Kingston University

Kingston University is a public research university based in Kingston upon Thames as well as in Roehampton. It can trace its roots back to the Kingston Technical Institute, founded in 1899, which later merged with the Kingston School of Art in 1970 to become a polytechnic. It received full university status in 1992. It is a member of the Million+ and University Alliance groups.

The university attracts students from around the world and there are plenty of help and advice on hand to make the transition easier for them. This begins with welcome and orientation events at the beginning of studies and includes events designed to help students come to terms with their new home as well as organising matters such as a bank account, access to health care and even immigration and visas matters. There is an airport pick up service available and the Yellow Team are ambassadors on hand to offer help and advice. There is also language courses for those to whom English isn’t a native language. Kingston University Students’ Union is at the heart of activities outside the classroom as well as providing representation and support for its members. Their main building is on Penrhyn Road beside the bar and shop it operates. There are some 30 sports clubs and another 70 societies on offer while the volunteering department is the largest supplier of volunteers in the borough. It also runs another two bars and a shop on the other campuses. The clubs and societies offer something for all tastes including those around the arts such as drama, fashion and even anime and science fiction groups. There are cultural groups such as the Arab Society and the Hellenic Association as well as religious ones. Then there are academic groups such as the economics club or the engineering society. Finally, sports run from traditional team sports such as cricket and football through to activities such as cheerleading and martial arts as well as interests such as mountaineering and go karting.

The main campus area of the university is near the centre of Kingston on Penrhyn Road. There are a wide range of courses here as well as the Learning Resource Centre. There is a student union building with the bar operated by the union next door as well as a fitness centre and the Reg Bailey Theatre. Close by is Cooper House, home of the student information and advice centre as well as various administration services. Kingston Hill is also in the city and houses nursing, law, business and music courses with a free bus service operating between the two. The music department is in Coombehurst House, once owned by the aunt and uncle of Florence Nightingale. The Art, Design and Architecture department is nearby on Grange Road while the Roehampton campus is on the outskirts of the town and is home to the engineering courses. The university has a total of six halls of residence. Chancellors and Walkden are on the Kingston Hill Campus while Middle Mill is neighbouring the Knights Park area. Clayhill and Seething Wells are in the Surbiton area while Kingston Bridge House is near Bushy Park. There are also options for approved third party accommodation around the town.

There are courses available from this university with the following field of studies:
• - Accounting and finance
• - Banking and finance
• - Finance
• - Finance and economics
• Architecture
• - Urban planning
• Art and design
• - Animation
• - Art management
• - Fashion design
• - Fine art
• - Museum studies
• - Photography
• - Biomedical engineering
• Business and management studies
• - Business and human resource management
• - Entrepeneurship and management
• - International and cross cultural management
• - Logistics and supply chain management
• Chemistry
• Civil engineering and construction
• - Construction and the built environment
• Computer sciences and IT
• - Computer forensics and cyber security
• - Computer science
• - Data telecommunications and computer networks
• - Software engineering
• Economics
• - Economics and Econometrics
• - Economics and finance
• - Aerospace engineering
• Engineering
• - Mechanical engineering
• - Engineering management
• - Energy and environmental management
• Health sciences
• History
• Law and legal studies
• - Commercial and Corporate law
• - Criminal law
• Literature and creative writing
• - Advertising
• - Marketing
• - Marketing management
• Media studies and publishing
• - Film and TV studies
• - Journalism
• Medicine and surgery
• Music and performing arts
• - Music and composing
• Nursing and midwifery
• Pharmacy and pharmacology
• Philosophy
• Planning and surveying
• Politics
• - Politics and International Relations
• Psychology
• - Forensic Psychology
• - Organisational psychology
• Social sciences
• - Sociology
• Sports science
• Teacher training and education