West of Scotland, University of the

University of the West of Scotland

Age: Four in its current form, 19 as a university and 114 from the founding of Paisley Technical College and School of Art.

History: Founded in 1897 to offer vocational courses, the institution began offering degree studies in the early 1900s and was awarded university status in 1992. Today, newly-titled the University of the West of Scotland, the institution has a reputation for innovation and excellence, and is widening the provision of higher education in the West of Scotland.

Address: Four campuses. One is in the centre of Paisley, seven miles from Glasgow; the second in the heart of Lanarkshire in Hamilton, 12 miles from Glasgow; the third is close to the centre of Ayr on the west coast, 30 miles from Glasgow; the fourth is a mile and a half from Dumfries town centre.

Ambience: Paisley campus, spanning 20 acres, is mainly concrete blocks linked by walkways. But you can feast your eyes on ancient buildings close by. The new union on campus was commended for its design by the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland.

Vital statistics: The University of Paisley merged with Bell College in August 2007, creating one of Scotland’s largest modern universities, with just under 20,000 students. On 30 November 2007 its name changed to the University of the West of Scotland (UWS). It is a four-campus regional institution and also has Scotland’s largest school of health, nursing and midwifery. The institution aims to have transformational influence on economic, social and cultural development by providing high-quality, inclusive higher education and innovative applied research. A £250m development programme is being carried out across the university to enhance teaching and learning facilities, research, IT infrastructure and campus developments.

Added value: Students can spend up to a year on paid placements with companies, which have included Volkswagen and the BBC, or undertake work-based learning as part of their degree. Field work and project work with companies is also incorporated into a number of courses. A brand new £70m modern, environmentally-friendly campus will be unveiled in Ayr in September.

Easy to get into? Accepts a high number of mature students and college leavers with Higher National qualifications. Standard entry requirements are between around 140 and 240 UCAS entry points, depending on the course.

Glittering alumni: Gavin Hastings, former captain of the Scottish rugby team

Transport links: Paisley campus is 10 minutes from the centre of Glasgow by train. Hamilton is 10 minutes south from Glasgow by train. Ayr campus is 40 minutes from Glasgow by car or train. Dumfries campus, on the edge of the town, is reached by bus from Dumfries centre.

Who's the boss? Professor Seamus McDaid, principal and vice-chancellor since 2005. Professor McDaid has had a long and distinguished academic career, and specialised in public sector financial management.

Teaching: A 2006 QAA assessment of the pre-merger University of Paisley found confidence in Confidence in the 'university's current, and likely future, management of the academic standards of its awards and the quality of the student learning experience it provides'.

Research: The university has a dedicated Innovation and Research Office. The university recently won a two year contract with ITI Energy to help develop a new interior surface coating technology that will allow an ultra-smooth, hard, diamond-like carbon film to be applied to the internal surfaces of a range of components in many industries, including oil and gas.

Nightlife: The Ayr Campus union holds a range of comedy, music and quiz events. Paisley union has a cyber-café, bars, a 450-capacity venue and games areas. Hamilton is up-and-coming, with a lot of busy pubs and clubs, and a cinema. A licensed bar and dance floor can be found in the students' union. Students in Dumfries have access to on campus cafés, a gym and games room, and are in close proximity to a wide range of local sports and recreational facilities.

How green is it? Not bad – came 39th out of 142 universities graded by People and Planet for its 'Green League 2011', an assessment of environmental performance.

Any accommodation? Yes. Students who hail from over one hour away are given priority for places in the residences in Paisley, Hamilton and Ayr. There's no university accommodation at Dumfries, but students can get advice on finding private housing in the local area. University accommodation costs £75 to £100 per week.

Cheap to live there? About average. Shared private accommodation costs approximately £320 per calendar month.

Fees: Scottish and EU students don't pay fees. Students from elsewhere in the UK pay £1,820 per year. Fees for 2012 are expected to rise at no higher rate than that of inflation.

Bursaries: None offered to home students from the university itself, but it is regularly supported by organisations who offer scholarships/bursaries to eligible students. Visit www.uws.ac.uk/finance for more information.

Prospectus: 0800 027 1000; www.uws.ac.uk

UCAS code: U40