THE BIGGER PICTURE

History of the University of Bedfordshire

Contents

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Our Investments 4

Get to know your Town 5

Student Support 6

Internships & Volunteering 7

Sport 8

Clubs, Societies & Extra-curricular 9

Go Global & Trips 10

Scholarships 11

Although a relatively new university, the University of Bedfordshire is an institution with a rich heritage, and academic roots across the county dating back to 1882.

The University consists of 5 campuses: Luton, Bedford, Putteridge Bury, Butterfield, Milton Keynes and Aylesbury. The majority of teaching takes place on the Luton and Bedford campuses, whilst nursing and health courses are mainly based at the Butterfield and Buckinghamshire campuses.

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Luton is the biggest campus. Teaching has been delivered on this site, since Luton Modern School was established in 1908. Luton Technical Institute was soon founded in there in1937, later becoming, Luton College of Technology in 1958. The college merged with Putteridge Bury College of Education in 1976 and was renamed Luton College of Higher Education. Its final transition came in 1993, when the college became the University of Luton, after receiving university designation.

The Bedford Campus has an even older history and has academic roots that go back to the founding of Bedford Training College for Teachers in 1882 and Bedford Physical Training College in 1903. The campus is now home to around 2,900 students and has excellent facilities, a friendly atmosphere and a proven track record of exceptional teaching and graduate employment.

For more details on all of our campuses and their location go to: http://www.beds.ac.uk/student-experience2/living-at-bedfordshire/locations

History of the University of Bedfordshire

Bedford Campus

Luton Campus

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Our Investments

£180 million has been invested in campus development at the University of Bedfordshire in the last three years. Below are some of our newest buildings and facilities.

The Library

Postgraduate Centre

In July 2016, our new seven-floor library opened at our Luton Campus. Open 24/7, the building features a study hub, cafe, over 900 study spaces, 530 computers, and more. Visit the library’s microsite for more information.

Luton Campus Centre Alexon Building

UCMKGateway Building Sports Hall

Opened in January 2015, the three-storey building at the front of our Bedford campus features group study spaces, boardrooms, large conference and events spaces, an IT suite, and more.

Read more here.

Our Milton Keynes Campus UCMK is our newest Campus. It’s equipped with top-quality audio, visual and ICT facilities, special and general purpose labs, various study areas, and more.

Read more here.

Our Sports Hall in Bedford received a £4m refurbishment in 2013. With a new playing surface and 300-seat capacity amongst other facilities, it now hosts national championship level sports and games.

Read more here.

Our £34m Campus Centre is home to many departments, each with their own specialist facilities, such as the Law Moot Court, Biomedical Science and Forensics Labs, or Multi-camera HDTV and Radio Studios. It offers easy access to the PG centre and the Library so that everything you need is under one roof.

Read more here.

We have a dedicated building for our Postgraduate students at our Luton Campus. Opened in 2013, the PG Centre features lecture theatres, quiet learning spaces, state-of-the-art IT and AV equipment, and a lounge and cafe.

Read more here.

£3m was invested into our School of Art & Design. It opened at our Luton Campus in 2013. Facilities include a digital studio with 3D printers, a photo studio and darkroom, a range of workshop areas and state-of-the-art fashion studio.

Read more here.

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When you come to study here, we do our best to make sure you can make the most out of your time as a student, no matter where you’re based. Your free time is important to us too, so we’ve put together a useful guide to fill you in on local places to go and things you might like to do.

Our main campuses in Luton and Bedford have buzzing town centres and provide a great student lifestyle. We also have campuses based in the Buckinghamshire towns of Aylesbury and Milton Keynes, offering a blend of culture, clubs, and intercontinental cuisine.

Click the image below to flick through our booklet which contains details on some of the most popular attractions in each town, as well as useful links and information about your options for accommodation.

Beyond your Town:

The most exciting city in the UK, London, is on our doorstep, so you’ll also have the opportunity to experience its world-class entertainment, attractions, museums, festivals and more, without having to pay the cost of living there.

Get to know your Town

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Student Support

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International Office:

Based at our Luton Campus, we have a dedicated team who offer all-round support for International Students.Check here for details.

Based on the Mezzanine floor of the new Library, the Study Hub contains a wide range of updated learning materials to assist you with your academic work. Check here for details.

PAD (Professional and Academic Development)

As well as running various programmes, societies and activities, the SU are also there to support you when you need it. They provide welfare and advice services, amongst other things. Check here for details.

Students’ Union

Our Student Information Desk (SiD) is your gateway to all available support services. Whatever the question or problem, they will listen and advise you. They have desks at every campus. Check here for details.

Our Student Support teams can offer advice and help you with a wide range of issues, including academic, financial, disability, mental health, religious, or counselling. Check here for details.

SiD

Chaplaincy, Counselling, Disability, Financial, and more:

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Internships and Volunteering

During your studies you will make many useful contacts through networking with others. We know the great importance of gaining practical experience, knowledge and skills - that’s why we do our best to provide you with opportunities which will prepare you to compete in the dynamic global marketplace. We are committed to ensuring you have an experience that will continue to enrich both your personal and professional life after you graduate.

Many of our courses include placements in industry so you have the chance to put your knowledge into practice, and we also work in partnership with many organisations to provide you with careers events hosted by industry experts.

Volunteering:

You can meet new people, learn valuable skills and increase your employability through voluntary work. Our Students’ Union run numerous volunteering projects and work hard at matching your skills to the right opportunity. There are also a number of Beds SU and university-based organisations which you can get involved in, such as Radio LaB, Loud Magazine, or Bulls TV. Read more about the programme here: http://www.bedssu.co.uk/volunteer

PAD (Professional and Academic Development)

SiD

Internships:

There are a range of internships available through the Internships Scheme, ranging between two and ten weeks. They offer the opportunites to experience work in a professional environment, improve your CV, and help you to build contacts outside of the university.

http://www.beds.ac.uk/morethanadegree/extra-curricular/internship-scheme

Sport at the University of Bedfordshire is delivered in partnership with the Students’ Union. A comprehensive range of successful sports clubs run on both Luton and Bedford campuses. We’ve entered 51 teams into the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) league programme for the 2015-2016 season.

Beds SU: http://www.bedssu.co.uk/sport

Sport

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Get into Sport:

Get into Sport is the University of Bedfordshire’s sport participation programme. It aims to get more students and staff involved in sport and physical activity whilst they are at the University.

The scheme offers free membership which allows students and staff to attend any session on the timetable throughout the academic year. All the sessions are aimed at being non-competitive, in a fun, social and welcoming environment.

A large variety of sports are offered across Luton, Bedford and Milton Keynes. The sessions run in the evenings and at weekends.

To see the Session timetable and for contact and sign up information, click here.

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Clubs, Societies and Extra-curricular

All students have the chance to enhance their foreign languages skills alongside their normal academic studies. This unique scheme which started in 2015/16 and will continue in 2016/17, offers students the opportunity to learn Arabic, German, Spanish or Mandarin for a discounted fee of £50 for an 18 week package. Each language will run, so long as there is a viable class of at least 12-15 students.

http://www.beds.ac.uk/morethanadegree/co-curricular/learn-a-language

Clubs and Societies are a great way for you to meet like-minded people, and get involved in a range of beneficial and enjoyable exchanges and activities.

We have a wide range of faith, academic, cultural and recreational societies, all of which are set up and run by students, so if you can’t find a group that takes your fancy, you can set up one of your own. For the full current list of societies, visit the Beds SU website.

Language Classes:

Treehouse & SeedBeds:

We have Community and Faith Centres in both Luton and Bedford, which support and welcome all religions, beliefs and backgrounds. Treehouse and SeedBeds both offer a range of spiritual and social activities, and space for reflection and prayer. They host Film and Games nights, Workshops, Open mic nights, Storytelling and Union meetings, guitar lessons, and more.

http://www.beds.ac.uk/faiths/about

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The University’s International Office also runs a fantastic Social Events Programme for all students, which includes various day trips around the UK at discounted prices, to places such as Oxford, London, Cambridge, Brighton, Stratford-upon-Avon, Thorpe Park, and more. Each year, we create a schedule of historical, cultural and recreational locations to compliment your academic studies. www.beds.ac.uk/international/trips-and-go-global

Each year, the University of Bedfordshire’s International Office runs a programme for UK and EU students to travel to life-changing destinations such as China (Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou), Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore, New York and India. It includes a mix of cultural and academic enrichment, whilst offering students a fantastic and unique experience. Visit: www.beds.ac.uk/goglobal

Go Global

Our International students have the exclusive opportunity to visit

one of many popular European cities through our Europe Trips

programme. We’ve visited Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona,

Switzerland and Brussels.

Europe Trips

UK Day Trips

Go Global & Other Trips

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EU students:Welcome Scholarships of £500 per year are available to all first year EU national undergraduate students, domiciled in the EU.

Merit Scholarships of £800 per year are available to all first year EU national undergraduate students, domiciled in the EU who meet the academic requirements (please refer to webpage: http://www.beds.ac.uk/international/international-applications/fees-and-scholarships for the requirements per EU country).

International Students:All international undergraduate and postgraduate applicants who register for their course will be entitled to a Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship. There are also a number of merit scholarships available. For details of the level of Vice Chancellor Scholarship available and if there are merit scholarships available, please consult your country page on the international section of the website.

Scholarships

All undergraduate and postgraduate EU national applicants are entitled to apply for finance to cover fees from Student Finance England (SFE) – please refer to http://www.slc.co.uk. SFE have already guaranteed that loans to cover fees, already approved or which will be approved for a course start date in 2016/17 will be covered for the whole of the course. In the unlikely case of any changes to this guarantee, the Vice Chancellor Bill Rammell has vowed to meet the guarantee for Student Loan Finance on the same terms to further reassure you. You can read the full statement here.

Platinum Performance

Platinum Coach / Official

Gold Performance

Gold Coach / Official

Talented Performer

Sport Scholarships:There are a range of sport coaching and performance scholarships available to talented students. Please see the following link for full details: http://www.slc.co.uk/ You can also read about each available Sport Scholarship through these individual links:

facebook.com/unibedsinternationaltwitter.com/uobintlyoutube.com/uobvideos

International OfficeUniversity SquareLutonBedfordshireLU1 3JUUnited Kingdom

www.beds.ac.uk/international

Date of Publication: July 2016