary

History

Reading University originates in the Schools of Art and Science, which were  established in Reading in 1860 and 1870 respectively. In 1892 the College at Reading was founded as an extension by Christ Church College, University of Oxford. The Schools of Art and Science were then transferred to this new college.

In 1904, the College moved to the London Road Campus and was granted Royal Charter in 1926, officially becoming the University of Reading, the only university to be created in England between the two world wars.

The Whiteknights campus based on the former home of the Marquis of Blandford was established in 1947. In 2016, after successfully educating international students for more than a century, the University opens a campus in Malaysia, thus bringing the Reading student experience to the Far East.

University Environment

The University maintains approximately 400 acres of grounds over three distinct campuses:

Whiteknights Campus

- The main campus is set in 130 hectares of beautiful parkland, and was the only university campus to appear in the top 10 of the 2014 Green Flag People's Choice Award. The campus is a thriving community, approximately one and a half miles from Reading City centre, incorporating Whiteknights Lake, conservation meadows and woodlands, the Students' Union, library and places to eat. It also boasts two on-site museums, housing specialist collections relating to zoology and Greek archaeology.

London Road Campus

- The London Road campus has recently undergone a £30 million transformation. This historic site, one of the University’s original campuses, is home to the Institute of Education. It also features the Great Hall, which is used for concerts and graduation ceremonies, and a bar/café that serves hot and cold food.

Greenlands Campus

- Home to one of Europe’s top business schools, the stunning Greenlands campus is situated on the banks of the River Thames near Henley, approximately 6 miles from Reading. It features a fully equipped fitness centre, business facilities, a conference centre, accommodation and dining room. Greenlands is used by the University's Henley Business School as the base for its MBA and corporate learning.

The University of Reading Malaysia (UoRM), located in a state of the art campus at EduCity@Iskandar Malaysia, is just 40 minutes away from Singapore International Airport and only 20 minutes from Johor International Airport, offers students a host of unrivalled facilities.

Academics

Schools & Departments

School of Agriculture, Policy and Development

School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science

• Department of Geography and Environmental Science
• Department of Archaeology

Reading School of Art

• Department of Film, Theatre & Television
• Department of Typography & Graphic Communication

School of Biological Sciences

School of Architecture

School of the Built Environment

School of Construction Management and Engineering

School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy

• Department of Chemistry
• Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences
• Reading School of Pharmacy

Institute of Education

School of Humanities

• Department of Philosophy
• Department of History
• Department of Classics

School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences

School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences

• Department of Computer Science
• Department of Mathematics and Statistics
• Department of Meteorology

School of Politics, Economics and International Relations

• Department of Economics
• Department of Politics and International Relations

School of Literature and Languages

• Department of English Literature
• Modern Languages and European Studies
• English Language and Applied Linguistics

School of Law

Henley Business School

Research

In the 2014 REF 78% of the University's research was rated as internationally excellent while 27% of their research was rated as world-leading. Some of their highlights in terms of research power include Agriculture, Veterinary & Food Science which was rated 4th in the UK; Earth Systems & Environmental Sciences which were rated 3rd in the UK; and Architecture, Built Environment & Planning which were rated 6th in the UK.

International & Industrial Opportunities

Reading has a number of exchange agreements which depend on the student's subject area and degree programme. Students can study in Europe via the ERASMUS+ programme, with destinations available to you being determined by the partnerships owned by the academic department/school, and outside the EU through Institute-wide exchange partners where students from any discipline are able to apply.

A Professional Placement Year is available on many of the University Undergraduate programmes as a 4 year programme or you can convert to one at a later stage. Doing a Placement Year will help you to grow in confidence, learn new skills and build professional networks. You may even get a job offer before you finish your placement. Placement coordinators are available to help and guide you in the application process.

Fees & Finance

Scholarships & Bursaries

The University have a plethora of scholarships and bursaries available depending on your year of study and course. For more information please see their money matters page. 

Facilities

Learning Facilities

The Whiteknights Main Library holds over 1.2 million books, as well as over 17,000 electronic resources, and videos and archives. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during term time. The University also holds rare books, manuscripts and archives with three collections of international importance: the Archive of British Publishing and Printing; the Samuel Beckett Collection; and the Museum of English Rural Life and its library.

There are a number of study areas in the Main Library, including quiet and silent study areas, group study and discussion rooms, and a comfortable, communal ‘Knowledge Exchange’. The University’s IT facilities include open access PC areas, PC training rooms, a presentation practice room, specialist equipment and a staffed ITS help multimedia loans point.

Reading also maintains four museums and a botanical garden, the largest museum being the Museum of English Rural Life.

The professional and friendly Study Advice team, based in the Library works with students in all disciplines and at all levels of academic study, from undergraduate to PhD to help them: develop more effective practices for studying at university; have a clearer understanding of what tutors expect; make studying less stressful and achieve better marks.

Maths Support is also available to help students finding any mathematical topic difficult during their transition to university study. Maths Support is a drop-in service.

Most degrees allow students to take 20 credits per year with the Institution-Wide Language Programme (IWLP) as part of their degree. Languages available include Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Russian, Modern Greek, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. The Self-Access Centre for Language Learning (SACLL) offers an environment where students can develop their language skills, with facilities, including PCs, a study area, and playback facilities for listening and pronunciation practice. Their materials include grammar and vocabulary practice books and CD-ROMs; graded readers, magazines and dictionaries; listening and pronunciation material including cassettes, DVDs, videos and TV; website support; and study skills guidance.

Sports Facilities

Reading University SportsPark includes a state-of-the-art fitness studio, specialist dance studios, squash courts, floodlit netball courts, five-a-side football pitches and a multi-purpose sports hall.

The SportsPark’s new £850,000 TennisPark is now open. The SportsPark’s latest state of the art facility has been funded by the Lawn Tennis Association and the University of Reading. The three new courts are built next to the existing five outdoor courts and are covered by a weatherproof dome. The five outdoor courts have been resurfaced and new floodlights installed.

Students' Union

Students’ Union

The University of Reading Students’ Union (RUSU) is here to enhance your university experience. Students can join the 150 clubs or societies available, including getting involved in media through Spark*, the student newspaper, the radio station Junction11, and the on-line TV station RUTV. There are also volunteering opportunities for you to take part.

RUSU’s Academic Advice Service offers students support, guidance and confidential advice on all academic matters. If you feel you cannot discuss certain issues with your Academic Tutor, advisers are on hand to support you.

Within the Student Union building there is a range of shops including a bookshop, oriental food store, cereal and bagel bar, and hairdressers, as well as the largest students’ union shop in the UK.

There is a cafe, Cafe Mondial, and Mojo’s bar which run regular events throughout the week such as quiz, comedy, and karaoke. The university nightclub, 3sixty, is the biggest club in Reading.

Student Support

Religion & Spirituality

The Chaplaincy Centre provides a pastoral care and support to all faiths and reaches out to the wider religious community in Reading. It hosts worship and meetings for people of a wide variety of opinions. On the campus itself, there is a Muslim Prayer Centre.

Health & Wellbeing

There is a purpose-built Medical Practice, which also houses a dental surgery situated near the Whiteknights campus.

The University’s Counselling & Wellbeing Service offers one-to-one sessions with either counsellors, psychologists or psychotherapists, as well as running a number of talks which can enhance motivation and confidence. Their aim is to support students in any developmental, clinical and academic problems that may arise while at Reading. They also have information online in the form of leaflets for students to take home and read on their own.

The University’s Disability Advisory Service gives individually tailored support and guidance to students with any disability, mental health condition, or specific learning difficulty. The service they provide includes assistance on arranging non-medical helpers; information on funding for study support, including the Disabled Students Allowance and how to apply; and much more.

Peer Assisted learning (PAL) offers friendly, informal, but confidential support to any student and is provided for students by fellow students who have had training in listening and helping skills. Therefore, it is built on the shared experiences and feelings of others in similar situations with formal training and ongoing support.

Career Facilities

The range of employability support on offer from the Careers Centre includes: professional careers consultants who can provide you with specialist and personalised advice, including CV-checking and mock interviews; dedicated placements officers to support and train you in preparation for your placement; student experience and development schemes to help you boost your employability; online resources, including free videos and assessment tools; events to help you explore your options, build professional skills and meet employers; and an online jobs board exclusively for University of Reading students – My Jobs Online. You can access this service from the September before you arrive, giving you a headstart on finding a part-time job in the area.

You can also boost your employability skills via the Reading Internship Scheme (RIS) and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP).

Accommodation

All accommodation at Reading is located either on the main Whiteknights campus or within a short walk. There are different room types available to suit all tastes and budgets, including catered or self-catered, and different residency periods. There is also accommodation available for families, couples and mature students. All halls and security patrolled and there is a dedicated and on-site team of staff wardens available to help you with all aspects of pastoral care.

Rent includes all your utility bills, Wi-Fi, contents insurance, maintenance, and communal cleaning, including communal kitchen areas.

Self-catered accommodation includes kitchens shared between residents and include a hob and oven, microwave, fridge and freezer, kettle, toaster, cupboard and storage space for each resident. You can choose between premium rooms, en-suite rooms and rooms with shared bathrooms.

In catered halls the rent includes up to £70 per week available for you to spend every week for 31 weeks of term time, being loaded onto your Campus Card every Saturday during term time. There are seven selected outlets across campus in which to spend this money, which are open early morning to late evening. All catered halls offer small kitchenettes which include at least a fridge, kettle, toaster and microwave.

Each hall has its own elected JCR (Junior Common Room) Committee, which is made up of students who have previously lived in the halls. The JCR Representatives offer peer support and coordinate social activities throughout the year, such as Welcome Week events, formal dinners and halls sports teams. All residents can join the JCR and become part of the hall community.

International

English Language Requirements

Some of the the English language levels generally required for Reading undergraduate courses are outlined in the tables below. However, please check the University website for the full list.

If you do not yet meet these levels, then they can help. When you apply you can let them know your current level of English (through your most recent IELTS or equivalent score) and they will advise you on the best route to starting a degree with them.

International Scholarships

The University has a number of scholarships and discounts available for International Foundation Programme (IFP) students.

International Support

The University operates a Meet & Greet service for international students travelling to Heathrow in September. There are Student Ambassadors at Reading Railway Station to greet you if you are coming by train, and they will direct you to transport to your accommodation and answer any questions you might have.

The University’s International Welcome Programme consists of sessions aimed specifically at international students to help find out more about life in the UK. Students are invited to join walking tours of Reading town centre and join in with dedicated social events to meet other people.

The Academic English Programme (AEP) enables international and EU students at the University to develop their academic English skills. The University supports you through the challenges of your studies, and to develop your academic English skills to help you achieve your full potential. The programme is free to all fee-paying students from all departments, and at any stage of study.

Media