UNIVERSITY NEWS ‘‘

Double success for Northumbria in national league tables

Northumbria University’s reputation for academic excellence and providing an outstanding experience has been further endorsed after being named the most improved university in the North East and receiving its highest ever ranking in a national survey of the student experience at more than 100 universities.

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It was also rated the UK’s 21st best university for providing an outstanding student experience in the Times Higher Education’s annual Student Experience Survey

The ratings build on a number of other recent successes, outlined in this newspaper, which indicate Northumbria’s growing national and international reputation.

In the Complete University Guide, orthumbria climbed six places in the Complete University Guide 2015 with three subjects ranked in the UK’s top five, a further three appearing in the top 10 and more in the top 20.Northumbria’s Physiotherapy programme is rated as the third best in the UK, with Librarianship and Information Management ranked fourth and Land and Property Management ranked fifth. Building programmes, Architecture and Food Science are all in the top 10, with Nursing, Town and Country Planning, American Studies, Linguistics and Art and Design programmes all featuring in the top 20.

Northumbria was also the only UK university to be ranked in the top 10 for all Building, Architecture and Property Management subjects. The Times Higher Education’s

Student Experience Survey saw more than 14,000 students from 111 UK universities rate how their universities performed in 21 different areas.

These included the quality of the lecturers and facilities, library provision and accommodation, as well as the on-campus environment, community atmosphere and the welfare support made available to students.

Northumbria’s Library facilities were ranked joint third best in the country, alongside Cambridge, and its sports facilities were rated joint fifth.

The outstanding performance of Team Northumbria in this year’s

British Universities & Colleges Sport National League Table led to the University finishing eighth in the league – the first time it has ever reached the BUCS top ten.

Other areas which scored highly include the quality of staff and lecturers, the provision of wellstructured courses with a fair workload, centralised and convenient facilities, and good support for personal welfare and security.

The University has continuously improved its position in the Student Experience Survey over the last four years, climbing from 45th place in 2010 to 21st place in 2014.

Professor Andrew Wathey, ViceChancellor and Chief Executive of Northumbria University, commented: “Northumbria’s rating reflects the improving experience of its students and the practical result of our work to put students at the heart of the University, as well as the academic and other investments the university has made.

“The successes achieved in these national league tables are further recognition that the University is achieving its ambition to be a research-rich, business-focussed, professional university with a global reputation for academic excellence.”