Oxford Brookes University, UK

Sited in the Historic Gown-Town of Oxford, globally renowned for its top-ranked eponymous varsity, Oxford Brookes University (OBU, estb. 1992) has also quickly established its reputation as one of the UK’s most promising new universities. The Times University Guide 2012 ranks Oxford Brookes as Britain’s “best modern university” while the Guardian University Guide 2013 ranks it among the Top 50 countrywide. Prior to being conferred university status in 1992, the Oxford Polytechnic (estb. 1970) acquired an excellent reputation, prompting the government to grant it varsity status two decades ago. Today Oxford Brookes University, UK hosts four faculties — business, humanities and social sciences, health and life sciences, technology, design and environment — which offer a wide range of under-graduate, postgrad and doctoral programmes to 18,000 students.

Comments Prof. Janet Beer, vice chancellor, Oxford Brookes University, UK: “Ranked highly for graduate employment — ahead of many Russell Group universities — more than nine out of 10 Brookes’ graduates go on to get a job or are accepted for further study within six months of leaving. We do this by giving our students innovative courses with emphasis on practical, transferable skills; teaching staff with strong backgrounds in industry, along with support from leading industry experts who help shape our courses and take part in mentoring schemes; proven workplace experience — via our highly respected work placements programmes; international exchange programmes with over 100 universities around the world and award-winning volunteering programmes.”

Spread across three well-equipped campuses in Oxford, the university is named after John Henry Brookes, former principal of the Schools of Technology, Art and Commerce which became the Oxford Polytechnic in 1970 and later Oxford Brookes University in 1992. OBU students are also eligible for long-term temporary membership of the Oxford Union and enjoy access to Oxford University’s world-famous Bodleian Library.

Oxford. Sited in the heart of England, Oxford (pop.150,000) boasts a rich cultural and educational history dating back several centuries. Hosting the 14th century-established Oxford University, the oldest varsity in the country and English-speaking world, the city offers an enviable mix of old and new to the community of 30,000 students living in the academic town. Renowned for parks, rivers, canals and scholarly ambience, Oxford is also famous for its archit-ecture, museums, rowing, punting and riverside walks. Its High Street is graced with majestic historic buildings incl-uding renowned museums and art galleries such as the Ashmolean, Pitt River museum and the Oxford Playhouse theatre.

According to some reports, there are more published writers per square mile in Oxford than anywhere else in the world, and the arterial Cowley Road is busy, colourful and lined with cafes, restaurants and shops offering multi-cultural cuisines. Shopping is a mix of the usual chain stores and quirky independent shops, many of which are in the famous Covered Market, dating back to 1774. Night life is invariably abuzz with traditional English pubs, elegant bars, clubs, cinemas and restaurants offering wine and dine options.

Summer temperatures in Oxford can rise to 28oC while in winter they could fall to -3oC with rain a regular feature through the year. London is an hour by train and frequent buses connect the city to Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

Campus facilities. Oxford Brookes University, UK is sited across three campuses — Headington, Wheatley, and Harcourt Hill. The Headington campus is located a mile east of city centre and hosts students enrolled in arts, built environment, law, publishing, social sciences and most humanities progra-mmes. The Wheatley campus houses the business, engineering and tech-nology faculties, while Harcourt Hill hosts students signed up for teaching, education, philosophy, religion and communication programmes. All three campuses boast cafes, food halls, and green spaces.

The university’s three libraries — one on each campus — offer 950 study spaces and 300 student computers with internet access. Sports facilities on the Headington campus include a health and fitness suite with 65 training stations, free-weights Olympic training  room, five badminton court-sized sports halls, three squash courts, and floodlit synthetic turf pitch. Outdoor pitches for football, netball, lacrosse and cricket, eight tennis courts, two AstroTurf pitches, a pitch-and-putt golf course, and fitness trail are sited on the Wheatley campus. The newly furbished Harcourt campus also offers extensive sports facilities including a fitness suite, 25-metre swimming pool, two squash courts, sports hall, pitches for football, rugby and American football, six outdoor tennis courts, and a nine hole golf course.

Moreover there are numerous student clubs and organisations on campus which offer a range of social and cultural activities through the year.

Admission. Applications for undergraduate study at Oxford Brookes University, UK must be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), the UK’s centralised online undergrad admissions system. Apply at www.brookes.ac.uk/ig14/ucas before June 30 for admission into term beginning September. The institution code for Oxford Brookes is OXFD 066. The minimum eligibility for admission into undergrad programmes are completion of Plus Two with a minimum of 65 percent and English language proficiency. Respectable IELTS, TOEFL and Pearson Test of English scores are accepted. Admission into postgraduate programmes must be made through UKPASS, the online application system (www.ukpass.ac.uk).

For further information, contact Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Gipsy Lane, Oxford OX3 0BP. Tel: +44 (0)1865 483040; Fax: +44 (0)1865 483983; e-mail: admissions@brookes. ac.uk: website: www.brookes.ac.uk.

Accommodation. All first-year foreign students are guaranteed accommo-dation in university managed halls of residence. The nine halls of residence are mostly self-catered. They offer single bedrooms, many of which are en suite with students sharing a kitchen. Students can also opt to live in university managed houses, rented lodgings and flats, or houses in the private sector.

Degree programmes. The university’s four faculties — business, humanities and social sciences, health and life sciences, technology, design and environment — offer a host of bachelor’s, Masters and doctoral study programmes (see box).