TEACHING
QUALITY
Robert Gordon University
64
th
NATIONAL
RANK
RANK
63.2%
FIRSTS
2:1s
2:1s
81.3%
COMPLETION
RATE
RATE
Key Stats
n/a
75th=
STUDENT
EXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCE
61st=
RESEARCH
QUALITY
QUALITY
10th
GRADUATE
PROSPECTS
PROSPECTS
Contact details
ADDRESS
Garthdee House,
Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, AB10 7QB View on map >
Telephone
Email
Website
Open days
October 8; November 1
University Profile
Robert Gordon University (RGU) remains the best university in Scotland for getting its graduates into professional jobs or higher-level study. This year, the proportion dips slightly but still remains above the 80% mark, a feat that achieved by no other Scottish institution.
Its success in this area, where the university’s outstanding contacts within the offshore oil and gas industry in Aberdeen pay a health dividend, offsets the sharp fall seen in RGU’s overall ranking in our league table. It has fallen 12 places this year largely as a result of others improving their performance even more than RGU has done in the past 12 months.
Our lower ranking apart, it has been a good year for RGU with all teaching now united on one site for the first time since long before it became a university in 1992.
A £120m development programme has allowed teaching to be brought together on the Garthdee campus, on the south side of Aberdeen, overlooking the River Dee. The Schools of Engineering, Computing Science and Digital Media, Pharmacy and Life Sciences moved from the historic Schoolhill site, in the city
Development is continuing, however, with a new building for the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture due to open in September 2015. A striking new green glass library tower with spectacular views over the river and city has become a landmark at the heart of the campus, which is full of graceful curves.
Previous developments at Garthdee included additional specialist facilities for the Faculty of Health and Social Care. The Aberdeen Business School, designed by Norman Foster, is being upgraded with new teaching and student learning spaces and an open plan area with IT access, group study areas, exhibition and seminar space.
In 2012, RGU was the top ranked modern university in our league table, having been runner-up for our University of the Year in 2011 and winner of the Scottish University of the Year award in 2010. This year it ranks 13 among the modern universities with student satisfaction slightly up on last year under our analysis, but RGU’s ranking down 11 places, a prime example of other similarly-ranked universities improving their scores by greater amounts.
Graduate employment remains RGU’s strongest suit. It holds on to its top 10 UK ranking for the proportion of students in professional jobs or higher-level study.
Strong industry links are typified by facilities such as theDART (Drilling and Advanced Rig Training) simulator that provides a full-scale reproduction of an offshore platform or land rig within the Energy Centre. Work placements lasting up to a year have become the norm on all the university’s courses. With nursing and health sciences now accounting for a large share of the places, RGU gives itself the soubriquet of the Professional University.
The creative industries are a growth area and there is a full portfolio of courses in business, design and engineering. Flexible programmes, with credit accumulation and transfer, make for easy movement in and out of the university for an often mobile local workforce.
Named after an 18th-century philanthropist, RGU has a pedigree in education that goes back 250 years. The university now offers about 150 degrees. Students from the city’s two universities mix easily, and there is healthy academic rivalry in some areas.
There is also a partnership with North East Scotland College, which allows students to progress from a college-based Higher National Diploma to the third year of an RGU degree course.
Almost a third of RGU’s submission in the last Research Assessment Exercise was considered world-leading or internationally excellent. Three research institutes have since been launched to focus on the university’s strengths in business and information; innovation, design and sustainability; and health and welfare.
Like many modern universities, Robert Gordon recruits most of its students locally, nearly 60% of them female. However, overseas student numbers have been growing sharply and the overall demand for places has been more consistent than at most universities north of the border.
Efforts to extend access beyond the normal higher education catchment have produced a diverse student population, with three in 10 undergraduates coming from working-class homes and 92% from state schools or colleges.
The university has a strong focus on new technology. An award-winning virtual campus was launched with an online course in e-business for postgraduates. It also enables management undergraduates to receive course materials via an intranet, and other degree and short courses are available. The Moodle system is used across Robert Gordon courses for both on-campus and distance learning students, providing teaching, notes, online forums for discussion and electronic submission options.
Aberdeen is a long way to go for students from other parts of the UK, but train and air links are excellent, and the city regularly features in the top 10 for quality of life.
There is a £12m sports and leisure centre, which includes a centre of excellence for the region in hockey, as well as a 25-metre swimming pool, three gyms, a climbing wall and bouldering room, a café bar, three exercise studios and a large sports hall.
Sports scholarships are available to budding athletes, with Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning swimmer Hannah Miley among the recipients.
Although accommodation can be expensive in the private sector, low prices in the students’ union partially compensate, and there are enough university residential places to guarantee housing to first years from outside the local area.
Its success in this area, where the university’s outstanding contacts within the offshore oil and gas industry in Aberdeen pay a health dividend, offsets the sharp fall seen in RGU’s overall ranking in our league table. It has fallen 12 places this year largely as a result of others improving their performance even more than RGU has done in the past 12 months.
Our lower ranking apart, it has been a good year for RGU with all teaching now united on one site for the first time since long before it became a university in 1992.
A £120m development programme has allowed teaching to be brought together on the Garthdee campus, on the south side of Aberdeen, overlooking the River Dee. The Schools of Engineering, Computing Science and Digital Media, Pharmacy and Life Sciences moved from the historic Schoolhill site, in the city
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centre, last year.Development is continuing, however, with a new building for the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture due to open in September 2015. A striking new green glass library tower with spectacular views over the river and city has become a landmark at the heart of the campus, which is full of graceful curves.
Previous developments at Garthdee included additional specialist facilities for the Faculty of Health and Social Care. The Aberdeen Business School, designed by Norman Foster, is being upgraded with new teaching and student learning spaces and an open plan area with IT access, group study areas, exhibition and seminar space.
Graduate employment remains RGU’s strongest suit. It holds on to its top 10 UK ranking for the proportion of students in professional jobs or higher-level study.
Strong industry links are typified by facilities such as theDART (Drilling and Advanced Rig Training) simulator that provides a full-scale reproduction of an offshore platform or land rig within the Energy Centre. Work placements lasting up to a year have become the norm on all the university’s courses. With nursing and health sciences now accounting for a large share of the places, RGU gives itself the soubriquet of the Professional University.
The creative industries are a growth area and there is a full portfolio of courses in business, design and engineering. Flexible programmes, with credit accumulation and transfer, make for easy movement in and out of the university for an often mobile local workforce.
Named after an 18th-century philanthropist, RGU has a pedigree in education that goes back 250 years. The university now offers about 150 degrees. Students from the city’s two universities mix easily, and there is healthy academic rivalry in some areas.
There is also a partnership with North East Scotland College, which allows students to progress from a college-based Higher National Diploma to the third year of an RGU degree course.
Almost a third of RGU’s submission in the last Research Assessment Exercise was considered world-leading or internationally excellent. Three research institutes have since been launched to focus on the university’s strengths in business and information; innovation, design and sustainability; and health and welfare.
Like many modern universities, Robert Gordon recruits most of its students locally, nearly 60% of them female. However, overseas student numbers have been growing sharply and the overall demand for places has been more consistent than at most universities north of the border.
Efforts to extend access beyond the normal higher education catchment have produced a diverse student population, with three in 10 undergraduates coming from working-class homes and 92% from state schools or colleges.
The university has a strong focus on new technology. An award-winning virtual campus was launched with an online course in e-business for postgraduates. It also enables management undergraduates to receive course materials via an intranet, and other degree and short courses are available. The Moodle system is used across Robert Gordon courses for both on-campus and distance learning students, providing teaching, notes, online forums for discussion and electronic submission options.
Aberdeen is a long way to go for students from other parts of the UK, but train and air links are excellent, and the city regularly features in the top 10 for quality of life.
There is a £12m sports and leisure centre, which includes a centre of excellence for the region in hockey, as well as a 25-metre swimming pool, three gyms, a climbing wall and bouldering room, a café bar, three exercise studios and a large sports hall.
Sports scholarships are available to budding athletes, with Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning swimmer Hannah Miley among the recipients.
Although accommodation can be expensive in the private sector, low prices in the students’ union partially compensate, and there are enough university residential places to guarantee housing to first years from outside the local area.
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Detailed Statistics
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
CATEGORY
SCORE
RANK
Ranking
-
64 (52=)
Student experience
81.3
75th=
Research quality
5.3
61st=
Ucas entry points
384
40th=
Graduate prospects
80.5
10th
Firsts and 2:1s
63.2
82nd=
Completion rate
81.3
97th
Student-staff ratio
19.3:1
85th=
Services/facilities spend (£)
1,246
99th
World ranking
-
701= (701=)
VITAL STATISTICS
Undergraduates
(Full-time)
7,170
Undergraduates
(Part-time)
1,885
Postgraduates
(Full-time)
1,825
Postgraduates
(Part-time)
2,125
Applications/places
12,740/2,425
Applications/places ratio
5.3:1
STUDENT CITIES
Paul Greene, students’ union president
Relaxed and informal atmosphere between lecturers and students.
Lack of a bar on campus but this doesn’t impact on the party atmosphere here at RGU.
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Cost of living
Nightlife
Transport
Culture
ACCOMMODATION
FEES
Scots/EU fees
£0-£1,820
RUK fees
£5,000 (£8,500)
Fees (international)
£10,500-£13,500
Finance website
Graduate salaries
£21,933
BURSARIES/SCHOLARSHIPS
>
Academic and targeted scholarships available.
SPORT
Sports points/rank
305, 75th
Sport website
Student satisfaction
96.4%
93.8%
92.6%
88.9%
88.3%
85.9%
84.2%
84.2%
80.8%
80.5%
80.2%
76.6%
75.4%
75.4%
70.1%