University of Central Lancashire: Rankings, Courses & Admissions

The University

The University of Central Lancashire has a lengthy and illustrious history that dates back to 1828 when it was established as the 'Institution for the Diffusion of Knowledge.'

Thereafter, following a significant donation from the Trustees of Edmund Robert Harris in 1982, the university was renamed 'Harris Institute' and once again to 'Harris College' in 1956, following a re-organisation of technical education by the government.

The Harris College was approved as a polytechnic by the central government in 1973 and was renamed 'Preston Polytechnic', which got rebranded to 'Lancashire Polytechnic' in 1984, and the 'University of Central Lancashire' in 1992. 

The university subsequently developed a new logo in 2007 to emphasize the initials 'UCLan’ and eventually, in September 2020, debuted its new brand that emphasized its position as a learning space where opportunity and excellence co-exist.

Location

The primary campus of the institution is located in the city of Preston in Lancashire, England. The official mailing address for the University of Central Lancashire is as follows:

Preston, Lancashire, UK, PR1 2HE.

The university also has three additional campuses in Burnley, Westlakes in West Cumbria, which is solely dedicated to nuclear and energy-related research. Lastly, it also has an overseas campus in Cyprus, which opened in October 2012.

Ranking 

The University of Central Lancashire’s acceptance rate is a whopping 22.42% which is much higher than most universities in the UK.

Additionally, according to the CWUR or the Centre for World University Rankings 2021-22, the University of Central Lancashire is in the top 7% of universities worldwide (CWUR). The university has also been granted Silver in the 2017 Teaching Excellence Framework by the UK Government (TEF). 

The University of Central Lancashire ranking has been prominent when it comes to the global rankings of the universities. It has consistently ranked in the range of 801-1000th on the World University Rankings by Times Higher Education and gets placed between 251-300th on the Young University Rankings 2022.

Infrastructure

The University of Central Lancashire provides exceptional student support services, including professional advice and assistance with financial difficulties, health and wellness, visas and more.

Additionally, the university offers the following infrastructural facilities:

1. It provides a variety of housing alternatives in a secure, dynamic, and inclusive community. These on-campus options are available at the Preston, Burnley, and Westlakes campuses. 

2. The central campus is home to a £35 million Engineering Innovation Centre (EIC), established in 2019. It is a cutting-edge teaching and research center that provides real-world experience to students working on actual projects with industry professionals.

3. The university is also home to Oasis Faith and Spirituality Centre, a space that welcomes people across all faiths and otherwise.

4. The Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre features a large sports hall, a squash court, and two fitness studios and also houses the CardioZone, a fully equipped workout suite.

5. The institution operates a nightly bus service for students working late nights at the campus's fully-equipped library.

Academics

The University of Central Lancashire has over 550 undergraduate and postgraduate courses and several Continued Education Certifications and has fifteen academic institutions and six academic faculties.

Additionally, it provides a range of research opportunities. It has fifteen different research institutes, namely:

1. Applied Sport, Physical Activity, and Performance

2. Archaeology and Forensic Taphonomy

3. Business Management and Enterprise

4. Criminal Justice Research and Partnerships

5. Cultural Preservation Through Creative Practice

6. Digital Life

7. Engineering

8. Fire and Hazard Sciences

9. Global Development

10. Global Race Center for Equality (GRACE)

11. Migration, Diaspora and Exile (MIDEX)

12. Smart Materials

13. Sustainable Transitions

14. THRIVE Research Center

15. Translation Biosciences and Behaviour

Courses

The following are the areas in which the University of Central Lancashire offers courses:

1. Art, Design, and Fashion

2. Business

3. Community Health 

4. Midwifery

5. Dentistry

6. Construction and Surveying

7. Arts and Media

8. Forensic and Health Sciences

9. Humanities and Social Sciences

10. Management

11. Language and Global Studies

12. Medicine

13. Nursing

14. Pharmacy and Pharmacology

15. Physical Sciences and Computing

16. Psychology

17. Social Science

18. Sport and Wellbeing

19. Lancashire Law School

20. Veterinary Medicine

21. Policing

22. Social Work

Admission procedures

The admission procedure is generally the same across most public universities. Nevertheless, the University of Central Lancashire’s admission process has been detailed below.

1. Students can apply through UCAS or apply directly through the university portal.

2. One must complete the online application form, submit the application fee, and then provide all of the required documents, including those indicating English proficiency and academic transcripts.

3. After one has applied, one may start looking for housing and applying for scholarships and funding.

4. Acceptance letters may take four to six weeks to arrive. After accepting the offer and submitting the semester fees, one can apply for their visa.

However, the admission process for MBBS is slightly different as the applicant goes through four rounds of thorough screening before being accepted by the university. These include an initial application screening, a panel review, multiple rounds of mini-interviews, and the final occupational health screening on offer.

Lastly, the university’s application deadline for September 2022 intake for both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees closed on the 30th of June 2022.

Admission requirements

The University of Central Lancashire admission requirements differ between regular courses and the MBBS degree. Given below are its requirements for all full-length programs.

1. An undergraduate applicant needs to provide the following academic scores to qualify for admission at the University of Central Lancashire:

a) Must clear 10th standard with a 65% average score.

b) Must clear 11th standard with a 50% average score.

c) Must clear 12th standard with an average score of 40%.

2. For a three-term extended program, applicants must have at least a 4.5 IELTS score or equivalent, with no one element being less than 4.0.  

3. If an applicant does not yet have the requisite English language skills, they can opt for a university-provided course. The curriculum lasts four terms and comprises an English language module (ELM) and three terms of foundation necessary to apply for admission to the first year of undergraduate study.

4. A candidate must hold a bachelor's or an equivalent degree from a recognized institution to undertake a postgraduate program.

On arrival, a student needs to complete a 14-day mandatory quarantine followed by the submission of the following documents:

1. ATAS Certificate (if applicable)

2. Biometric Residence Permit (if applicable)

3. Confirmation of acceptance 

4. Original academic qualification certificates

5. Passport, birth certificate, or driving license

6. Visa letter from the UK Home Office

Extracurricular and diversity

The University of Central Lancashire provides a culturally diverse environment for students to grow in. It offers a wide range of amenities to its students and employees that make up the UCLan community.

Every student has access to experienced therapists, wellness advisers, and mental health advisors. A separate team provides inclusion guidance and assists students with disabilities or learning difficulties.

UCLan's Financial Support Team also provides over £1 million in loans to students who require additional financial assistance and oversees several bursaries available to students, particularly student caretakers and estranged students.

Additionally, the University invests in a dedicated ‘Welcome Team’ twice a year to ensure new students have all the necessary assistance and information. These include students leaving the family for the first time or older students returning to college.

Lastly, the pre-school center allows students with children to attend academic sessions. The university also provides free late-night transport to all students who live near the Preston Campus and ensure that the ‘Safety and Security Team’ is accessible 24/7/365.

Career and professional opportunities

The UCLan Careers Team provides lifetime support to assist students in advancing in their desired career field. Additionally, the ‘Careers Graduate Support’ consists of many facilities, including access to the alumni community, trained professionals, and several career-building technological tools such as CV builder, CV360 online tools, and Interview360, to name a few. 

It also conducts career seminars, mock interviews, and industry updates on major graduate recruitment topics and offers CV, cover letter, and personal statement assistance.  

Lastly, the Propeller Student Enterprise aids students, staff, and graduates by offering them business advice. This service provides skill workshops, online resources, one-on-one help from business mentors, and engagement with a network of local businesses based at the Propeller Hub.

Alumni

The University of Central Lancashire alumni includes many well-known and established names. Some of them are

1. Bryan Talbot, renowned comic book artist, and writer

2. Estelle Asmodelle, Australian model and campaigner

3. Kerry Wilkinson, bestselling author of the Jessica Daniel series in the United Kingdom

4. Mary Fitzpatrick, a photographer and visual artist who won the Liverpool Art Prize

5. Nina Hossain, ITV News presenter

6. Reni Eddo-Lodge, journalist and author of ‘Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race’

7. Waqar Azmi, EU ambassador and former Chief Diversity Adviser to the Prime Minister, Cabinet Office

Financials

The University of Central Lancashire Fees are standard across all subjects, except for MBBS. The table below provides a comprehensive insight into the fee structure.

Standard Fees	Fees in GBP & INR
Foundation Course	GBP 10,000 (INR 9,97,900)
Undergraduate	GBP 14,250 (INR 13,97,100)
Postgraduate taught	GBP 14,500 (INR 14,46,900)
Postgraduate research	GBP 14,500 (INR 14,46,900)
Sandwich year	GBP 2,000 (INR 1,99,600)
Non-standard fees (Only MBBS)	GBP 46,000 (INR 45,90,900)

 

The university awards a degree based on a 20-credit module system where one module equals 20 credits. 

Given below is the breakdown of the number of credits that make up one module in each degree.

Name of Degree	No of modules	No of Credits
Certificate	1	20
Certificate Of Higher Education	6	120
Diploma Of Higher Education	12	240
Foundation Degree	12	240
Degree	16	320
Honours Degree	18	360
Top-Up Degree	6	120
Integrated Masters	24	480
Postgraduate Certificate	3	60
Postgraduate Diploma	6	120
(Taught) Master’s Degree	9	180

Top UK Universities

University Name	Acceptance Rate	Ranking	University Type
University of South Wales	95.00%	1001–1200	Public
Kingston University London	20%-30%	650	Public
Glasgow Caledonian University	23.00%	1001-1200	Public
Bangor University	41%	481	Public
Edinburgh Napier University	56%	1000	Public
University of Huddersfield	77%	700	Public
University of Plymouth	85.00%	650	Public
University of Lincoln	90.00%	1000	Public
University of East Anglia	81.00%	342	Private
University of Central Lancashire	22.00%	1000	Public
University of Brighton	15.00%	801	Public
London South Bank University	17.00%	1000	Public
Liverpool John Moores University	23.00%	801-1000	Public
City University of London	11%	330	Public
Kingston University London	20%-30%	101	Public
Staffordshire University	57%	1201	Public
University of Northampton	20%	1200	Public
University of the West of Scotland	27.33%	601-800	Public
University of Reading	58.00%	229	Private
University of Derby	80.00%	1200	Public
University for the Creative Arts	77.00%	151-200	Public
Keele University	82.00%	800	Public
York St John University	75.00%	120	Public
University of Worcester	81.00%	101-200	Public
University of Hull	80.00%	700	Public
University of Gloucestershire	27.00%	201	Public
Regents University London	86.00%	299	Public
Wrexham Glyndwr University	47%	110	Public
Robert Gordon University	22.00%	801-1000	Public
Goldsmiths University of London	67.00%	511-520	Public