Loughborough University

About Loughborough University

Loughborough University (abbreviated as Lough for post-nominals) is a public research university located in the market town ofLoughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England. It has been a university since 1966, but the institution dates back to 1909, when the then Loughborough Technical Institute began with a focus on skills and knowledge which would be directly applicable in the wider world. In March 2013, the university announced it had acquired the former broadcast centre at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park which opened as a second campus in 2015. It was a member of the 1994 Group until the group was dissolved in November 2013.

Loughborough ranks particularly highly for engineering and technology and is noted for its sports-related courses and achievements. The university recently won its seventh Queen's Anniversary Prize, awarded for the relevance of its research. The university is also rated five star for excellence by Quacquarelli Symonds through QS Star Scheme.

The university's main campus is in the Leicestershire town of Loughborough. The Loughborough campus (once the estate of Burleigh Hall) covers an area of 438 acres (1.77 km2), and includes academic departments, halls of residence, the Students' Union, two gyms, gardens and playing fields.

• Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering

  Our Department is one of very few that brings together the excitement and challenge of both aeronautical and automotive engineering. Our reputation for excellent teaching and topical research is built on a long and successful history. Automotive engineering started in 1919 and Aeronautical in 1935.

  From small beginnings we are now housed in a purpose built, £14M facility that includes laboratories, workshops, wind-tunnels, a flight simulator and a technical display area where a recently retired military aircraft takes pride of place. We currently have 600 undergraduate students and 70 research students.

• School of the Arts, English and Drama

  The School is a vibrant, active community combining an impressive reputation for academic excellence, with a friendly and supportive learning environment that provides excellent pastoral care.

• School of Business and Economics

  The School of Business and Economics at Loughborough University is a leading international player in research and teaching across business, management, finance, information management and economics.

  Studying at the School of Business and Economics is a fantastic experience. We are consistently rated as a Top-10 UK business school by national league tables and develop well-rounded, highly employable graduates at undergraduate, postgraduate, MBA, executive and doctoral level.

  Loughborough is the only University to have been voted England's Best Student Experience for six consecutive years in the Times Higher Education league table. Whether you are an undergraduate, a Masters student or a delegate on our award-winning MBA, the time you will spend at the School of Business and Economics will shape who you will become in the most positive way.

  Our research is comprehensive in scope and very highly regarded by academics and practitioners alike, with 75% of our output considered ‘world-leading’ or 'internationally relevant' (and 100% of our Information Management research rated 'world leading' or 'internationally excellent'), according to the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014). The research we do underpins all of our teaching, giving shape and substance to our courses and contributing to the outstanding and exceedingly relevant experience our students receive at Loughborough. Ultimately, our research matters.

  When coupled with the fact that Loughborough is among the Top 1% of business schools in the world to hold AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA accreditation, the School of Business and Economics is committed to enhancing its already burgeoning international reputation at the forefront of management, business, information management and economics.

• Chemical Engineering Department

  The Chemical Engineering Department at Loughborough University has a reputation within industry and academia for research excellence and producing highly trained, well-educated and professional chemical engineers.

  • Excellent graduate prospects

    Over 97% of our employed graduates are in professional or managerial roles within six months of leaving.  Their average starting salary is over£29,000*
    *of those available for work or study, salary based on mean salary DLHE 2013

  • Range of courses

    We offer students a range of challenging MEng, BEng and MSc courses, all professionally accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers.

• Department of Chemistry

  With an international reputation for research excellence, and a track record in high quality training for chemistry students, Loughborough's Department of Chemistry strives to provide a stimulating and supportive academic community. The Department boasts strong industry links and ongoing development in facilities.

  The Chemistry department currently comprises about 350 undergraduates, 50 postgraduate MSc students, 80 postgraduate research students and approximately 30 members of academic staff, as well as a range of dedicated technical and support staff. Our academic and research staff are nationally and internationally recognised as experts in their chosen fields, but are also noted for the excellent pastoral care they provide to students through our personal tutoring system.

  Located centrally on campus and housed in large modern facilities which have recently undergone extensive refurbishment, our laboratories service the teaching and research needs of analytical, organic, inorganic and physical chemistry, while specialist teaching and research laboratories exist for radiochemistry, polymer chemistry, analytical chemistry, microbiology and molecular pharmacology. From 2017 onwards students will also benefit from the University's £17m investment in brand new state-of-the-art STEMLab facilities.

• School of Civil and Building Engineering

  The School of Civil and Building Engineering is one of the largest of its type in the UK. We aim to develop and nurture the skill required to face the challenges of our increasingly complex built environment. Our world-class teaching and research are integrated to support the technical and commercial needs of both industry and society.

  A key part of our ethos is our extensive links with industry, with many of our students being sponsored by major construction organisations. Loughborough graduates are extremely sought after by industry and commerce world-wide, and our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes are consistently ranked as excellent in both student surveys and independent assessments. Similarly our research is sponsored and applied by the many organisations in the civil engineering, construction and transport sectors.

• Department of Computer Science

  Founded in 1974, the Department of Computer Science is one of the most well-established university computing departments in the UK with a long track record of developing skilled and highly employable graduates, as well as a reputation for cutting edge research and industry engagement.

  Based in the recently multi-million pound refurbished Haslegrave Building, the Department is one of the largest within the School of Science.  It brings together a lively community of over 40 members of staff, around 500 undergraduates, 50 taught MSc students and 50 research students.

  Committed to providing the best teaching and learning environment, our students benefit not only from excellent facilities and world-class cutting edge research carried out by staff, but from our enviable international industry links.  Our Industry Liaison Committee represents leading UK and international companies, providing regular input to curriculum development, career advice to students and additional teaching resources.  

  These links with industry ensure the Department of Computer Science sits at the forefront of technological development – and also provide early opportunities for students to secure employment.

  Our degree programmes are regularly reviewed to maintain teaching quality and relevance geared to meeting the challenges of a rapidly evolving subject - a factor reflected by our excellent graduate employment record.  We make improvements based on feedback from students, senior industrialists and accrediting bodies such as The Tech Partnership and the British Computer Society.

• Design School

  The School brings together a number of areas of design through its undergraduate and postgraduate courses, research and enterpriseactivities. All of our expertise and teaching is built on the design principles of aesthetics, technology and understanding the user. 

• Department of Geography

  The Department is a friendly and vibrant community of about 25 academic staff, 4 technical support staff, 5 administrative support staff, 10 research staff, 30 research postgraduate, 60 taught postgraduate students, and 450 undergraduate students.

  We are home to an expert field of human and physical geographers whose internationally renowned research aims to progress the field of geography, and works with industry and government to understand and help change the world around us.

  Our taught courses include six undergraduate and five postgraduate offerings covering a range of human and physical geography disciplines.

  Research within the Department is arranged into three main clusters.  Across these clusters a range of contemporary environmental, social and economic issues are examined.  This internationally renowned research informs all teaching activity within the Department, keeping it relevant and up-to-date.

  ‌The Department boasts state of the art research facilities, particularly for physical geography. The most recent addition to the Department is the Environmental Diagnostics Laboratories funded through HEFCE’s Science Research Infrastructure Fund (SRIF).

• Department of Materials

  For nearly 50 years Materials Science and Engineering has been a core strength at Loughborough University, contributing to the advancement of the field through teaching, research and enterprise activities.
  Working closely with industry we offer all our students a first class educational experience with excellent career prospects and we have been voted first overall for materials, in the National Student Survey, for five out of the last six years.
  New discoveries and improvements to materials have led to major advances in all aspects of life and our research continues to push developments forward in many areas of strategic and global importance.

• Department of Mathematical Sciences

  The Department of Mathematical Sciences at Loughborough University strives to develop mathematically gifted graduates, train postgraduate students in specialist topics, and further the development of mathematics and its application through cutting edge research.

  The Department has attracted staff and students from all over the world, making it a diverse and stimulating environment in which to study. Active in high quality research across the broad spectrum of mathematics, the Department has an international reputation, with four fifths of research rated internationally leading or better in REF 2014.

  In addition, the Department works very closely with the award-winning Mathematics Education Centre that has been providing academic support to Loughborough students and leading research on the way mathematics is taught and learnt since 2002. Loughborough University won the Outstanding Support for Students award at the Times Higher Education Awards 2011, for its work in Mathematics and Statistics support.

• School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering

  The Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering is one of the biggest engineering schools of its kind in the UK.  We aim to provide international leadership in research and innovation and an unrivalled educational experience. 

  Our graduates are testament to our success, helping to provide industry with the skills and knowledge to give them the competitive edge required to succeed in the 21st century.

  In addition to holding two prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prize we are home to two EPSRC National Centres, for Innovative Manufacturing in Regenerative Medicine and for Innovative Manufacturing in Intelligent Automation.

  Our industrially focused research enables us to work with some of the world’s most renowned engineering companies.  Our current research portfolio value is £52 million.   

• Department of Physics

  The Physics department offers a wide range of degree programmes. In addition to single honours Physics programmes, leading to the degrees of MPhys and BSc, we have a variety of joint honours programmes that draw on the expertise of Departments from most of the Schools of the University.

  We are one of the few Physics departments in the UK to offer industrial placements in all our undergraduate programmes - giving students the chance to gain invaluable work experience and the possibility of securing graduate employment before their final year.

  We also offer Taught Masters programmes and degrees by research.

  We publish in highly ranked physics journals and, in 2003, one of our former Visiting Professors, Alexei Abrikosov, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.

  The staff in the department have been recruited from major research centres worldwide. This creates a lively and stimulating community that attracts numerous visitors and collaborators.  Our research is internationally renowned, with 62% of research outputs rated internationally leading or better in the REF 2014.

  We are located in the Sir David Davies building in the West Park on the University campus.  Our laboratory facilities will be further enhanced by the University's planned STEMLab, due to open in early 2017.

• Politics, History and International Relations Department

  The Politics, History and International Relations Department at Loughborough University aims to provide an outstanding student experience, generate world class research, and offer a collegial and supportive environment for all.  

  We are passionate about the subjects that we teach and research, providing comprehensive advice and expertise not only to all our students, but also to a number of government and professional bodies.

  Our work explores political, economic, social and cultural transformations taking place in modern Britain, mainland Europe and the wider world.  

  We seek to maintain our international reputation for research excellence through publications, collaborations and presentations as well as developing our well established links with a range of partner universities thoughtout the UK and overseas. 

  At the heart of Department's activities is the range of undergraduate and postgraduate study and research opportunitites that we offer.  

  We aim to provide an intellectually stimulating environment for students in which they develop critical, creative and independent thinking, as well as developing transferable competence and practical skills.

  We are also earning a national reputation for using cutting-edge, exciting and engaging teaching and learning technologies to aid development of these skills. 

• Department of Social Sciences

  The Department of Social Sciences at Loughborough University has a long and distinguished history. It was founded in 1972 by Albert Cherns (1921-87), who was passionately committed to the idea of developing interdisciplinary research and teaching in the social sciences. Over the years the department has fulfilled his vision by encouraging innovative thinking that crosses conventional disciplinary boundaries. Many distinguished intellectuals have worked in the department, and their work has helped the department to gain an international reputation as a key site of excellence in the social sciences.

• School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences

  Loughborough University’s School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences is renowned as an internationally recognised centre of excellence for the study of sport, exercise and health through the natural and social sciences.

  Highly rated in university league tables, the School’s wide-ranging expertise encompasses such diverse areas as medicine, molecular biology, nutrition, biomechanics, economics, pedagogy, psychology, sociology and sport management. The unrivalled breadth of our undergraduate courses, postgraduate programmes and research degrees attracts students from all over the world.

  Over the years the School has built an international reputation for the quality of its teaching and research.  With our globally renowned staff collaborating with other academic institutions, centres and industry partners around the world, the School has been recognised for both the quality of our research and our highly competitive undergraduate, postgraduate taught and doctoral programmes.

  Our important, cutting edge research regularly sees the School making headlines and appearing on television and radio, such is Loughborough's prominence in the fields of health, sport, exercise and biomedical science.

• Teacher Education

  Loughborough University has a strong tradition of teacher education and a history of successfully producing teachers who are in great demand by schools and colleges in the UK and overseas.

  We are renowned for the high quality courses we offer in Physical Education and Mathematics.

  Our courses have been highly rated in Ofsted inspections and Loughborough has been assessed as a category 'A' provider, representing 'outstanding' provision, three consecutive times since 2005.

History of Loughborough University

In 1909 a small Technical Institute in the centre of Loughborough was established, which provided local facilities for further education and offered courses in technical subjects, science and art.  Land was also acquired on the Burleigh Estate, enabling the early development of the University as it stands today.

In April 1966 Loughborough was awarded its Charter, in recognition of the excellence achieved by Loughborough College of Advanced Technology and its predecessor colleges. Then called Loughborough University of Technology, it was the country’s first technological university. It was renamed Loughborough University in 1996.

Other developments have included the reunification in 1977 with Loughborough College of Education and with Loughborough College of Art and Design in 1998. Land acquisitions in 2003, 2006 and 2010 have now made Loughborough the largest single-site campus in the country, with 438 acres of land.

In 2015 Loughborough opened a second campus on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.Loughborough University in London has diversified and expanded the high quality education offered to both postgraduate students and those looking to advance their professional development.

Accreditation

Institutional Accreditation or Recognition - Privy Council

Year of first Accreditation - 1966

Rankings

• Loughborough was awarded Best Student Experience 2016 by the Times Higher Education.
• Previously Loughborough had won the award five years running (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010).
• The university was also named the 2008 Sunday Times "University of the Year."
• In 2015, Loughborough University achieved five star rating in an QS Star Scheme for its performance, confirming the breadth of its excellence and putting it alongside some of the very best universities in the world.
• In the Complete University Guide 2016 the university was ranked 11, while the university's departments were rated top ten in 11 subject groups, taking first place in Librarianship & Information Management. Loughborough has extensive links with industry. Many degrees are industry-sponsored and sandwich year-long placements are available on 99% of the degrees offered. Loughborough is also one of the top 20 universities targeted by large, graduate employers.
• In 2016 ranked 1 in Student Experience Survey 2016 by Times Higher Education

Student Life @Loughborough University

Loughborough University is known for offering a life-changing student experience, which is why we were recently ranked first in the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2016.

In addition to academic excellence, our renowned student experience brings together our award winning Students’ Union, sports clubs, societies and community spirit, all of which play a big part in why our students are so passionate and proud to be here.

Students' Union

The Union building sits in the north-eastern corner of the campus, and offers a range of facilities for clubs and societies, retail, entertainment and other activities. The Union has five rooms, each with its own theme. Loughborough Students Union (LSU), was awarded the International Experience Award 2011 by the National Union of Students (NUS).

As well as representing the student body through Union Council and offering academic support through Loughborough Students' Voice, the union has five main sections for students to get involved with.; the athletic union offers 56 different sporting clubs, the Societies Federation consists of over 80 societies, Action is the volunteering section offering a range of opportunities for students. There are 45 regular projects working with young people, the elderly, special needs, the homeless or the environment.

Loughborough Students' Rag is a student fundraising organisation. Last year raising over £1.4M for local, national and international charities.

Loughborough has its own media centre which offers the opportunity to make TV shows with LSUTV, have your own radio show with LCR or write for the student magazine Label. You can also practice with your band in Aura recording studio.

Sports clubs

There are over 50 student-led sports clubs to choose from. This is where you get your chance to represent Loughborough University in the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) Championship. Competition for places in the teams is intense.

Community Spirit

In addition to our student experience, research and enterprise and sporting ambitions, we also aim to make a significant contribution to the social and economic wellbeing of the town and the wider region.

With more than 3,000 staff, our University is the town’s largest employer. Add our student population of over 16,500 students to this, and you’ll see that we contribute significantly to the local economy.

Throughout the year the University and the Students’ Union organise a variety of events which are open to the local community to attend. These include the annual bonfire and firework display, a variety of musical and theatrical performances and a series of lectures by Loughborough academics and guest speakers.

Services of Loughborough University

Careers Network

Our experienced teams provide a wide range of services and support to students, graduates, employers and staff.

Loughborough students and graduates become highly sought after. We host the largest university Careers Fair in the UK and hundreds of other employer events. Many students do placements and gain fantastic workplace experience, and employers advertise thousands of opportunities on Careers Online every year, targetting Loughborough students and graduates.

As a result our students achieve some of the highest quality destinations in the UK, with 94% of our 2014 first degree graduates (UK/EU) in employment and/or further study and, of those in full-time employment, 90% were in graduate-level roles within 6 months of graduating.

Centre for Faith and Spirituality

The Centre for Faith and Spirituality (CFS) is provided as a place where students and staff are welcomed to reflect, explore and express faith and spirituality. It is a place to pray, to meditate and to meet others.

It also offers help with spiritual, ethical and moral concerns. Chaplains of various faiths are available to anyone irrespective of their religious or spiritual beliefs. 

Counselling and Disability Service

The Counselling and Disability Service (CDS) provides a range of support, advice and guidance for students. Our services are open to any student across the University and we work in a way which helps you build on your strengths and achieve your potential on your course. Below is some brief information about the different services we provide.

• Workshops
• Disability Support
• Mental Health Support
• Dyslexia Support
• Counselling
• Assessment Centre

English Language Support Service

Do you need some help with your English? 

The English Language Support Service offers a range of high quality English language support to home and international students who are already studying at university, as well as to international students who wish to study at Loughborough University. 

Medical Centre

We are a regular GP surgery providing NHS services to registered patients and has suitable access for disabled patients.  Browse our website for useful information about the Practice in a very easy to use format with the added benefit of several online functions. The team are here to provide all patients with a professional and caring healthcare experience in friendly and personal surroundings. With discretion and confidentiality guaranteed your welfare is safe, secure . 

• Dean’s Award for Enterprise Scholarship
• International Scholarships
• International Scholarships for Undegraduate study
• Loughborough Sports Scholarship