University of Surrey, UK

This former polytechnic which was granted its royal charter in 1966 has been topping the Sunday Times employment league tables for the past six years Just 30 minutes by train from London’s central business district, the University of Surrey (UniS) has acquired an enviable reputation for producing graduates who are “the most employable of any UK university”, having topped the Sunday Times employment league tables for the past six years. Out of 836 home graduates and diplomates in 2002, only 19 were seeking employment six months after graduation. This gives UniS the exceptionally low unemployment rating of 2.3 percent compared with the national average of 6.3 percent. This success story owes much to the effectiveness of UniS’ pioneer professional training scheme for undergraduates. Under this scheme undergrad students spend 12 months working in industry, commerce or in professional organisations. Over 80 percent of UniS undergraduates acquire workplace experience as an integral part of their degree programmes and some 20 percent work abroad. Quite evidently the content and design of the university’s degree programmes gives its graduates a competitive edge in the job market. “Creating and maintaining a stimulating, varied and supportive environment continues to be a core vision of the University of Surrey. Our emphasis is on enabling and encouraging students to gain the life and work skills which employers demand, alongside academic achievement. Testimony to our success is the fact that for the past three years the university had the lowest percentage of unemployed graduates of any British university. This is exceptional and gives UniS a unique advantage. The Professional Training Scheme pioneered by the university also greatly contributes to our employment success,” says Patrick J. Dowling, vice-chancellor of UniS. Though the University of Surrey was established in 1966 following the grant of its royal charter, its origins date back to the late 19th century. The forerunner of the university was the Battersea Polytechnic Institute (est. 1891), one of the first colleges to be designated a ‘college of advanced technology’. Given this strong science background, UniS’ study programmes in science and technology have gained widespread recognition. However currently it also boasts flourishing programmes in dance and music, social sciences, management and languages and law. There are over 11,600 undergraduate and postgraduate students currently registered on the award-winning programmes of the university. Guildford. A ten-minute walk from the varsity campus is the centre of Guildford, a bustling historic town with medieval buildings and a cobbled high street. Located in the county of Surrey, Guildford is just 30 minutes by train from London. In a nation of shopkeepers the town offers a wide variety of shops, traditional markets and modern malls. Nightlife is lively with three major nightclubs, popular students pubs and the Guildford Civic Centre which hosts concerts from classical to rock, comedians and alternative cabaret. Complementing the university’s own sporting facilities, the Guildford Spectrum Leisure Centre offers swimming, ice skating, athletics, health and fitness, basketball and ten pin bowling. Campus facilities. UniS is situated on a single campus on landscaped grounds on the slope of…