QS Top Grad School: Schools2

Newcastle University has developed from its origins as a School of Medicine and Surgery, established in 1834, through to the modern, successful and forward thinking institution that it is today. It has over 18,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate students, including students from over 100 countries.

The Universitys city-centre campus comprises 27 academic schools within three faculties: Humanities and Social Sciences; Medical Sciences; and Science, Agriculture and Engineering. All of the schools are research active and academic staff are leaders in their fields. Indeed the influential publication, Research Fortnight, has ranked Newcastle University nineteenth out of 108 in terms of its research success.

Studying in a cutting-edge research environment means that postgraduate students at Newcastle benefit from the knowledge of some of the leading experts in their areas. Currently the University offers over 190 taught postgraduate programmes and more than 60 research degrees in a diverse range of subject areas.

The teaching quality at Newcastle University has been externally confirmed as excellent, averaging 22 out of 24 across all disciplines. Building on these teaching strengths, the University has a range of internationally renowned research institutes and research centres, and provides the backbone of research to support five Centres of Excellence.

The employability of students at Newcastle is enhanced by ncl+, an integrated package of opportunities and experiences offered to all students who wish to develop skills that are attractive to employers. Working with regional, national and international employers remains high on the Universitys agenda. This commitment has been confirmed by a survey carried out by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in 2006 which found that Newcastle University spends more time working with businesses than any other UK university.

Newcastle University provides an extensive Postgraduate Research Training programme to all of its research students. The programme is designed to enable students to develop their research skills and ensure that they can be applied in an academic and work-related context. A generic research management programme is also provided to enable postgraduates to manage projects and publications within higher education, business, and the public and voluntary sectors. These activities are delivered by nationally recognised consultants and dedicated postgraduate development staff in the University.

Newcastle University's reputation as a great place to be a student has been given a boost with the news that Newcastle upon Tyne has been named as the top university town in Britain in a survey carried out by the UK's foremost student accommodation website, accommodationforstudents.com. In the past Newcastle has also been ranked in the top three cities in Europe in terms of quality of life according to a survey carried out by the European Commission and Newcastle University is one of the UKs friendliest universities, according to a survey carried out by the Friends Reunited website, which ranked Newcastle second in the country.
The Universitys Library is the only one in the UK to be awarded the governments Charter Mark for excellent customer services five times in a row and our Careers Service has won seven prestigious national careers awards.

Newcastle University is embarking upon one of the most significant periods of development in its 170 year history. By 2010, a total of £200 million will have been invested in the campus and environs, showing our ongoing commitment to providing first-class facilities to support all of our students' study needs. The development is focused on two objectives: creating a welcoming and impressive front door by extensive landscaping and the development of the area of campus which faces the city centre; and the creation of new purpose-designed teaching and learning facilities through both new buildings and the renovation of existing buildings.

Faculty

Number of Faculty Staff	Headcount: 2,446 FTE: 1,891
Total number of academic faculty staff who are responsible for planning, directing and undertaking teaching only, research only or both teaching and research. Please include: vice-chancellors, deputy vice-chancellors, principals, professors, heads of school, associate professors, principal lecturers and tutors. Please exclude research assistants, PhD students who contribute to teaching, and exchange scholars or visiting professors who are members of another university. FAQ: How is research assistant defined?
Number of International Faculty Staff	Headcount: 519 FTE: 503
Number of academic faculty staff who are of foreign nationality. The term �international� is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even if from another EU state. In Hong Kong, this includes professors from Mainland China. Inclusion and exclusion mirrors those for academic faculty staff.
Number of Inbound Visiting Faculty Staff	Headcount: 269
Number of academic faculty staff contributing to teaching or research at your university in the last 12 months who are visiting from an overseas institution for a minimum period of at least 3 months.

Undergraduate Information

Number of Undergraduate Students	Headcount: 14,034 FTE: 13,687
Number of students pursuing a Bachelor�s level or equivalent degree. This excludes certificates/diplomas and associate�s degrees.
Number of International Undergraduate Students	Headcount: 1,425 FTE: 1,310
Number of undergraduate students who are foreign nationals. The term �international� is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even nationals of other EU states. In Hong Kong, this includes students from Mainland China. Please exclude all exchange students.
Number of Inbound Exchange Undergraduate Students	Headcount: 388 FTE: 254
Number of undergraduate students attending your university on international exchange programs for at least 1 semester in the last 12 months.
Number of Outbound Exchange Undergraduate Students	Headcount: 284 FTE: 284
Number of undergraduate students registered at your institution who have attended another institution abroad for at least 1 semester on an exchange program in the last 12 months.
Average International Undergraduate Fees	£ GBP 11,443
Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that an international student would be expected to pay for an undergraduate program, with �program� referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees?
Average Domestic Undergraduate Fees	£ GBP 3,145
Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that a domestic student would be expected to pay for an undergraduate program, with �program� referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees?
Average Undergraduate Class Size	15
The average size of class across all undergraduate programs. The term �class� refers to an unit of instruction or taught session in which a teacher has pre-defined material to cover. It does exclude tutorial seminars.

Graduate / Postgraduate Information

Number of Graduate / Postgraduate Students	Headcount: 4,922 FTE: 3,468
Students pursuing a higher-level degree (Master and Doctorate), including both taught and research postgraduates (e.g. PhD students)
Number of International Graduate Students	Headcount: 2,314 FTE: 1,862
Number of graduate / postgraduate students who are foreign nationals. The term �international� is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even nationals of other EU states. In Hong Kong, this includes students from Mainland China.
Number of Inbound Exchange Postgraduate Students	Headcount: 74 FTE: 29
Number of graduate / postgraduate students attending your university on international exchange programs for at least 1 semester in the last 12 months.
Average International Graduate / Postgraduate Fees	£ GBP 11,443
Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that an international student would be expected to pay for a graduate / postgraduate program, with �program� referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees?
Average Domestic Graduate / Postgraduate Fees	£ GBP 4,070
Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that a domestic student would be expected to pay for a graduate / postgraduate program, with �program� referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees?
Average Taught Graduate / Postgraduate Class Size	15
The average size of class across all taught graduate / postgraduate programs. The term �class� refers to an unit of instruction or taught session in which a teacher has pre-defined material to cover. It does exclude tutorial seminars.

Students

Total Students	Headcount: 18,956 FTE: 17,155
Total number of students.
Total International Students	Headcount: 3,739 FTE: 3,172
Number of students who are foreign nationals. The term �international� is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even nationals of other EU states. In Hong Kong, this includes students from Mainland China.
Total Outbound Exchange Students	Headcount: 284 FTE: 284
Total number of students registered at your institution who have attended another institution on an exchange program for at least 1 semester in the last 12 months.
Total Inbound Exchange Students	Headcount: 462 FTE: 283
Total number of students attending your university on international exchange programs for at least 1 semester in the last 12 months.
Average International Student Fees	£ GBP 11,443
Average tuition fees per year that an international student would be expected to pay for any course
Average Domestic Student Fees	£ GBP 3,607
Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that a domestic student would be expected to pay for any program, with �program� referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees?
Average Class Size	15
The average size of class across all programs. The term �class� refers to an unit of instruction or taught session in which a teacher has pre-defined material to cover. It does exclude tutorial seminars.

Graduate Output

Proportion of Graduates Pursuing Further Study	27%
Proportion of graduates from undergraduate programs pursuing further study at your own institution or any other.
Proportion of Graduates Employed	74%
Proportion of graduates (excluding those opting to pursue further study) in permanent employment within 6 months of graduation
Number of PhDs Awarded	375
Total number of PhDs awarded in the last 12 months

Entry Requirements

Avg Entry Requirements	4
Please express the average academic achievement entry requirements for your institution. Please convert your domestic requirements to the US Grade Point Average system. The five-point numerical scale is typically correlated with the A-F/A-E quality index. (A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0, D=1.0, E or F = 0.0) In our context, a value of 0 will imply to us that your institution has an "open access" admissions policy and will in no way count against your institution in any future table built upon this data. You can use World Education Services (WES) Toolkit as guidline: http://www.wes.org/gradeconversionguide/index.asp (copy and paste)

Main claims to international academic or non-academic excellence

As a member of the elite Russell Group, an association of leading research-intensive UK universities, Newcastle University regularly hits the headlines with its groundbreaking research in areas such as stem cell technology, nanotechnology, climate change, polluted mine water, education in developing countries and organ transplantation .

University staff and students are involved in research that reflects the United Nations� Millennium Development Goals working in areas such as health, agriculture, water and the environment, and education, with the aim of helping to end extreme poverty throughout the developing world.

The University is also committed to ensuring that producers from the world�s poorest regions get a fair price for their goods, which is reflected in our recent Fairtrade status. Working with leading UK trade organisation, Traidcraft - which was founded by one of our graduates, Richard Adams - we aim to use and sell fairly traded products on campus wherever we can.

The University has launched 13 research institutes in a diverse range of disciplines (eg nanotechnology, cancer, ageing, biosciences, health, informatics, energy, environment, policy) and formed a collaboration with Durham University and Newcastle NHS Foundation to create the North East England Stem Cell Institute. These institutes bring staff together from different schools across the University, enabling them to pool their knowledge and therefore create a rich and dynamic environment for postgraduates to study in. As well as attaining international excellence in research, many of these institutes are focusing on areas with high potential for commercial exploitation.

In addition to having one of the UK�s leading Medical Schools which has been designated a Centre of Excellence for medical training, Newcastle has also been named as one of 11 Biomedical Research Centres of Excellence - described by the UK Government Health Secretary as 'among the most outstanding centres of medical research in the world' - and will share �450m over the next five years to conduct research into major diseases.

Newcastle University�s staff are continually gaining external recognition for their outstanding achievements. For example, we have been awarded The Queen�s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education for our pioneering work undertaken with communities to develop a sustainable, natural regeneration technique to treat polluted mine waters.

The University received a massive boost to its research prestige with the publication of the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) in 2001, which showed that it had made one of the biggest leaps forward of all the UK universities. The results of the next RAE will be published in December 2008

Newcastle is a designated 'Science City' in recognition of its remarkable achievements in science and technology. The University has formed a partnership with Newcastle City Council and One NorthEast, (the regional development agency) to create 'Science Central', an ambitious science, business and education complex in Newcastle city centre. Science Central is the hub of Science City and forges links with other innovative science and business sites in Newcastle such as the Centre for Life, the Campus for Ageing & Health and the University itself. The North East has already pioneered one industrial revolution and believes that history can be repeated, not with coal and heavy engineering but with the growth industries of the 21st century such as biotechnology, and nanotechnology.

The University continually strives to ensure that the campus is an environmentally friendly space. One of the key ways of doing this is through sustainable waste-management which means there are recycling points all over the campus. The University also gets all of its electricity from 100 % environmentally friendly resources. All of the University buildings and grounds are smoke-free.

Range of Fees

2008�09 Full-time UK/EU Fees
Band 1 �4,070
Band 2 �4,070
Bands 2a to 3 �6,350��12,375

2008�09 Full-time International Fees
Band 1 �9,915
Band 2 �12,970
Bands 2a to 3 �15,250��21,275

Please note that some programmes fall outside these fee bands and you may have to pay more than the figures shown here. For more information please see www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding/fees

Basic TOEFL/IELTS requirements

Normally a minimum of IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 90 (Internet-based), 577 (paper-based) or 233 (computer-based). We also recognise the English language standard achieved through qualifications such as the European Baccalaureate, the International Baccalaureate or School Leaving Certificates such as the Vitnem�l (Norway) and similar qualifications from other Scandinavian countries. Specific English language entrance requirements are specified in each programme description on our online Postgraduate Prospectus (see www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate).

Accommodation

University Accommodation
A wide range of affordable self-catering postgraduate accommodation, located close to campus, is provided by the University. Residents normally share kitchen and bathroom facilities although some rooms are en suite. All of the study-bedrooms have Internet connection. Students are guaranteed a place in university accommodation during their first year if they meet the conditions outlined at www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/accommodation

The University also has a number of rooms for students with special requirements such as mobility of health problems, and rooms for couples and families.

University Property Management Service
A wide range of privately owned houses are leased from owners and rented to students by the University. This enables students to live off campus while retaining the security of dealing with the University.

Private Accommodation
The University provides advice on rent levels and tenancies and ensures that all advertised room and property vacancies meet the standards required by Newcastle�s Accreditation Scheme. The Scheme aims to provide progressive improvement in the standards and safety of private accommodation available to students in Newcastle.

House-hunting Events
Over the summer, the University holds house hunting events to enable postgraduate students to meet up with other students and search for accommodation in the private sector.

Accommodation Range

The approximate weekly rate for a place in university-owned halls/ houses (2008-09) is as follows: self-catering �68.60 � �102.55; couple accommodation �82.32 � �115.50; family accommodation �108.15 � �117.25. Rents for private accommodation range from �40 to �80 per week.

Finance and Scholarships

It is possible to secure some funding on many of our postgraduate programmes, and to help you to find out what is available we have developed an extensive database of scholarships, studentships and bursaries. To search the database visit www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding

Entry Requirements

Candidates should normally have either a relevant degree or an equivalent qualification with work experience in a relevant field. Some programmes have more specific requirements. These are outlined in our online Prospectus (see www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate).

Language Support

The INTO Newcastle University Centre provides an extensive range of English language programmes. For more information see www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/international/englishlanguage/training.htm

Non-English Language Requirements

Candidates should normally have either a relevant degree or an equivalent qualification with work experience in a relevant field. Some programmes have more specific requirements. These are outlined in our online Prospectus (see www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate).