University of Essex

All Writtle College degree programmes are validated by the University of Essex, which was established in 1965, and is now one of the UK's leading academic institutions, rated tenth nationally for research. In the last academic assessment of research, all University departments received a 3, 4, 5 or 5* and two of these 5* departments, Government and Sociology, have since been upgraded to the new 6* rating. This outstanding grade is only given to UK departments, from across all disciplines, who have consistently been awarded 5*.

The University's Colchester Campus is set in over 200 acres of beautiful parkland, situated on the edge of the town. All facilities can be found on site, including teaching buildings, the University library, computing laboratories, student accommodation, shops, banks, cafes and bars, an art gallery and a theatre. There is also a well-equipped gym and around 40 acres of the parkland are used for sports activities. Colchester, which is Britain's oldest town, has a good range of shops, restaurants, cafes and bars, as well as theatres, art galleries and further leisure facilities. London is just 45 minutes away by train, while Stansted airport can be reached in under an hour by a bus that passes through the campus and Harwich ferry port is 30 minutes away.

The University has a second campus in Southend-on-Sea. This provides a base for students within the School of Entrepreneurship and Business, and some of East 15 Acting School's students. This brand new, state-of-the-art building opened in January 2007 and is located in the heart of Southend, only seconds away from the High Street and its extensive facilities. The Southend Campus includes teaching and administration space, a Business Hub offering a wide range of support facilities for new and growing businesses in south Essex, a trainee dentistry in association with Queen Mary University and a GP surgery. It sits adjacent to South East Essex College and the town's train station, with journey times to London of just 50 minutes.

Students on acting programmes study within East 15 Acting School, which is based in Loughton which is on the east end of the Central Underground line. East 15 is one of the UK's most innovative acting schools with entry though audition. It has been training students to follow roles in TV, film, radio and theatre for over 40 years and became part of the University of Essex in 2000.

The University of Essex is organised into 18 academic departments that cover humanities and comparative studies, the social sciences, science and engineering, and law subjects. Postgraduates account for over a quarter of all students and Essex is one of the UK's most international universities, with students from over 135 different countries represented.

The University of Essex offers:

• A friendly environment
• A flexible degree structure
• Good provision of student accommodation
• A lively international community
• A welcome for mature students
• Excellent facilities for sport
• A full programme of arts events
• An active Students' Union
• Established welfare and careers services
• Good research study opportunities

For more information, contact the University of Essex directly:

University of Essex,
Wivenhoe Park,
Colchester,
Essex,
CO4 3SQ

Tel: 01206 873666
Fax: 01206 873423
Email: admit@essex.ac.uk
Website: http://www.essex.ac.uk