Further Education

 

 

 

 

Leicestershire is exceptional for a non-metropolitan area in that it is home to three universities: the University of Leicester, Loughborough University and De Montfort University. Due to the excellent communication links, a number of other universities in the East Midlands are also easily accessible.

 

Genetics

Space Science

Bio-medical Science

Sports Science

Engineering

Computing

Materials and Construction.

 

The supply and quality of new graduates emanating from these three high performing institutions is substantial. Over 15,000 graduates a year are produced by these three universities. In total, there are 48,768 students studying in Leicestershire. This includes 29,101 Undergraduate students and 14,837 Postgraduate students.  Overall, students represent 9.1% of the working age population in the area.  In Leicester City this proportion increases to 12.7%: much higher than the equivalents for England overall (7.3%), and the South East (6.9%), indicating a potentially high proportion of graduates available in the local labour pool. Evidence suggests that at present a significant number of graduates are forced to leave the area through lack of suitable employment opportunities or accept jobs well below their capabilities. Public sector organisations choosing Leicestershire as a location will benefit from such a significant supply of quality graduates. Public sector relocation would provide an opportunity for Leicestershire to retain a greater proportion of its graduates in the future, benefiting the local economy significantly.

 

 

The longest established of the area’s three universities, the University of Leicester offers more than 140 undergraduate programmes, 100 postgraduate programmes and some 400 certificate and general interest courses. 

 

The University has an excellent reputation for teaching. Fourteen consecutive assessments by the Quality Assurance Agency, stretching back to March 1998, have all returned scores of “excellent” (ie a score of at least 22 out of 24). Strong teaching ratings complement strong research ratings achieved in the Higher Education Funding Council for England's (HEFCE) Research Assessment Exercise in 2001. Its most famous achievements are the discovery of DNA Genetic Fingerprinting and pioneering space exploration but its world class research also stretches across the arts, science, medicine, law, education, biological sciences and social sciences. In 2001, 2002 & 2003 the Financial Times placed Leicester at the top of its league for taught postgraduate education.

 

The University works closely with business and industry and, particularly in the fields of Medicine, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences and Engineering, has established links with company research and development programmes. It has an international reputation for research in a wide range of areas including archaeology, English local history, criminology, sport and society, and mass communications. The University houses Europe's biggest academic centre for space research, and is a founding partner of the £52 million National Space Centre Millennium Project.  Other areas of research excellence include Medicine (the University of Leicester Medical School has been rated as the best place in Britain to study Medicine[1]), and Genetics (only 5* rated department in UK).

 

Students also rank the University of Leicester joint first (with Loughborough University) for teaching quality, personal development, academic support and overall satisfaction amongst universities teaching full-time students in the first ever National Student Survey. Leicester also finished top for personal development and academic support. Over two thirds of Leicester departments featured in the top ten nationally. Two departments, Economics and Media & Communications, were rated joint top in the country for these subjects by students. Other highly ranked subjects include Politics (joint 2nd), Physical Sciences - which includes Chemistry, Physics and Geology (joint 3rd), English (joint 3rd), Law (joint 7th), Medicine (joint 7th), Psychology (joint 7th) and Biological Sciences (joint 9th).

 

 

De Montfort University has been recognised as the leading Post 1992 University for research. Under the most recent RAE, De Montfort was rated the highest performing post-1992 university for research - with the University having secured over £9.1 million in external research grants and contracts alone during 2001-02.  De Montfort graduates are particularly highly rated by employers - especially for Business and Information Technology.  The University has prominent links with industry, including strong R & D partnerships with commercial organisations such as SEMELAB (Semiconductors) and Rolls-Royce (engineering).

 

The University’s reputation is born out by the results of successive research and teaching quality assessments.  It is a leading institution for professional, creative and vocational education, underpinned by research excellence.

 

 

Loughborough University has 3,000 staff and 12,000 students spread across 24 academic departments and over 30 Research Institutes and Centres all set within an impressive 410 acre campus - one of the largest in the UK. Loughborough itself is a remarkable combination of a large, thriving town and a prominent high-technology centre for the East Midlands - a magnet for inward investment.  

 

Loughborough University has three faculties:

 

Engineering

Science

Social Sciences and Humanities.

 

There are 24 academic departments and over 30 Research Institutes and Centres. The University has an international reputation that is especially strong in the fields of Technology, Engineering and Sports Science.

 

Loughborough is well known for the quality of its teaching, verified by TQA scores averaging 22.5 out of a possible 24. The University has been placed in the top ten of The Times 2004 Good University Guide[2].  Loughborough is ranked in 10th position, a rise of two places from the previous year and the University’s highest-ever rating, confirming it as one of the country’s leading higher education institutions and the top-rated university in the East Midlands. To sustain this quality, the University has developed strong academic, guidance and welfare systems that support students from every walk of life. Work placements, degree programmes sponsored by industrial consortia, and an ever-growing International dimension are all distinctive characteristics, while our industrial and professional partnerships contribute to the outstanding employment prospects of our graduates.

 

The university is research-intensive. All departments have a strong research base and contribute to an international reputation that is especially strong in the fields of Built Environment, Social Science and Sports Science. The university has won an unbeaten 4 Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education for work with the aeronautical and automotive industries (1994); support for developing countries (1998); for a pioneering role in developing applications of modern optics and laser technologies (2000); and for its world leading role in sports research, education and development (2002).

 

Loughborough has many long-standing industrial and commercial collaborative partnerships, including those with Ford[3], BAE Systems, and Perkins.  Loughborough provides a high proportion of work placements and degree programmes sponsored by industrial consortia. Significantly, Loughborough University has the highest commercial ‘spin-out’ rate (relative to research funding) of any UK university.  Space for up to 45 start-up enterprises is provided on campus in the award-winning Loughborough Innovation Centre.  Loughborough is consistently ranked among the very best universities for graduate employment and has strong links with industry and the professions.