University of Bath, UK

Sited in a Unesco World Heritage City boasting fine Georgian architectural marvels, UoB is routinely ranked among Britain’s top ten varsities for high-quality academics and research

The ancient Unesco designated World Heritage City of Bath also hosts the University of Bath (estb. 1966) which is often ranked among Britain’s top ten varsities. The Independent Complete University Guide (2009) as well as The Guardian University Guide (2010) have included Bath in their listing of UK’s top universities. Moreover three of the university’s departments were awarded the highest 5* rating in a recent Research Assessment Exercise, while a further six received a 5 rating. Currently Bath’s three faculties and two schools offer a wide range of study programmes, with the university’s humanities, education, engineering and design, health, manage-ment, science and social sciences faculties, particularly well-reputed for their rigorous, hands-on curriculums. The university’s research and develop-ment capabilities are also well regarded in the UK with the value of its research portfolio (grants and contracts) estimated at £100 million (Rs.700 crore) in 2009.

Comments Professor Glynis M. Breakwell, vice chancellor of the university: “Our reputation for research excellence was strengthened by the publication of the Research Assess-ment Exercise 2008 outcomes, with around 90 percent of our research activity judged to have an international profile. Over 70 percent of our submissions were ranked in the top ten for their unit of assessment. Moreover our commitment to enhancing the quality of student learning experience was evidenced by the increase in the overall satisfaction level in the National Student Survey, from 84.6 percent in 2007 to 86.6 percent in 2008.”

Currently Bath University, which received its royal charter in 1966, has an enrolment of 13,218 students instructed by 2,707 faculty. Institutional spokespersons stress that the distinguishing feature of a Bath education is the strong emphasis given to practical learning. Most undergrad degree programmes are offered with the option of a paid placement year or a period of study abroad. In addition, all students are offered the option of studying a language, or subject of personal interest, alongside their degree programme.

Bath. Located in south-west  England, 190 km from London, Bath (pop. 90,000) is one of only three cities worldwide to be designated a Unesco World Heritage site. Nourished by hot springs, Bath boasts fine Georgian architectural marvels such as the Royal Crescent, the Circus and Pulteney Bridge together with a diverse collection of museums and historical attractions including the Roman Baths, Bath Abbey and Thermae Bath Spa. The city was first established as a spa resort with the Latin name, Aquae Sulis (“the waters of Sulis”) by the Romans in 43 AD. The Romans built baths and a temple on the hills surrounding Bath in the River Avon valley around the only natural hot springs of Britain. Much later in the 18th century, Bath became a popular spa resort, where the rich and famous gathered to “take the waters”. During this period the renowned architect, John Wood, laid the foundations of a new Georgian city, built of the honey-coloured stone that gives Bath its mellow and indefinable quality.

Inevitably, this ancient city boasts numerous parks, gardens and theatres. The Bath Theatre Royal and Ustinov Theatre offer programmes throughout the year, and there are innumerable bars, cafes, pubs and restaurants catering to all tastes and price ranges. Compact and charming, Bath is close to the Mendips, the Wye Valley and the Forest of Dean, all areas of extraordinary natural beauty. The ancient ruins of Avebury and Stonehenge are only an hour away, and for those seeking the shopping and bustle of a major city, Bristol is less than 30 minutes, Cardiff one hour, and London less than two hours by train.

The climate in Bath is wetter and colder than the rest of England. January is the coldest month with a minimum temperature of 1°C. July and August are the warmest, with mean daily maxima of 21°C.

Campus facilities. Sited 2 km from the city centre, the university campus is compact with all major facilities easily accessible from a central pedestrian pathway. Shops, restaurants, bars, laboratories, lecture theatres, the library and computer facilities are all grouped around this area. The academic buildings are modern and functional and interspersed with gardens and walk-ways. The recently added Woodland Court housing complex offers accomm-odation to 3,300 students. The university library, which earned the distinction of becoming the country’s first 24-hour library in 1996, offers over a thousand seats, including 450 computer workstations, and houses 500,000 volumes. In addition it provides digital/multi-media information services.

Sports facilities on campus include the Sports Training Village (STV), the Founders Complex and the Sulis Club. The STV houses four multi-purpose halls, a 50m pool, indoor and outdoor athletics tracks, astroturf pitches, and a martial arts dojo. The Founders Complex contains a multi-purpose sports hall, squash courts and 25m pool while the Sulis Club is a community-led sports facility contiguous to the main complex. Moreover the Bath University Students’ Union runs over 100 clubs and societies.

Admission. Applications for admission into Bath’s under-graduate programmes have to be made through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). UCAS is a centralised admission system for entry into full-time undergraduate degree programmes offered by any university or college in the UK. The admission application form is available on www.ucas.ac.uk. The university’s UCAS code is B16. The deadline for admission applications is January 15.

The minimum eligibility criterion for admission into Bath’s undergraduate degrees is completion of class XII, with an 80 percent plus average in a CBSE or ICSE affiliated school. The minimum English language requirement is an IELTS score of 6.0, or students should have scored 70 percent plus in English in the class XII CBSE or ICSE board exams. For postgraduate entry, appli-cants must have a first class bachelor’s degree. Moreover some postgraduate programmes may require work expe-rience. In particular, the MBA degree programme requires a minimum of three years work experience.

For further information contact the Admissions Office, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1225 383019; e-mail: admissions@bath.ac.uk; website: www.bath.ac.uk.

Accommodation. All first-year international students are guaran-teed on-campus accommodation in self-catering flats. Rooms are arranged in groups around a communal kitchen, and single sex as well as mixed accommo-dation is available. Facilities include communal lounge/kitchen/dining rooms and launderettes. Accommodation on campus is all within a five-minute walk of university facilities including teaching rooms. Off-campus residences are within a short walk of the main shopping areas in the city centre and on a direct bus route to the university.

Degree programmes. The University of Bath offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes across five academic departments (see box).

Summiya Yasmeen