University of Ulster

Ulster is a university with a national and international reputation for excellence, innovation and regional engagement. University makes a major contribution to the economic, social and cultural development of Northern Ireland and play a key role in attracting inward investment. University core business activities are teaching and learning, widening access to education, research and innovation and technology and knowledge transfer.                                                                                                  

With over 24,000 students Ulster is one of Northern Ireland’s largest and most influential institutions and we are delighted that you are considering studying with Ulster.  Independent research shows that Ulster is seen as a modern, forward-looking, progressive and entrepreneurial university with the ability to get things done. Ulster is pleased with this and confident that we are all of those things, but it is not complacent. Ulster continuously reviews courses in terms of what students and employers need and expect from it. Ulster offers the high quality of teaching, facilities and student support you would expect from a modern British university and four campuses are set in some of Europe's most culturally rich and naturally beautiful environments.

Quality matters

Ulster has developed rigorous procedures to ensure the high standards and quality of programmes and that there is ongoing continuous improvement.  Obtaining student views on all aspects of course delivery is an integral part of our quality assurance and form a valuable input to planning and developing new programmes and updating and enhancing existing ones. The University is also subject to audit by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) which is a national organisation established to safeguard the public interest in sound standards of higher education qualifications and to encourage continuous improvement in the management of the quality of higher education. It does this by working with higher education institutions to define academic standards and quality, and by carrying out reviews and audits against these standards. 

Top third performance

Ulster students are educated in an environment where knowledge is created, tested and shared with enthusiasm and commitment. This is shaped by our high quality of teaching and research. A flourishing research culture underpins our impressive performance in the 2008 RAE. Ulster moved up 18 places to joint 45th out of 132 universities, placing Ulster in the top-third of UK universities. Ulster achieved three top-three positions in Biomedical Sciences; Celtic Studies; and Nursing. Take a look at our courses and you’ll see how we’re preparing students for tomorrow’s world today.

- Ulster has a positive impact on the economy and community in Northern Ireland and employ over 3000 staff with an annual turnover of more than £200 million.

- Technology and knowledge transfer and commercial exploitation of ideas are promoted by the Office of Innovation through a range of initiatives and ongoing research and consultancy with business and industry.

- Ulster is a major contributor to the Research and Development capacity within Northern Ireland and it supports local business and industry. The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise confirmed the strength and quality of research and the advances that they are continually making.

- Ulster makes a leading contribution to lifelong learning (via eLearning), widening access to education for all - enhancing the region's knowledge base.

- Partnerships have been forged with other educational providers locally, nationally and internationally and it has a network of strategic partnerships throughout the world.

Arts

The Faculty of Arts has five Schools: Creative Arts; English and History; Languages and Cultures; Media, Film and Journalism; and the Research Graduate School. Through these Schools, the Faculty offers a particularly wide range of courses and options at the Belfast, Coleraine and Magee campuses of the University.    

Art, Design and the Built Environment

The Faculty of Art, Design and the Built Environment has four Schools: Art and Design; Architecture and Design; Built Environment and the Research Graduate School. Through these Schools, the Faculty offers a unique and wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programmes and research activities across the Belfast and Jordanstown campuses.

Computing and Engineering

The Faculty of Computing and Engineering operates on three campuses of the University at Coleraine, Jordanstown and Magee. It is managed through five Schools: Computing and Information Engineering; Computing and Intelligent Systems; Computing and Mathematics; Engineering; and the Research Graduate School.

Life and Health Sciences

The Faculty has an international reputation for the quality of its teaching, research and academic enterprise which is carried out within its seven schools and six research institutes. The Schools within the Faculty are: Biomedical Sciences; Environmental Sciences; Health Sciences; Nursing; Psychology; Ulster Sports Academy (formerly School of Sports Studies); and the Graduate Research School. The Research Institutes are Biomedical Sciences; Environmental Sciences; Nursing; Psychology; Rehabilitation Sciences; and Sport and Exercise.

Social Sciences

The Faculty of Social Sciences operates across three of the University's four campuses: Coleraine; Jordanstown; and Magee. There are eight schools in the faculty: Communication; Economics; Education; Law; Criminology, Politics and Social Policy; Sociology and Applied Social Studies; Research Graduate School; and the Graduate School of Professional Legal Education.   

Ulster Business School

The Ulster Business School consists of nine academic units. These are the Departments of Accounting; Management and Leadership; Business, Retail and Financial Services; Hospitality and Tourism Management; International Business; Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Strategy (incorporating the Northern Ireland Centre for Entrepreneurship - NICENT); the Business Institute; the Research Graduate Centre; and the Research Institute

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I decided to study at the University of Ulster because of its great enthusiasm to the arts, the hard work it was putting into its entire subject areas, the teachers were dedicated to providing the best for their pupils and the timetable was varied and challenging. Being originally from Yorkshire (England), I naturally applied for various other institutes in the area also concentrating on Dance – and I was shocked to see that their own timetables would only cover Monday to Wednesday. I decided then to go further afield back to my parents’ homeland in Ireland to see what they had to offer and I was delighted to see that the University of Ulster could provide Dance on a high level. I was impressed to see the timetable was Monday to Friday inclusive with weekend workshops available too. When I arrived the people were friendly and welcoming and I knew this was the place for me.