University of Bath

Overview

The University of Bath is a highly regarded uni with an excellent reputation both here and abroad. Its main campus is located a couple of miles outside of Bath’s city centre, in an area called Claverton Down.

The city of Bath is small and quaint and is known for its charm and beauty, so much so that it has been made a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is famous for the spas that were built there by the Romans, a heritage that is still very clear today. As a small city with two universities, Bath has a high proportion of students living there.

Although it’s a small city, Bath offers a number of options in terms of cultural activities and nightlife, having an especially strong reputation for its pub scene. As well as this, students can visit neighbouring city Bristol for a change of scene. Bath also has several beaches within an hour and a half drive, meaning students have access to watersports and coastal hiking.

The University of Bath also has an excellent sporting reputation and is seen as a great place to study sport. It’s also taken very seriously on a performance level, with the best athletes competing for TeamBath, the university’s elite organisation that enters teams into national leagues, as well as university ones.

There are over 190 undergraduate courses to choose from, within 17 departments, at the University of Bath and you can find degrees in subject areas such as engineering, humanities, management, science and social science.

Lots of the courses on offer include work placements and study abroad opportunities, as well as the option of extra units and modules. Students will often be able to choose between optional modules, on top of a course’s core modules, in their degree. This lets students study the areas they’re most interested in.

All undergraduate courses are full-time and usually last between two and five years. For example, you could study a straight three-year BA or BSc honours degree or a four-year course that includes an optional placement or study year abroad. Some courses last four years and include a master’s qualification in the final year, while you could also do a five-year course that includes a placement year as well as a master’s.

The University of Bath accepts applicants with various qualifications, including A-levels, the International Baccalaureate, Scottish Highers and BTEC Professional Diplomas.

All degree programmes have course-specific entry requirements that applicants need to meet to be offered a place on the course. These requirements can be found on the uni’s website.

In general, to study a science-based degree at Bath, you’ll need three A-levels (or equivalent) ranging from A*AA–AAB, including A or A* grades in the relevant science subjects.

If you want to go to Bath to study a business or finance-related degree, or an engineering degree, you’ll likely need A-levels (or equivalent) ranging from A*AA–AAA.

To get onto one of the university’s sports degrees, A-levels of AAA–AAB (or equivalent) are asked for, while humanities subjects tend to require AAB–ABB (or equivalent).

Many courses will state that you need to have studied specific subjects to receive an offer. If this is the case, it will be detailed in the entry requirements section of the specific course.

It should be noted that entry requirements can change so you should always confirm these with the university before applying.

There’s accommodation available for undergraduate students both on campus and in the city centre. In total, the university has around 3,800 undergraduate bedrooms, with around 3,200 being situated on campus and the rest in the city.

There are plenty of rooming options meaning most people’s budgets and lifestyle preferences are provided for. All accommodation options are close to transport links and regular buses run between campus and the city centre.

Some of the halls come with food and drink credit, which can be spent in food and drink outlets on campus. All accommodations come with communal kitchen facilities and there are en-suite rooms, as well as shared bathroom options.

When applying for accommodation, students submit several preferences, including the option of living in mixed or single-sex accommodation. There are also quiet halls, as well as alcohol-free accommodation, for those who would prefer a more peaceful environment.

Accommodation prices range from £100 to £250 per week.

Bath offers career advice and guidance throughout a student’s degree programme and after graduation. The uni’s dedicated Careers Service is there to give information about employment options and job opportunities, as well as giving access to workshops and events to develop employability. These provide the chance to meet with recruiters and employers from various industries.

Previous careers events that have taken place include talks about writing CVs, application forms and personal statements, as well as mock assessment centres and practice interview workshops.

The Careers Service also puts on careers fairs, panel talks and employer presentations to provide information about key industries and emerging trends, as well as to provide networking opportunities.

A number of courses on offer at Bath include a placement year in industry, allowing students to gain valuable work experience and make contacts in the relevant field. The uni also works with local businesses to provide candidates for internships and graduate positions.

The University of Bath has several funding schemes, including scholarships and bursaries, to help students who meet certain criteria pay for their studies. The funding totals around £3.9 million, which is shared between all levels of study to help students from under-represented and disadvantaged groups.

Income-assessed scholarships and bursaries you could receive include the Accommodation Bursary, which is worth either £500 or £1,250 during first year, depending on household income.

Another available bursary is the Bath Bursary, which is valued at up to £3,000 per year of study. These are unlimited in number and available to any student who meets the criteria, including a household income of less than £25,000 per year (as long as the student isn’t receiving a Gold Scholarship).

The Gold Scholarship offers a bursary of £5,000 a year, as well as an enrichment programme, for up to 50 students per year of study.

Full details of each scholarship and bursary, including their application criteria, can be found on the university’s website.