QS Top Universities: Schools

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 University’s 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. Studying in a cutting-edge research environment means that students at Newcastle benefit from the knowledge of some of the leading experts in their areas. Currently the University offers over 200 undergraduate programmes 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 University’s 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'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 voted ‘Best City in the North’ by a poll run by The Daily Telegraph and Newcastle University is one of the UK’s friendliest universities, according to a survey carried out by the Friends Reunited website, which ranked Newcastle second in the country.
The University’s Library is the only one in the UK to be awarded the government’s 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 an ongoing commitment to providing first-class facilities to support students. 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 our ground-breaking research in areas such as stem cell technology, nanotechnology, water pollution, the threat to marine ecosystems and urban regeneration in Iraq. The University has also aligned itself with the Make Poverty History campaign, and is committed towards achieving the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals through the research and project work carried out by our staff and students.

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.

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.

Both staff and students are 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.

Range of Fees

2009–10 Full-time UK/EU Fees
£3,225 per year (please see website for fee exemptions for certain courses, and for information on placement year fees: www.ncl.ac.uk/undergraduate/finance/

2009–10 Full-time International Fees
Band 1 £10,415 (classroom)
Band 2 £13,620 (lab/studio)
Band 3 £25,220 (clinical)
Further information on fee band definitions can be found at: www.ncl.ac.uk/regulations/fees/schedule/fees_schedule.pdf

Basic TOEFL/IELTS requirements

Normally a minimum of IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 90 (Internet-based), 577 (paper-based) or 233 (computer-based). For courses in Law, Medicine, Dentistry, Speech and Language Sciences, and English, you will need an IELTS score of 7.0, TOEFL 600 (paper-based) or 250 (computer-based).

Accommodation

At Newcastle, all our student residences are situated within easy reach of the University campus and city centre. There is a range of catered and self-catered accommodation to choose from, all providing a great environment for both studying and socialising. The University also offers help and support for students living at home or in privately rented accommodation.

New students are guaranteed a place in University accommodation, subject to certain criteria (see www.ncl.ac.uk/undergraduate/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.

Accommodation Range

The weekly rate for university accommodation ranges from £65.45 to £94.00 for self catered accommodation, and £93.10 to £115.50 for catered accommodation.

Full information is available at www.ncl.ac.uk/undergraduate/accommodation

Entry Requirements

In general, entry standards are high, with most courses requiring a minimum of BBB at A level or equivalent. The University accepts a wide range of qualifications.

Language Support

The INTO Newcastle University Centre provides an extensive range of English language programmes:

Preparatory programmes:
Pre-registration English language programmes which last from five weeks to 12 months depending on the candidates’ initial IELTS or TOEFL score.

Pre-Sessional Intensive English language programmes which last either five weeks or 10 weeks depending on the candidates initial IELTS or TOEFL score.

In-Sessional English programmes:
A range of English classes are provided during the academic year for registered degree programme students who need further language support whilst studying.

Non-English Language Requirements

In general, entry standards are high, with most courses requiring a minimum of BBB at A level or equivalent. The University accepts a wide range of qualifications.