Glyndwr University

Glyndwr University

Glyndwr University

Age: 125

History: Glyndwr University was formed in July 2008, continuing a rich 121-year history of higher education in north east Wales. The origins of the university can be traced back to 1887, when miners pooled together their Whisky money – a tax on beer and spirits – to form the Wrexham School of Science and Arts. Higher-level education followed in 1892 and, in 1975, three colleges merged to form the North-east Wales Institute of Higher Education (Newi). Newi was granted taught-degree awarding powers and a full university title in July 2008, creating Glyndwr University.

Address: Two main sites near Wrexham. Plas Coch, next to the town's race course, holds most of the university's courses, while the North Wales School of Art and Design is based in Regent's Street in the town centre.It is also developing facilities in Northop, Flintshire, on the site of the Welsh College of Horticulture.

Ambience: Wrexham, close to the border between England and Wales, is surrounded by gorgeous countryside, while the town has developed immensely over the past few years. There is a retail and leisure park, including a multi-screen cinema, next to the main campus, and the usual spread of restaurants, clubs and pubs.

Vital statistics: Students number more than 8,000. There is a high proportion of mature students and students from the local area, as well as international students.

Added value: There is a strong vocational emphasis where course subjects are concerned: teacher training, nursing, social work, engineering, computing, business and sports science, for example. Work placements are common and many courses lead to exemptions from professional bodies. The recent £5m Centre for the Creative Industries was used for the first time by students in 2011, and includes state-of-the-art TV and radio studios, 3D workshops, design studios, IT suites, Apple training suites and post-production audio and visual facilities. It has also become the new home to BBC Wales in Wrexham. The £2m Centre for the Child, Family Society also opened for last year’s 2011 entrants.

Easy to get into? 100 to 140 UCAS points are required for a foundation degree and 200 plus for an honours degree, although those with experience and commitment rather than formal qualifications are encouraged to apply.

Glittering alumni: John Elfed Jones, former chairman of Welsh Water; Karen Sinclair AM, member of the Welsh Assembly; and Trevor Jones, managing director of Pilkington Optronics.

Transport links: With decent road links and easy motorway access, a car helps. There are direct trains to London – one every four hours, on average – and it’s a 40-minute trip by train to Manchester or Liverpool. There is also a direct route to Cardiff, which takes two hours and 20 minutes.

Who's the boss? Professor Michael Scott, a Shakespearean scholar. A distinguished literary author, he edited the influential Text and Performance series, encouraging the birth of a new approach to the study of Shakespeare in the UK, United States, Australia and elsewhere.

Research: Ranked 106th out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: Came 100th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: Good for live music. Feeder, Bloc Party, The View, Super Furry Animals and Sugababes have all played in Wrexham. There are regular events on campus and student nights at local nightclubs, while everyone dresses up for the Summer Ball.

How green is it? Not great –came 89th out of 145 universities ranked for their environmental performance in People and Planet's 'Green League 2012'.

Any accommodation? Yes and it costs between £75 and £102 per week. All properties are self-catering.

Cheap to live there? Very reasonable- between £50 and £65 per week for a room in a shared house.

Sports ranking: Came 137th in BUCS league.

Fees: New 2012/13 full-time undergraduates will be charged an average fee of £6643, with fees starting below £4000 for foundation degrees.

Bursaries: A means-tested Assembly Learning Grant of up to £5000 per year is available to eligible full-time undergraduate students. Gifted athletes may be eligible for a sports bursary of £500.

Prospectus: 01978 293 439 / www.glyndwr.ac.uk

UCAS code: G53