University Campus Barnsley

University Campus Barnsley

Age: 5

History: The University Campus Barnsley was opened in August 2005 by the University of Huddersfield.

Address: Church Street, Barnsley.

Ambience: A community-oriented university campus (part of the University of Huddersfield) in a friendly northern town. The cities of Sheffield and Leeds are nearby and the Peak District national park is to the west of the town.

Vital statistics: The university serves about 1000 students, with an equal ratio of part-time and full-time students. The University Campus Barnsley offers a full range full-time and part-time courses including degrees (BA and BSc), HND, HNC and foundation degrees and specialist postgraduate and professional courses.

Added value: A £5.5m refurbishment was completed when the building opened, providing a wireless campus complete with industry standard TV and radio studios and AVID suite for journalism and media production. Sound-proof recording, production and practice studios for music students. PC and Mac labs for computing students. Specialist art facilities including, fine art and print-making studios for our interdisciplinary art and design students. Over 95 per cent of graduates go on to find employment or further study within six months of finishing.

Easy to get into? Entry requirements vary depending on the course and also if you are a traditional or mature student.

Glittering alumni: None as yet.

Transport links: Barnsley is situated in the centre of some of Yorkshire's major cities, with Leeds, Sheffield and Huddersfield only a short train journey away. Barnsley is less than four hours from London by rail and three hours from Newcastle, both via Leeds or Doncaster. The approach by road is on the M1, junction 38 or 37.

Who's the boss? Pete Birkby, head.

Teaching: The university prides itself on the quality of the teaching and learning at the campus. Many of the areas represented at Barnsley rank among the leaders in their fields nationally, with recent official recognition, for example, for psychology and education; media and journalism were part of a department ranked number one in the UK at the August 2006 National Student Survey. The University of Huddersfield came 40th of 116 in the Complete University Guide for student satisfaction.

Foundation degrees: Construction, multimedia, early years, leading in the early years, and journalism and media mroduction.

Nightlife: Barnsley has a great nightlife with a growing student music scene. But if it really doesn't do it for you, Sheffield and Leeds are a short bus or train ride away.

Any accommodation? No official halls of residence, but affordable housing is available close to the campus.

Cheap to live there? Yes, it's between £50 and £60 per week to share a flat in Barnsley.

Fees: £3,375 per year for those starting in 2011/2012. Fees rise to £7,950 a year in September 2012.

Bursaries: Some course-dependent bursaries are available. Contact the university for more details.

Prospectus: 01226 606 262; www.barnsley.hud.ac.uk

UCAS code: H60 (Campus Code X)