University of Warwick

Overview

The University of Warwick is fairly new, having not been founded until 1965. Warwick is a multinational university with nearly 30,000 students from over 120 countries on campus.

A popular university, competition for places at Warwick is high. In 2021/22 over 43,000 students applied for an undergraduate place, with only 6,346 eventually being enrolled.

As a campus uni, there are lots of facilities on-site, including the National Automotive Innovation Centre, the new Mathematical Sciences Building and the Sports and Wellness Hub, which supports the uni’s aim of being the most active campus by 2030. Additionally, the Warwick Arts Centre and the Faculty of Arts buildings are impressive arts facilities and are also used by the public.

Despite the name, the University of Warwick is actually based three miles from the centre of Coventry. Because of this, students tend to spend a lot of time outside of their studies in Coventry and Leamington Spa, where students can find bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants, as well as other entertainment facilities to enjoy outside of classes.

Among the university’s famous ex-students are Stephen Merchant, co-creator of the Office, Ruth Jones, co-creator and star of Gavin and Stacey and Tony Wheeler, the founder of the Lonely Planet.

The University of Warwick offers both single and joint honours degrees. Single honours degrees involve the study of one subject, whereas, joint honours degrees can offer students a broader education, as more than one subject is studied.

Examples of joint honours degrees available at Warwick are physics with business studies, as well as history & sociology. You can choose to study each subject in equal amounts or study one as a major which is supported by the second subject.

There are also several interdisciplinary degrees available at Warwick. This means studying subjects in more than one field, e.g., PPE (philosophy, politics and economics).

Typically, undergraduate degrees at Warwick take three years to study, but several courses include placement years, study abroad options or an integrated master’s year. These courses usually take four or five years to complete.

For example, if you are doing comparative American studies, you’ll study in the USA, Latin America, Canada or the Caribbean during your third year and then return to Warwick for fourth year.

Most degrees include optional modules, as well as core modules, meaning you can study the degree topics you’re most interested in.

The University of Warwick accepts applications from candidates with various qualifications, including A-levels, Scottish Advanced Highers, the International Baccalaureate and the Cambridge Pre-U.

Typically speaking, in terms of A-levels, applicants need three, not including general studies or critical thinking. A breadth of subjects is usually favoured by the university, meaning applicants are more likely to be offered a place if they don’t do two subjects with similar curricula, e.g., business studies and economics.

The university also tends to favour subjects with a high level of assessed written work, rather than the more practical subjects.

Each degree programme will ask for a specific set of grades, which can be found on the university’s website. For example, to study a business or economics-related degree, you’ll likely need A-levels ranging from A*AA–AAB, or similar results in an equivalent qualification.

To get onto most engineering courses at Warwick, you’ll be asked for A-level grades of A*AA–AAA, while science and maths entry requirements can range from A*A*A*–ABB. Subjects in the humanities and the arts usually require grades of AAA–ABB.

It should be noted that certain courses will also ask applicants to have studied specific subjects, e.g., maths for accounting and finance courses and maths and physics for some engineering courses.

Please bear in mind that entry requirements can change so you should always confirm these with the university before applying.

The University of Warwick has accommodation options both on and off-campus. There are 13 halls of residence which are spread over four villages – Central Campus, Westwood, Cryfield Village and Lakeside Village.

All four villages have different benefits and your first choice will depend on what you’re looking for from your halls and what you want to be near to. Cryfield Village sits near the Students’ Union and the Sports and Wellness hub, Lakeside Village is a short distance from central campus on a large green area, Westwood is a self-contained community close to shops and amenities, while Central Campus is lively, bustling and busy.

Halls fees range from £85 to £218 per week and there are en-suite and shared bathroom options available, as well as catered and non-catered choices. Students can rent accommodation for either 35, 40 or 44 weeks, depending on their circumstances.

There are also private accommodation options that can be rented by students. These are mainly off-campus.

The University of Warwick offers career and skills support during your time at the uni and after graduation. The careers service offers real-time and recorded webinars and virtual workshops, as well as links with graduate recruiters.

Careers fairs are also held which give students information on important topics like how to write a CV and job application, as well as how to succeed in an interview and assessment centre.

One-to-one appointments can also be made with careers advisors in order to get personal advice, practice interview technique and talk about possible career paths.

Additionally, there are around 8,000 opportunities to work or volunteer on campus. This could provide you with important experience and help develop your employability.

Warwick also supports its students’ career prospects by making it possible for every student to take a work placement year during their course, should they wish to. These experiences are good for networking and meeting people within your sector and can lead to future employment.

Undergraduate students can apply for scholarships and bursaries through the university, UKRI Centres for doctoral training, individual departments, industries, charities and governments.

The University of Warwick has several scholarships that can be applied for, e.g., the Music Centre scholarships which offer £500 a year to talented musicians. As there are no music degrees on offer at Warwick, students from any course can apply for these scholarships to help support their musical endeavours.

Additionally, the Director’s Scholarship is offered to students with outstanding previous academic achievements and commitment. You can visit the university’s undergraduate scholarships web page for more information on all of the possible scholarships on offer.

There are also multiple scholarships available for international students only.

Applicants from lower-income families can also apply for bursaries from the university, including the Warwick Undergraduate Bursary which is valued at up to £3,000 a year. Again, more information about all of the bursaries available can be found online.