Salford University (Detailed Info)

Founded: 1896 as the Royal Salford Technical Institute. University charter in 1967.

Location: Campus 1 miles from Manchester city centre.

Getting there: Manchester easy to reach by road, rail, coach, air (Manchester airport in easy reach). For Salford, motorway links (M602), buses and trains from Manchester; mainline railway station on campus.

Academic features: Courses in a wide range of subjects including aeronautical engineering, biomolecular science with cancer studies, computer and video games, complementary medicine, business & management, criminology, robotics & electronic systems engineering. Some 4-year degree programmes run jointly by university and local HE/FE colleges (students spend 2 years at each). 70+% of students do some form of work placement as part of their degree; 'student capability schemes' improve skills in teamwork, verbal and written communication and presentation.

Special features: Integrated chairs where professors work part-time in university and part-time in senior positions in their company eg British Aerospace (aeronautical engineering), Unilever (applied chemistry), British Telecom (IT), Granada TV (media).

Awarding body: Salford University.

Main undergraduate awards: BA, BSc, BEng, MEng, MChem, MPhys.

Length of courses: 3 years; 4 years for eg languages, undergraduate Masters', sandwich courses.

Library & IT facilities: Combined library and computing service: 623,000 volumes in total, 5800 periodicals, 1600 study places. Information includes recommended student texts, HMSO and British Standards material, specialist music collections and access to CD-Rom and networked databases. Annual expenditure on information provision, £104 per (FTE) student. 820 open access area PCs, open 12 hours/working day (24 hours in some areas). IT support from enquiry desk; presentation and hands-on sessions for new students; IT courses (eg word-processing, web), including online courses.

Study abroad: Most students can take a language (eg physics with German/French/Spanish/Italian) and spend 6-12 months working/studying abroad. Exchange links with some 30 universities/colleges.

Careers & Jobs: Information (excellent library of employers' material, videos and reference books), advice and placement through 'milk round'. Over 94% of students in employment or further study within 6 months of graduation.

Student advice & services: Advice centre, health centre, psychotherapist, professional welfare officers, counsellors, international students' adviser, equal opportunities officer, chaplaincy; access to nursery (children 6 months to 5 years). Some residential facilities for married and disabled students.

Amenities: Restaurants, snack bars, bookshop, union shop and bank on campus; SU buildings with bars, insurance, hairdressers and travel bureau. Salford city art gallery on campus.

Sporting facilities: Leisure centre with 4 squash courts, climbing wall, gyms, tennis courts, all-weather pitches, fitness room, floodlit astroturf (tennis and 5-a-side football); swimming pool, jacuzzi and sauna, 2 sports halls. Outdoor playing fields at student village, boat house at Salford Quays.

Accommodation: Guaranteed for first year students applying before 1 September (can be booked online). 4000 single study bedrooms on 5 sites (all within 1 mile of university and with telephone and optional internet access). Student houses £82-£93 per week full-board (breakfast & evening meal weekdays, self-catering at weekend); £45-£57 pw self-catering. Private rented accommodation £45-£60 pw.

Living expenses budget: Minimum budget of £5800 pa (excluding tuition fees) recommended by university.

Financial help: £1.3 million government funds (Access to Learning) for UK students who may not traditionally have entered higher education (grants £100-£3500); university's own international crisis fund of £30,000 for students from outside the UK. Apply for help to Student Assistance Office. Also scholarships for eg women in engineering, accounting, environmental science.