Newcastle University, UK

Established in 1963 by an act of Parliament, Newcastle University (aka University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NU) is ranked among the Top 12 universities in the UK by The Sunday Times, and among the Top 150 universities worldwide in the Times Higher Education and QS World University 2011 league tables. A member of the Russell Group, an association of 20 leading research-intensive British universities, Newcastle U has been awarded two Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for higher and further education. Its three faculties — humanities and social sciences, medical sciences, and science, agriculture and engineering — offer over 200 undergraduate and 300 postgraduate and research study programmes to 19,700 students.

Tracing its origins to the School of Medicine and Surgery (later the College of Medicine, estb. 1834), and Armstrong College (1871) for teaching physical sciences, Newcastle is specially reputed for its medical school which was awarded 143 out of a maximum possible 144 points in its six subject areas in the government’s Teaching Quality Assess-ment survey. According to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), Cambridge, Oxford and Newcastle are the most preferred universities in the UK for studying medicine. Its business school, which recently inaugurated a £50 million (Rs.426 crore) building, is also top-rated.

“Newcastle University is a world-class civic university with a rich tradition of scholarship, a proud record of service and a loyal cohort of alumni. The reputation and popularity of the university are backed by the high-quality teaching and learning exper-ience available to students here. We are consistently ranked amongst the top British universities,” says Professor Chris Brink, vice chancellor of the university, with justifiable pride.

Sited on a 50-acre campus in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in north-east England, the eponymous institution is the first British university to establish an overseas campus offering medical education. Its Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia campus, sited in Johor was officially inaugurated on November 1 last year. NU also has partnership agreements with Indian institutions including IIT Delhi, University of Hyderabad, Management Development Institute, Delhi and Amity University, Bhopal.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Newcastle (pop.260,000) is situated on the north bank of River Tyne and famous for its medieval castle, Victorian buildings and unspoiled countryside. A former coal mining, ship-building and repair hub, the city is now a thriving business and cultural centre. Its lively quayside brings together the best of Newcastle and Gateshead — the Sage Gateshead music centre and the Baltic art gallery share the river with numerous bars, cafes and restaurants. The Great North and Discovery museums, a variety of music venues, fine theatre spaces and over 600 shops provide residents and visitors multiple cultural and entertainment options. A metro rail network offers fast and efficient travel around the city.

The weather in Newcastle — as with many parts of the UK — is variable, but on the whole, is quite dry thanks to the Pennines, which cast a rain shadow over much of north-east England. Typically, winters are cold and dry, with fog and mist a common occurrence with temp-eratures ranging from -12oC to 7oC. Summers are warm and dry with temperatures ranging from 15oC-35oC.

Campus facilities. NU’s 50-acre campus is sited on the edge of the city centre. It offers excellent teaching-learning, sports and cultural facilities including the Great North Museum, Hancock which houses world class natural history, archaeological and ethnographic collections, a specialist library and a planetarium; the Hatton art gallery, displaying a permanent collection of artworks, ranging from  Renaissance to 20th century; the Northern Stage theatre, the largest theatre company of the north-east; the Newcastle University Language Resource Centre offering self-study resources in over 50 languages; King’s Gate, the purpose-built student services building and the recently refurbished Students’ Union building. The Robinson Library offers resources for all subjects except medicine (served by the Walton Medical and Dental Library) and law (the Law Library).

The university’s Sports Centre offers a state-of-the-art fitness suite, sports massage clinic, fitness testing and health assessment, double court sports hall, two multipurpose gym areas, four squash courts and dance studio. Moreover, the university offers students opportunities to play rugby, football, hockey, netball, lacrosse and rowing at venues around Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

In addition to its main campus, NU includes a purpose-built campus housing the Institute for Ageing and Health on the site of the former Newcastle General Hospital in the west end of the city.

Admission. Applications for admission into Newcastle must be made through the centralised Univ-ersities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Students can apply online at www.ucas.com. The UCAS code for Newcastle U is N21. The minimum eligibility criterion for undergrad programmes is successful completion of Plus Two though some study programmes may have more specific admission requirements. Proof of proficiency in English language is also mandatory (IELTS or TOEFL scores are accepted). The UCAS deadline for receipt of applications for all professional medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and veterinary science courses is October 15. For art and design courses, it’s March 24 and for all other study programmes it is January 15.

Admission applications for post-graduate and doctoral programmes must be made directly to the university. For further information, contact Newcastle University, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 191 222 6000; website www.ncl.ac.uk.

Accommodation. Newcastle U offers students a choice of university-owned and private accommodation. All first-year students from abroad are guaranteed housing. University accommodation (catered and self-catered) is available within walking distance of the campus. Options range from study bedrooms with shared bathroom and kitchen facilities to purpose-built flats for between three and seven students. For those wanting to live off campus, the university’s accommodation service is helpful. Moreover, its NU Studenthomes Property Management Service leases privately owned properties and rents them to student groups.

Degree programmes. The faculties of humanities and social sciences; medical sciences and science, agricu-lture and engineering offer a wide range of bachelors (BA, B.Sc, B.Eng) and Masters (MA, M.Sc) and Ph D degree programmes.

Summiya Yasmeen