APU - In Depth

Founded: 1989 as Anglia Polytechnic, from Essex Institute and Cambridgeshire College of Arts & Technology; university status 1992 (as Anglia Polytechnic University).

Site: 2 main sites: Chelmsford town centre (including new Ashcroft International Business School); Cambridge city centre.

How to get there: Good train connections with London from both sites. M25 and M11.

Academic features: All courses available on modular, credit accumulation basis. Open course scheme allows individual negotiated pathways and accreditation of prior learning; many students take up to 3 language modules. Large number of franchised courses in other East Anglian colleges.

Awarding body: APU.

Main undergraduate awards: BA, BEd, BSc, LLB, BOp, BEng.

Length of courses: 3 and 4 years.

Library & information services: Library at each site: 310.000 volumes. 1997 periodicals, 1060+ study places. Annual expenditure on information provision, £47 per (FTE) student. Separate IT service; access 18 hours/day and staff support 12 hours/weekdays. Workstations in libraries, open access areas, schools and classrooms; growing number of students have own PCs with access to the internet and to university library. IT skills courses available in eg wordprocessing, spreadsheets.

Other learning facilities: CAD/CAM centre; language centres; learning resource centres; computer centres.

Specialist collections: Law, education & management, music, nursing & midwifery, French Resistance archive.

Study abroad: Many students spend period abroad. Exchange links for eg business studies and technology students in France, Germany, Netherlands and Spain.

Careers: Information, advice and placement. Student advice & services: Counselling, medical and health services; disability advice and support; learning support, finance.

Amenities: SU buildings with bars, bookshops, nurseries on both sites. Mumford Theatre at Cambridge. Sports hall, fitness room in Chelmsford, gym and pitches in Cambridge.

Accommodation: At Cambridge, most first years housed unless they live within 30 miles; in Chelmsford, single first year students guaranteed a hall place (if offer accepted before deadline), 24% of all students in university accommodation. 1600+ self-catering places available; 900 in Cambridge (£45-£85 per week single, £110 double, incl bills), 650 in Chelmsford (£50-£64 pw), all for 40+ weeks/year. Students live in privately owned accommodation for minimum of 1 year: rents for self-catering (excluding bills) £55-£90 in Cambridge, £42-£70 in Chelmsford.

Living expenses budget: No university-recommended minimum.

Term-time work: University allows term-time work for full-time first degree students. Student employment office helps find work on and off campus.

Financial help: £160,000 government funds, £200,000 own funds (average award £250). Special help given to mature students, those with dependants or disabled. Apply for help to Student Support Services.

Tuition fees: Home students up to £1200 pa for first degrees (in 2005). International students pay £7250 pa (classroom), £8250 (lab/studio), £9375 (optometry), £12,500 (nursing and teacher education with placements).