Oxford Brookes University - In Depth

Founded: 1865 as a school of art, becoming Oxford Poly in 1970; university status 1992.

Site: 3 main campuses: Headington Campus (1 mile east of city centre), Wheatley Campus (6 miles south east of city centre; business, IT and maths), Harcourt Hill Campus (2tt miles west of city centre; education), Marston Campus (4 miles north east of city centre; health & social care).

How to get there: Good rail links to Oxford (from London, Birmingham, Heathrow), station 2 miles by bus. By road, close to M40; hourly coach service from London stops outside Headington Campus; buses to city centre. Transport between sites and accommodation.

Academic features: Modular courses allow study on a full-time, part-time or mixed-mode basis. New courses in communication at work, conservation biology, education & human development, film studies, theology & religion (distance learning). Access courses at seven local centres give entry to university courses.

Awarding body: Oxford Brookes University.

Main undergraduate awards: BA, BA(OTS), BSc, BEng, LLB.

Length of courses: 3 years; others 4 years.

Library & information services: 4 libraries, 350,500 volumes, 2600 current journals, over 1000 study places. Annual expenditure on information provision, £75 per (FTE) student. IT and library services converged. 750 PC student workstations (including email and internet access), some available 24/7; ratio of workstations to students approx 1:16. IT helpdesk 12 hours/day; tours and demonstrations of library and information services (log in etc) for new students; module on microcomputer applications available to all students.

Other learning resources: Educational methods unit: TV, graphics and photography. Study abroad: 20% of students spend a period abroad. Formal exchange links with 200 universities and colleges throughout Europe.

Student advice & services: Counsellors, careers, accommodation, housing and chaplaincy staff, nurses, FPA, visiting GPs; specialist advisers for international students, mature students and students with disabilities; SU welfare advice centre; nursery (60 places).

Amenities: SU with bars, entertainments venue, shops, banks.

Sporting facilities: Sports centre with badminton and squash courts, dance studio, weights training room, climbing room; fitness suite; 12 tennis courts, playing fields, artificial hockey pitch, pitch-and-putt golf course, human performance lab.

Accommodation: 95% of first year students who need it in university halls (priority to those living furthest away). 3600 places, self-catering and catered, available: self-catering £65-£100 per week, contracts 40-50 weeks. Also some university-managed housing, average rent £60+ pw. Students usually live in privately rented accommodation after first year: rents approx £55-£72 pw for self-catering, 52-week contracts.

Living expenses budget: Minimum budget of £135 per week (excluding tuition fees) recommended by university.

Term-time work: University allows term-time work (50% believed to work). Some work available on campus in SU bars, ents and in registry, student recruitment, accommodation, catering; SU Job Shop helps find work on and off campus.

Financial help: £565,600 government funds, 700 students helped; £82,000 own funds, 87 helped. Own funds assist international and part-time students with unforeseen difficulties; some available for some part-time students or local students on benefit. Apply for help to Financial Aid Office.