Wolverhampton University - In Depth

Founded: 1969 as Wolverhampton Poly, university status in 1992.

Site: Main Wolverhampton site plus others in Compton, Telford and Walsall. Nursing courses in Burton, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

How to get there: By train from Birmingham; close to M5, M6, M54. Good local public transport; free inter-site shuttle service.

Academic features: Students select from a wide choice of modular programmes; work placements encouraged. Strong emphasis on employment outcomes.

Awarding body: Wolverhampton University.

Main undergraduate awards: BA, BEd, BSc, BEng, LLB, FdA, FdSc.

Length of courses: 3 years; 4 years Incl sandwich, year abroad.

Library & information services: Learning centres on each site; total of 562,000 books, 5500 journals, 2200 study places, computerised databases.

Specialist collections: Regional history of West Midlands, company and legal reports, European Documentation Centre, Cuban Archive. Annual expenditure on information provision, £73 per (FTE) student. Resource-based learning provision. Separate IT services, facilities open 8-24 hours/day including support staff. 520 computers with access to library and internet. IT module available to all students.

Study abroad: Formal exchange links with over 130 universities in Europe and 8 in the USA, open to students on most courses.

Careers: Information and advice from careers & employment service.

Student advice & services: Advice, networked with other agencies and health consultancy service; free confidential personal counselling service, FPA, psychiatrist, professional welfare officer, international student counsellor, chaplains; financial advisers; education guidance based on Higher Education Shop (also advises applicants). Careers and employment service.

Amenities: SU premises on each site (coffee bar, TV rooms, bank, shops, bars).

Sporting facilities: Wolverhampton: sports hall, squash courts, fitness suite; Walsall: sports hall, tennis courts, playing fields, running track, swimming pool, dance studio, fitness suite, synthetic pitch.

Accommodation: 80% of first years in university accommodation. 2000 places in halls of residence on 4 campuses (including 900 en-suite). Self-catering places at £48-£65 (en-suite) per week, 37-week contracts. Most students live in privately owned accommodation for 2 years, £35-£40 pw (all safety-checked if advertised through university).

Living expenses budget: Minimum budget of £3620 pa (excluding tuition fees) recommended by university.

Term time work: University allows term-time work for full-time and part-time students, limit of 10 hours pw. Some work available on campus in market research, clerical, library, catering etc; university jobshop helps find work on and off campus.