Be our ambassador

Contents550 years of 2 achievement

Investing in excellence 4

Student life 6

The city of Glasgow 8

Studying at Glasgow 10

Applying to University 12

‘I have no doubt that the University’s broad diversity, academic excellence and global networks provided me with an exceptional opportunity to learn the skills necessary to begin building a successful career.’ Sinclair Dunlop, MASA Inc

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‘The University provided a critical springboard to my professional career for which I will be eternally grateful. As I have travelled the world on business I have repeatedly noticed the respect that exists for Scottish universities.’ Mark Wilson, a former director of the World Bank

Inspire others to follow in your footsteps

• Spread the word – prospective students value your first hand knowledge of and insight into this world-class institution.

• Provide a profile – share your experience of your time in Glasgow, the city and the University, and how your degree has helped you succeed.

• Attend an event – maintain your connection with your University by participating in a range of events held throughout the year around the world.

• Keep in touch – join our online community of alumni and friends by registering with GU World.

• Share your professional success – help current students seeking career advice by sharing how your time at Glasgow helped you achieve your goals.

• Represent the University at recruitment events – come and speak to prospective students at events in your area.

To register your interest and to become an ambassador for your University, contact the Development & Alumni Office, tel: +44 (0)141 330 4951.

While much has changed, the essence of Glasgow remains the same – and no-one can know that better than the people who have studied here.

We very much hope that as one of our alumni you will act as an ambassador for the University, helping us to continue to attract, educate and inspire the very best students.

Cathy BellDirector, Development & Alumni Office

T his brochure is to provide you with information to help guide a relative or

friend who may be considering studying at the University of Glasgow.

If it has been some years since you were a student at Glasgow you will discover your University has not stood still in that time. Glasgow is ranked as one of the top 100 universities in the world and one of the top ten earners in the UK for research. As one of the UK’s oldest and most prestigious universities, we have an international reputation and play an important role in the cultural and commercial life of Scotland.

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Be an ambassador for Glasgow We hope that as one of our alumni you will act as an ambassador for the University, helping us to continue to attract, educate and inspire the very best students.

550 years of achievement T he University of Glasgow is the

fourth oldest university in the English-speaking world. Founded in 1451, it has spent the last half-millennium earning an international reputation for research innovation, making connections with experts in global business, and inspiring thinkers, from eminent scientist Lord Kelvin to the father of economics, Adam Smith.

Ranked in the top ten in the UK for research earnings, and a member of the elite Russell Group of 20 major research universities, Glasgow provides an education for more than 15,000 undergraduates, 5,000 postgraduates and around 5,000 adult learners. With partnerships with some 200 institutions around the globe, academics from every continent and students from more than 120 countries, Glasgow finds community within diversity.

The University is a founder member of Universitas 21, an international grouping of universities dedicated to setting worldwide standards for higher education.

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An international institutionIn 2009, the University welcomed more than 2,000 international students to Glasgow. This growing international student community continues to appreciate the education and experiences they discover here, voting in the 2009 International Student Barometer to rank Glasgow fourth in the UK for international student satisfaction.

Glasgow graduates add to the University’s global reach by finding work in some of the most exciting countries in the world. The University is in touch with more than 105,000 alumni in 164 countries.

Constantly working to build relationships with prospective students, alumni and businesses across the globe, the University has also recently appointed six regional champions to work across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Glasgow has fostered the talents of six Nobel laureates, one Prime Minister, Scotland’s inaugural First Minister and the country’s first female medical graduates.

Among the University’s alumni are eminent international figures in the worlds of science, politics, literature and law including scientist Lord Kelvin, world-renowned economist Adam Smith and the pioneer of television, John Logie Baird.

Climbing the league tablesGlasgow’s commitment to teaching and learning excellence has been acknowledged by advances in latest league tables. In 2009 Glasgow moved up three positions in the Guardian University Guide to 17th place, and it climbed too in The Times league table to reach 19th place.

The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise rated almost 70 per cent of the University’s research output as world-leading or internationally excellent, with 18 subject areas ranking in the UK’s top 10 for research.

‘The University’s excellent position in the league tables makes me proud to study here and will hopefully provide me with a competitive advantage over others when I graduate.’ Michael Scott, French and Spanish student

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Our students report high levels of satisfaction with their degree

programmes. According to the independent National Student Survey, an impressive 90% of the University’s final year students rated themselves as satisfied with their course in 2009, which is well above the national average of 81%.

Committed to maintaining these high teaching standards into the future, the University has channelled £175m into new facilities since 2001. Altogether, £350m is planned for investment by 2011.

Following completion of the award-winning phase 1 research building of the Scottish Centre for Ecology & the Natural Environment in 2007, design development of the phase 2 teaching building is progressing on the banks of Loch Lomond. The £4.7m facility will bring cutting-edge techniques to fieldwork and provide a top-quality, hands-on experience that few other places in Europe can deliver, increasing the number of students taught from 600 to over 1,600 per year.

Investing in excellence

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In the last five years the University has invested over £50m in medical facilities at Glasgow. Together the British Heart Foundation Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre, the Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre and the Wolfson Medical School Building create a biomedical ‘triangle of excellence’ on the University campus.

A new Small Animal Hospital – the most advanced in Europe – has just opened. The £15m hospital will allow the vets of tomorrow to learn in the most advanced surroundings with access to some of the best specialists in their field.

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Teaching excellenceGlasgow encourages and celebrates innovative teaching through its Excellence Awards, which honour academics whose teaching is of a particularly high standard.

Senior lecturer in Geographical and Earth Sciences, Dr Tim Dempster received a Teaching Excellence Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements in 2008. ‘I think what makes a good teacher is primarily being enthusiastic about your subject. What’s particularly nice is when you can convey that enthusiasm to students and they give it back tenfold. That’s the best bit about our job.’

Teaching Excellence Award recipient Dr Susan Stuart’s podcast lecture series on Kant’s Epistemology has remained one of the most popular downloads on the iTunes higher education chart since 2006. ‘I don’t think of teaching as didactic. It is something that has to be a conversation. It’s finding in people’s heads the power and the realisation that they can think about things in a different way.’

The University of Glasgow continually invests in facilities that support student learning and experience. The iconic Fraser Building (formerly known as the Hub), located at the heart of the campus, has been redeveloped to house a central, one-stop shop pulling together our wide range of front-line student services.

This multi-million pound project offers easy access to a variety of student services, coffee bars, a food court with seating for 400 and space earmarked for a bookstore, GP practice and a pharmacy.

Clubs and societiesStudents can spread their social wings at Glasgow with more than 90 clubs and societies to pick from, ranging from conservation and student media to a choral society and a canoeing club.

In the 2008 Herald Scottish Student Press Awards, Glasgow University Guardian picked up awards for Best Newspaper, Student Journalist of the Year, Best News Writer and Best Photographer. Glasgow University Magazine, the oldest student publication in Scotland, was awarded Best Student Magazine.

Glasgow University Student Television is the only student television station in Scotland and one of the best in the UK. It has been voted Best Broadcaster in the National Student Television Association Awards for eight out of the last 12 years.

‘Joining a club is definitely a confidence booster.’Rik Patel, Veterinary Medicine student

The University is proud of the experiences on offer at Glasgow, but not as proud as its students - the 2009 International Student Barometer ranks Glasgow fourth in the UK for student satisfaction and the 2009 National Student Survey records 90% satisfaction among final year students.

T he University of Glasgow combines a campus-style environment with the benefits of being in a major city. The

main campus is located in the city’s compact West End just over two miles from the city centre and easily accessed by subway and buses or on foot.

Our second campus at Garscube contains the University’s Vet School. Here, there is ample space to house our hospital for small animals, the Weipers Centre for Equine Welfare and a range of outdoor sports facilities.

These urban campuses are complemented by the University’s campus in Dumfries. Housed in a beautifully refurbished Victorian building within 85 acres of parkland and gardens, the campus focuses on liberal arts, teacher education and the environment.

Student life

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‘I wanted an adventure and to experience living in a different country. I loved making so many new friends and having the opportunity to travel around New Zealand. I have gained a lot of confidence from my time away. I also think that my experience has helped me to look at things from other perspectives.’Fiona Scott (pictured below) spent part of her degree in Philosophy at the University of Auckland, New Zealand

Study abroadAt Glasgow students can take advantage of a range of exciting opportunities to study abroad as part of their degree. Courses taken overseas form an integral part of their degree without adding an extra year or semester. And while they study abroad they continue to be a registered student at the University of Glasgow and do not pay any tuition fee to the overseas university.

Students who have studied abroad describe it as a life-changing experience - ‘the best year of my life’.

The University holds a Study Abroad Fair every November. Information is also available on our website: www.glasgow.ac.uk/international/exchange programme.

Sports starsLocated in the host city for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the University is proud to support student and graduate sports stars. Talented athletes are supported through the Sports Bursary and Golf Scholarship schemes and all University students have access to first-class sports facilities.

Students and graduates who have hit the headlines include Olympic swimmers and rowers, and record-breaking round-the-world athletes. In 2003, graduate Emma Richards was the first British woman and youngest ever competitor to sail solo around the world, while graduate Mark Beaumont (pictured above) became the fastest man to cycle around the world in 2008. Veterinary Medicine graduate turned professional rugby player, Euan Murray has been named the University’s Young Alumnus of the Year 2009.

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‘My advice to others considering an exchange is – do it! In many ways it will be one of the best experiences of your life.’

Darren Hewitson spent part of his degree at the University of Queensland

How others see us‘Brimming with style and culture, Scotland’s biggest city is a revelation.’Time magazine

‘Scotland at its artsy, riotous, high-octane, good-time best.’Lonely Planet

‘Città scozzese più glamour (Glasgow is Scotland’s most glamorous city.)’Io Donna, Italy

‘Think Manhattan with a Scottish accent.’In Style magazine, USA

‘Glasgow is the United Kingdom’s hippest and most happening city.’Travel & Leisure magazine, USA

‘Where art meets design, fashion and music in an undercurrent of creativity.’Wallpaper*

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‘Before I lived in Glasgow people said to me that I’d find it hard being an English student in a Scottish University but as soon as I moved to Glasgow I felt an instant affinity with the people and the city.

‘Glasgow is an exciting place, rich in culture, groaning with history, but most of all I found it to be welcoming.’ Laura Sayers (pictured above), BBC Radio 1 Producer

The city of Glasgow

T he University of Glasgow combines the benefits and security of a campus-style environment with close proximity to vibrant city life. As one of Europe’s most

exciting cities, it’s no surprise that Glasgow is home to the largest student population in Scotland.

More than 45,000 students choose Glasgow as the city they want to study in. They come to experience life in the heart of Scotland and to gain memories and friends they will never forget. Glaswegians’ reputation for friendliness means that wherever the University’s students come from, they soon treat the city as their second home.

The city offers:• a range of shops second only to London in their diversity and quality• a legendary live music scene – Glasgow has been named one of the world’s leading

cities for music by the cultural wing of the United Nations• 14 museums displaying some of Europe’s richest collections, many for free• a network of 27 sports centres, as well as three international football stadia• a thriving collection of artists and galleries, including major collections by the city’s most

famous architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh• around 700 pubs, bars and night clubs• churches, mosques, temples and synagogues within easy reach• 15 theatres and concert venues spanning innovative new work as well as traditional

favourites.• countless local, national and international festivals celebrating everything from folk music

and live art to food and film. 9

‘In first year you choose three subjects. I studied English, Social & Urban Policy, and Philosophy.

‘Social & Urban Policy and Philosophy were completely new to me. I was set on doing English, so I thought I could have fun and try out new things with my other two options.

‘I enjoyed Philosophy so much that when it came to second year I decided to pick three Philosophy options. It was so helpful to be able to change my degree like that.’ Vicky Mair, MA Philosophy, 2003

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W ith more than 900 degree programme combinations,

the University offers one of the most comprehensive ranges of undergraduate degrees in any university, while operating a flexible system of studying that allows students time to find the right degree for them.

Students studying arts, science and social sciences subjects do not have to make a final decision about the subjects they will specialise in until the end of their second year.

‘I wasn’t committed to a specific degree discipline until third year, ensuring I made a well-informed choice of the subject I wanted to pursue.’Katherine Hamilton-Smith, MSci Pharmacology

Studying at GlasgowDegree lengthAn Honours programme will normally take four years, allowing students to specialise in one or two subjects. Degrees involving a foreign language may require students to spend an additional year in a country in which the language is spoken.

Some science and engineering subjects offer the opportunity to take an MSci or an MEng-enhanced undergraduate degree programme, which usually takes five years.

Faster programmes in science and engineering allow students to complete Honours programmes in three years and MSci/MEng programmes in four years.

What our students say...‘The University organised a work placement for me with Capability Scotland as a summer play leader. This placement was the perfect chance to gain experience in a field of work which interests me so much. The six weeks flew in. I have learned a lot but the biggest difference I noticed was in myself and the new confidence I had in myself and my abilities.’Ruth Muir, Psychology

What our graduates say...‘At the moment I am working for Marsh Ltd with whom I did a work placement during my Honours year. As a result I was offered a position as a Liability Claims Handler within the same Glasgow office.’John Paul Molloy, Business & Management

What employers say...‘University of Glasgow students on work placement with Morgan Stanley add value to our business, while we give them the opportunity to develop, understand our firm and build a relationship with us with a view to potentially returning to work with us following the completion of their studies.’Morgan Stanley

AccommodationLiving in student residences is a great way for students to get to know people and to find their feet at university. At Glasgow accommodation ranges from seven-day catered to self-catering and from converted older buildings to purpose-built residences like Murano Street and Queen Margaret Residence.

The majority of residences offer single-study bedrooms although some twin rooms are available. All residences have staff who live-in and are there to offer help and support if needed.

‘The halls of residence provide a relaxed atmosphere in which to make new friends.’James Fraser, History with Business Studies student

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Work experienceHelping our students prepare for work is one of our key priorities. University of Glasgow graduates are highly sought after by a wide range of global graduate recruiters because of the high-level knowledge and skills they offer. Each year our students benefit from work-placements with well-known local and national companies, allowing students to enhance their employability and gain valuable networking opportunities.

Fraser Waterson (pictured above), a fourth-year pharmacology student, spent one summer working in Boston, Massachusetts for Genzyme Corporation. He was given the opportunity after applying to the Saltire Foundation, a project that offers students work placements at prestigious companies across the globe.

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S tudents seeking full-time entry must apply through the Universities &

Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS); there is no means of direct application. Contact UCAS on 0870 112 2200 or www.ucas.com.

UCAS closing dates for entry in 2011:• 15 October 2010: if including Dentistry,

Medicine, Veterinary Medicine or applying to Oxford or Cambridge

• 15 January 2011: all other UK/EU applicants

• 30 June 2011: international (non-EU) students

Tuition feesScottish or EU-domiciled students attending the University of Glasgow currently do not pay fees while they are studying. Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland attending Scottish universities are required to pay fees. Normally this is added to the Student Loan and paid back after graduation when they are in employment.

ScholarshipsThe University offers a wide range of bursaries and scholarships to students. Details are provided at www.glasgow.ac.uk/studying/scholarships.

Applying to University The University of Glasgow academic year is spread over two semesters. The first begins around the third week of September and ends in December. The second semester begins in January and ends in May.

‘When I applied to Glasgow I was struck by how friendly and helpful everyone was compared to other places.’ Abita Bhaskar (pictured right), Maths and Statistics student

Find out moreFor information on study at undergraduate level, summer school, open days and applicants’ visits,tel: +44 (0)141 330 6062www.glasgow.ac.uk/undergraduate

For information on studying as an international (non-EU) or postgraduate student,tel: +44 (0)141 330 4575www.glasgow.ac.uk/internationalwww.glasgow.ac.uk/postgraduate

For information about the University’s alumni services and facilities, and our Development Campaign and how to give,tel: +44 (0)141 330 4951www.glasgow.ac.uk/givingtoglasgow

For assistance on organising conferences and events or booking accommodation at the University, tel: +44 (0)141 330 5385www.cvso.co.uk

I f you would like to find out more about the University, or know someone who

would, then you may find a copy of the Lonely Planet Study Glasgow guide useful.

Study Glasgow highlights all that Scotland’s largest city has to offer, from its friendly people and buzzing nightlife, to adventure sports and cultural gems, so anyone considering coming to the University can get a real taste of what the city is like to live in.

Lonely Planet author and University of Glasgow graduate, James Bainbridge, researched and wrote the majority of the book. He said that he was ‘blown away’ by how much the city had changed since he graduated in 1998, adding: ‘Of course, everyone has pride in the university they went to, but I really can’t think of anywhere I would’ve rather gone.’

Copies are available from:Corporate Communications1 The SquareUniversity of GlasgowGlasgow G12 8QQtel: +44 (0)141 330 4919

Copies can also be downloaded from www.glasgow.ac.uk/lonelyplanet.

Lonely Planet: Study Glasgow

University of GlasgowGlasgow G12 8QQScotland, UK

General Switchboardtelephone: +44 (0)141 330 2000

www.glasgow.ac.uk

The University of Glasgow, charity no. SC004401© University of Glasgow January 2010Produced by Corporate CommunicationsDesign by Red EmpirePrinted by CCB