This post comes from our Associate Director Kelly Holland who recently visited our partner schools in England and Scotland. Be sure to scroll down and check our her beautiful pictures at the end of the post!
This past July I was fortunate to visit ten of our partner schools in the United Kingdom. From central London to northeastern Newcastle to coastal Dundee, I got a firsthand look at the universities where our students study and the cities they call their home away from home. Below you’ll find just a few details about the schools I visited, and some photos .. of course.
LEEDS, ENGLAND
In the city of Leeds, 2.5 hours north of London, I visited two of our most popular schools: Leeds University and Leeds Metropolitan University. Leeds is delightful city – walkable and winding through both campuses and home to the Grand Depart of the Tour de France this summer! Both schools have a wide variety of coursework available and modern, exciting facilities. Leeds Uni would be best suited to a student looking for a campus feel in a city location and Leeds Met is a great exchange option for our in-state students.
LONDON, ENGLAND
In London there are many schools that we work with, but two I visited in particular. One being Middlesex University where TU students can study for a full academic year on exchange, and the second being the AIFS campus of Richmond, the American International University in London. Both are small, compact campuses, Middlesex north of the city and full of international students and Richmond tucked into one of my favorite neighborhoods: Kensington Gardens, smack in the middle of London. AIFS Richmond is a great fit for students looking for electives in short or long term programs and Middlesex is an inexpensive option for the long haul.
NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND
Traveling to Northeastern England by train was beautiful, and the cities of Newcastle and Sunderland are well connected by train and metro. Newcastle University has an urban feel and is tucked into the city with a population of 21,000 students. Newcastle is highly ranked in the UK and has a variety of coursework available to TU students.
SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND
A short metro ride from bustling Newcastle is University of Sunderland, a truly creative space. Home to one of the only on-campus radio stations in the UK (so they say) SPARK Sunderland is home to radio, television and journalism students. With two campuses (City Campus and St. Peter’s Campus) within walking distance of each other, students can appreciate the city and the university. I was most impressed by the Sports Science facilities including a large technical space for biometrics testing, as well as the National Glass Centre which is open for students and the public alike. Fantastic option for exchange!
EXETER, ENGLAND
One of my new favorite cities in the UK, Exeter sits in the southwest of England, a 2.5 hour train ride from London. The campus is up on a hill overlooking this classic English town and Exeter University is ranked among the Top 10 in the UK. With a mix of old and new buildings across campus I really enjoyed the student union (Forum). Full of resources, activities, food and student support it is a bright, open space where students can learn, relax and meet up. This is a great choice for exchange!
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
While the city was preparing for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, I snuck in to visit Strathclyde University. Towson also partners with nearby Glasgow University, just outside the city center. Strathclyde is an urban campus, with buildings in and around a bustling city center. Strathclyde’s Business School is triple accredited, including accreditation by the AACSB (just like Towson) – which is a great match for our students. The science facilities are tremendous with plenty of research spaces and labs for both science and computing. A good find for a Business student or a STEM student.
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
With Edinburgh castle looming at the top of the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Napier University is home to three campuses: Sighthill (Health, Life and Social Sciences), Craiglockart (Business School) and Merchiston (Engineering, Computing & Creative Industries). Students can take courses across the campuses and most recently we had a TU student studying in Business and Communications in this historical gem of a city. Another solid choice in Scotland.
DUNDEE, SCOTLAND
Hanging onto the Northeastern coast of Scotland is the city of Dundee and Dundee University. This is a small university with 18,000 students and a curriculum well known for medicine and sciences. I would not consider this an urban campus as the area is very quiet and the campus is contained in one area. This campus is good for a student looking for a more community feel.
