Opened in 1964, the University of Essex welcomed 122 students in its founding year, and since then over 100,000 students from over 140 countries have studied there.
Essex is a county in the East of England, on the outskirts of East London. The university's main campus is located in Colchester, one of the oldest settlements in the UK, having been founded by the Romans over two thousand years ago.
The university's second campus is in Loughton, which is less than a 30-minute journey from central London via the London Underground.
Having one of England's longest coastlines, the county of Essex has good access to the sea, and the beautiful Epping Forest is close by the Loughton Campus, giving plenty of opportunities to get out into the countryside.
Being well connected to London, you'll have access to all that the capital has to offer, and London Stansted Airport nearby operates frequent flights to other UK, European and international destinations.
The University of Essex places a lot of importance on sport and exercise, and its Essex Sport programme runs everything from informal drop-in exercise sessions to sports courses, taking advantage of the university's excellent facilities.
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4.2There's a range of accommodation options available at Essex uni, including places in the centre of campus, as well as quiet spots a bit further out. Full-time undergraduate students are guaranteed uni accommodation in their first year of study, as long as the application for accommodation is made before the deadline.
There are uni accommodation options on both the Colchester and Southend campuses. On the Colchester campus, all residences are within walking distance of the academic departments and campus facilities. All accommodation options there are self-catered, meaning you'll provide all your meals yourself, using the fully-equipped kitchen facilities provided.
All the Southend campus residences are located on University Square which has all necessary amenities on its doorstep. Over 560 student rooms are situated in flats that surround the central courtyard.
In all accommodations, wifi, heating, hot water, contents insurance, electricity and cleaning fees are included in your rent payment and undergraduate rooms are usually let for the entire academic year (September to the end of June).
The University of Essex offers several funding opportunities to support students, including scholarships and bursaries. This funding can go towards your student fees and living costs. Scholarships are usually awarded based on academic and extra-curricular achievement, while bursaries are based on personal circumstances. Scholarships and bursaries don't need to be repaid.
For example, the Care Leaver and Estranged Bursary is worth £1,000 for students who are estranged from their parents and the Refugee Bursary is also worth £1,000 and is available for students with UK refugee status.
As for scholarships that can be applied for, the Further Mathematics A-level award is worth £250 for any student who achieves a high grade in further maths at A-level, and the International Baccalaureate Excellence scholarship is for any student who achieves academic excellence in the International Baccalaureate qualification and is worth £2,000.
Other scholarships and bursaries are available.
Each scholarship and bursary has specific criteria that you must meet to receive the funding. Eligibility criteria and other information can be found online on the uni's funding pages.
You'll find a whole range of undergraduate degree subjects, across multiple disciplines, to choose from at the University of Essex. It's a centre of world-leading excellence for the social sciences and its other main strengths include science and health degrees, as well as the arts and humanities.
Most undergraduate degrees at Essex are only available on a full-time basis. Typically, undergraduate degrees at Essex take three or four years to study, but a number of courses include placement years, study abroad options or an integrated master's year. These courses usually take four or five years to complete. Medical courses usually take five years to study and some courses, like architecture, take longer.
Most degrees include optional modules, as well as core modules, meaning you can study the degree topics you're most interested in.
It's also possible to combine two or three subjects within an undergraduate degree in what's called a combined honours degree. For example, it's fairly common to study a humanities course, like history, alongside a language, such as French or Spanish.
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4.0There's a dedicated careers service you can use while at the University of Essex which aims to help you improve your job prospects. The team provides help and advice to aid the development of your skills and to help you find job opportunities and experiences throughout your time at uni and once you've graduated.
On the uni's CareerHub you'll be able to book onto careers events, workshops, webinars and one-to-one appointments with careers advisers. These will allow you to explore different career options, as well as improve certain skills that are important when looking for a job, e.g., interview technique.
The various events and sessions will also give you the opportunity to meet potential employers and start to grow your professional network, improving your job prospects in the process. You'll also be able to get help with searching for jobs, writing CVs and cover letters, and preparing for interviews and assessment centres.
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