University of Warwick, UK

Routinely ranked among the top 10 teaching and research universities in the UK by the quality press, University of Warwick, UK (estb. 1965) has speedily risen in peer and public esteem

Promoted in 1965, University of Warwick has risen quickly in peer and public esteem to be ranked among Britain’s Top 10 teaching and research institutions. In the latest 2013 rankings of Britain’s universities by the Guardian, Warwick is ranked 5th while The Complete University Guide 2013 ranks it 6th, and The Sunday Times 10th. Internationally, the 47-year-old varsity is ranked 124 in the THE World University Rankings 2012-13, and third in QS’ ‘Top 50 under 50’ varsity rankings. Moreover, UK’s Research Assessment Exercise 2008 deemed 65 percent of Warwick’s research to be 3* or 4* (‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’).

“Warwick is a remarkable institution which has grown swiftly from small beginnings. The university opened its doors to a small number of graduates in 1964 and 450 undergraduates in 1965. Our current student population stands at nearly 24,000. Warwick has an unstinting commitment to excellence in everything it does. Consistently ranked in the top ten UK universities, Warwick aims to be ranked among the top 50 universities of the world by 2015,” says vice chancellor Prof. Nigel Thrift.

Warwick’s four faculties (arts, science, social sciences, medicine) and 30 academic departments offer a wide range of bachelors, Masters and doctoral research study programmes. The university which is all set to celebrate its golden jubilee in 2015, also boasts 6,411 foreign students from 140 countries, and academic collaborations with over 200 higher education institutions worldwide.

Coventry. The University of Warwick, UK is sited not in the eponymous county town of Warwickshire but on the outskirts of the city of Coventry (pop. 300,000). Cosmopolitan and student-friendly, Coventry is famous for its cathedrals. The Cathedral of St. Michael, which dates back to 1373, was famously destroyed by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War, but was re-built and consecrated in 1962. In fact, extensive bombing during World War II greatly impacted the city’s history and landmarks, forcing much of it to be rebuilt in the post-war years. Now a modern city with a treasure of historical monuments, Coventry also hosts a large number of pubs, restaurants, and shops.

While Coventry is the nearest city to the university, the 18th-century town of Royal Leamington Spa — a vibrant student habitat — is also within easy reach of campus. Moreover, Birmingham is a mere 20 minutes from Coventry station and the bright lights of Britain’s capital, London, are just an hour away. The campus is also close to historic centres such as Kenilworth, Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace and host to the Royal Shakespeare Company.

As elsewhere in Britain, winters are cold, wet and at times frosty, and spring is crisp. Average summer temperatures range between 15o-25 o C and winter 0 o-10 o C.

Campus facilities. Warwick University’s Central, Gibbet Hill and Westwood campuses sprawl across 290 hectares on three contiguous sites on the outskirts of Coventry. They offer academically stimulating environments comprising lakes, woods, magnificent flora and landscaped gardens. All campuses provide state-of-the-art academic, laboratory, and sports facilities. More recently inaugurated are the Warwick Digital Laboratory (2008), Warwick Arts Centre, including Butterworth Hall, which underwent a £6.9 million (Rs.58 crore) redevelopment (2009), the Students’ Union building (2010) and new physics and chemistry buildings (2012).

The university’s library offers access to over 1 million printed works, 39,000 electronic journals, 56,000 electronic books, and several hundred databases in addition to specialised collections, in the electronic and print media. The Learning Grid and the Biomed Grid provide study environments, encouraging group work and are open 24/7.

Warwick was an official training venue for the London 2012 Olympics — testament to its high quality sports infrastructure. It includes over 60 acres of outdoor playing fields, including football, rugby, lacrosse, cricket and frisbee grounds; three outdoor all-weather floodlit pitches, including a synthetic grass pitch; a £2.5 million four-court indoor tennis centre; a ‘Mondo’ 400-metre all-weather running track; three indoor sports halls; and the University Sports Centre, which hosts a 25-metre six-lane swimming pool, squash courts, large health and fitness centre, a performance weight training centre and aerobics studio.

Sports apart, opportunities for social and cultural activities abound with over 300 societies and clubs on campus and the students’ union hosting a number of events through the year. Other facilities on campus include shops, banks, bars and restaurants.

Admission. All applications to undergraduate degree programmes must be made through UK’s centralised admissions service — UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Application forms can be downloaded from the UCAS website (www.ucas.com). The UCAS institution code for University of Warwick is W20. Students must submit their applications before January 15 for admission into term beginning September. However, all applications for postgraduate entry must be made directly to the university.

The minimum eligibility criterion for admission into Warwick’s undergraduate programmes is completion of class XII from CBSE, CISCE and state boards with an average of above 85 percent in five subjects. Moreover, all foreign students must submit proof of proficiency in the English language — IELTS, TOEFL and Pearson Test of English (Academic) scores are accepted.  For postgraduate programmes, the minimum eligibility requirement is a first class bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. For further information, contact the University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 8UW, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 24 7652 3723; Fax: +44 (0) 24 7652 4649; e-mail: ugadmissions@warwick. ac.uk; website: www.warwick.edu.

Accommodation. University of Warwick, UK offers 6,300 rooms on campus for undergraduate and postgrad students. The accommodation includes university halls and flats with en suite or shared bathroom facilities. All on-campus accommodation is self-catering, with well-equipped kitchens and common rooms, and high-speed internet access. There are also numerous restaurants and food outlets on campus offering discounted meal plans.

First year undergraduate students must apply for on-campus housing before July 31 of the year they’re due to start their degree programmes. Second and final year students typically share a house or flat in nearby Leamington Spa or Coventry. Warwick Accommodation helps students find off-campus housing. The university manages around 450 houses (over 1,800 rooms) in Coventry, Leamington and nearby Kenilworth.

Degree programmes. Warwick’s four faculties (arts, medicine, science, social sciences) and 30 departments offer a range of undergraduate, postgraduate and Ph D programmes (see box).

Summiya Yasmeen