East Anglia (UEA), University of

University of East Anglia (UEA)

University of East Anglia (UEA)

Age: 49

History: Child of the 60s and still growing. The faculty of health in particular has been an area of major growth in recent years.

Address: Sat in 320 acres of rolling parkland two miles outside the cathedral city of Norwich.

Ambience: Bold late 20th-century architecture boasts award-winning designs by Denys Lasdun, Lord Foster and Rick Mather. Concrete jungle softened by setting of the parkland. The campus has seen a £3.8m extension to the Sportspark, completion of the new INTO University of East Anglia which incorporates teaching and accommodation facilities for over 400 students. The new Academic East opened in 2009, and includes a new 300 seat lecture theatre, seminar rooms and a large “break-out” space for student projects. The 'Golden Triangle' between the University and the town has a friendly, student feel.

Vital statistics: Over 13,000 students. University has a good academic reputation and has spawned experts in fields as disparate as creative writing and environmental sciences. An emphasis on inter-disciplinary study means students can fashion their degrees to suit their interests. Access courses bring in undergraduates without traditional A-levels.

Added value: Creative writing MA taught by a group of well-known writers including Andrew Cowan, Giles Foden and Lavinia Greenlaw. Strong links with other writers, such as: Rose Tremain, Doris Lessing, Graham Swift and Salman Rushdie. On the doorstep is Norwich Research Park, one of Europe's biggest collections of bio-technologists working in health and microbiological research. University has its own art gallery - the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts - free to students and staff. The James Platt Centre for Language Learning offers students of all abilities the opportunity to learn another language.

Easy to get into? No. The university does not use the UCAS tariff system, but top A-levels are required for the most popular courses.

Glittering alumni: Writers Ian McEwan and Kazuo Ishiguro; explorer Benedict Allen; meteorologist Penny Tranter; Nobel prize-winning cancer researcher Sir Paul Nurse; actor Jack Davenport, film director Gurinder Chadha and Radio One DJ Greg James.

Transport links: Two hours by road and rail to London (trains every half-hour taking just under two hours). Take a 40-minute flight from Norwich Airport to Amsterdam and the world's your oyster. Or get to Stansted in 90 minutes.

Who's the boss? Professor Edward Acton is the vice-chancellor.

Research: Placed 31st out of 115 in the 2011 Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: Came 27th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide. (http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/east-anglia)

Nightlife: Bustling both on and off campus. Two union venues, LCR on campus and Waterfront in the city, hold gig nights several times a week. Norwich has a pub for every night of the year. Has been voted the best student music venue in the country by the Virgin Alternative Music Guide with 50 big name bands performing each year. Voted Student Union of the Year at the 2010 Club Awards and repeatedly voted top Student Union in the What Uni Awards.

How green is it? A new biomass energy centre on campus has recently been constructed and is currently in a commissioning phase. The development will enable the university to generate approximately 90 per cent of its electricity and heat load. With the application of new technology it will contribute to the reduction of the university's carbon emissions by 60 per cent of its 1999 levels, some 40 years ahead of Government targets. UEA came joint 11th out of 145 universities ranked by People and Plant in their ‘Green League 2012’ assessment of environmental performance.

Any accommodation? University accommodation in halls ranges from £2261 for a 38-week let on a standard shared room to £8975 for premier living arrangements with various facilities.

Cheap to live there? Very, with private rents from around £60 a week.

Sports ranking: Came 60th out of 146 in the BUCS league.

Fees: £9000 per year for full-time EU undergraduates starting in 2012. Overseas students can expect to pay between £11700 and £14400 per year.

Bursaries: From 2012 the university is offering a fee waiver of up to £3,000 per year for four years to undergraduates who are on low household incomes. A further £1,500 fee waiver will be given to new students that have achieved three As at A-level. Close to 200 subject specific scholarships and excellence prizes are awarded across the academic spectrum.

Prospectus: 01603 456 161 / www.uea.ac.uk

UCAS code: E14