Founded in 1920. A vibrant, research-led university at the forefront of academic and scientific discovery. Site improvements and developments have consistently met students' changing needs. Cutting-edge facilities such as the Institute of Life Science, Centre for NanoHealth, Centres for Sustainable Aquaculture Research and a suite of supercomputers make Swansea one of the UK's premier research-intensive universities. Situated in stunning parkland overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower peninsula. Gower was the UK's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, comprising 21 beaches for sport, leisure and natural research. Good road and rail links. Average entry requirement ABB–AAB or equivalent. Integrated foundation programmes in Sciences and Engineering have lower requiremets. Male 48%, female 52%. Home 85.2%, overseas: 14.8%. 88% of places go to applicants from state schools and colleges – significantly higher than UK average. Applications to places ratio 5:1. The University offers a wide range of joint honours schemes which are delivered via a modular curriculum. Applications welcomed from potential part-time students and the University encourages a flexible approach to study. The Department of Continuing Adult Education offers a specific part-time degree scheme, with the opportunity to study modules online. 84% of Swansea’s students are satisfied with their student experience (National Student Survey 2010). The University encourages all students to take advantage of opportunities to study and work abroad as part of their degree schemes and supports programmes in China, India, the USA and Europe.
The University’s College of Engineering has continued to demonstrate that it is one of the UK’s leading colleges with the announcement of more than £50 million in research and training funding from Rolls-Royce and the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) at a national level, with Swansea part of a three-way collaboration with Cambridge and Birmingham Universities.
The College has also secured £20-million funding for the Sustainable Product Engineering Centre for Innovative Functional Industrial Coatings (SPECIFIC), which aims to transform buildings into 'power stations' through the rapid commercialisation of functional coatings on steel and glass in the areas of energy capture, storage and release. SPECIFIC will generate a portfolio of products which, by 2020, will generate over one third of the UK's requirement for renewable energy. Other recent initiatives include the £21.6-million Centre for NanoHealth (CNH) which is located in the newly opened Phase II of the Institute of Life Science, and the opening of a £1.2-million state-of-the-art archive facility at Swansea University's library building to house the Richard Burton archives.