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TSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > Teesside University

Teesside University is a modern university dedicated to stimulating your mind, improving your career prospects and providing you with every opportunity to develop as an individual. One of the top modern universities in the UK, it is located just to the south of the centre of Middlesbrough on a compact city campus.

Facilities

The campus is a real people place and you can't beat seeing it for yourself. Over £100m has been invested in recent years. The £12m Phoenix Building and £10m Athena Building opened in 2007, enhancing Teesside's reputation as a leading university for digital innovation.

Library and Information Services

The Library (formerly known as the Learning Resource Centre), first opened in 1997 by then Redcar MP Mo Mowlam, is an impressive and hi-tech facility, combining library services with IT and multimedia. Staff at information points on each floor will help you find everything you need.

Alongside almost a third of a million volumes of printed material, there are over 1,300 study places - more than 400 equipped with networked workstations linked to the University’s campus network and the internet. Some have multimedia capability and DVD players. Scanners and printers are available. There is equipment and software for students with disabilities or learning difficulties. Many services are available off-campus.

Sports

Teesside has top-quality facilities and professional advice for beginners and experienced competitors. The £6.5m Olympia Building, opened by then Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2004, includes a large sports hall for major tournaments - 500 spectator capacity. There are also top-of-the-range sport and exercise labs for biomechanics and physiology, a high-tech environment chamber, squash courts and a floodlit, artificial turf pitch. There's also a sauna suite and fitness studio with an excellent range of cardiovascular and resistance machines. Take advantage of all the sports facilities and discounted rates at a number of local sports venues for a current annual fee of just £60.

Three miles from campus, Saltersgill Sports Ground offers 60 acres of grass pitches for soccer, rugby union and league, and American and Gaelic football. The clubhouse is great for after-match socialising. The Tees Barrage provides a world-class white-water rafting facility. There is also an Elite Athlete Bursary Scheme which includes up to £2,000 financial support. The University supports the nationally-recognised Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme as well as organising coaching courses and volunteering opportunities in community sports clubs.

Welfare

The Student Centre provides a range of support services for anyone who needs advice or guidance on a range of issues from applications, admissions and finance to careers and counselling.

Healthcare

Student Health Services can provide you with support and advice on all health issues plus services to improve your well-being. Services include: Advice on health problems and treatment of minor illnesses and injuries Home visits if you're living on campus Daily weekday drop-in sessions Help to access community-based support

Shops

Middlesbrough has a busy town centre with numerous shopping centres, including The Mall and Hill Street Centre. These are both within easy walking distance of the university, and contain the normal high street shops such as Topshop, H and M and Lush and the other usuals. Linthorpe Road, which passes the university campus, is a more expensive shopping area -- the most notable shop being Psyche, which has won many awards.

Restaurants

One of the most popular restaraunts in Middlesbrough is Central Park on Linthorpe Road, which does a range of dishes including Parmo - a Teesside favourite involving chicken, breadcrumbs and a tonne of cheese - not something usually eaten when sober.

Another good local resteraunt is Joe Rigatoni's. There are five of these in the area, including one in Middlesbrough -- just a stone's throw away from the university. It is a very reasonably priced Italian, which serves really nice olives. Chinese restaurants are also common, namely the Banana Leaf.

Banks

Middlesbrough has branches of most major banks. This includes: Abbey, Barcleys, Natwest, HSBC, Alliance and Lester, Halifax, Yorkshire Bank, Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB.

Transport

Middlesbrough is served by a range of bus companies, mainly Stagecoach and Arriva. Both companies offer services around Middlesbrough and to nearby Stockton. Stagecoach offer services such as the 36 which operate around Teesside, joining Middlesbrough with Billingham and Hartlepool. Arriva offer services to Durham and Sedgefield. Buses to Newcastle, Whitby and Scarborough are also available. If you use only Stagecoach, money can be saved by buying a weekly ticket for £9.50 or £12. Buses operate from the large bus station which is the centre of town.

The main train service in Middlesbrough is the one from Middlesbrough to Manchester Airport (or Liverpool Limestreet) on Transpennine Express. It takes about 2 and a quarter hours for the journey. It calls at stations such as York, Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester Picadilly, where connections to other areas are available. There is also an Arriva train linking Middlesbrough with Darlington, from where high-speed services to London are available. These Northern Rail services also go to Whitby, Saltburn, Hartlepool and Bishop Auckland. Newcastle, Sunderland and Hartlepool can all be reached directly too, with Newcastle taking usually just over an hour. Connections here are available to Scotland and Cumbria.

Careers service

The Careers Service can help you choose your future career, search for a job, give you advice on your applications and tackling interviews. It offers impartial information and advice on what you need to know when choosing a career and searching for a job from occupations, employers, CVs, further study to practice sitting psychometric tests.

The careers library has a whole host of resources and provides advice by email and drop-in sessions as well as confidential guidance interviews.

Part-time jobs

The Student Job Centre is run by Teesside University's Students' Union. They act as a link between employers looking for staff and students at Teesside University who are looking for work.

Religious facilities

The Little House is a small welcoming house near Parkside Halls. It is used by the Chaplaincy and other associated groups for a variety of activities. There is space in the house for worship or quiet meditation and prayer. There is also a lounge area and kitchen.

Morning and evening prayers are said in the quiet prayer room of the Little House at 8.30am and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.

A weekly service of Holy Communion is held in the Little House each Wednesday afternoon at 12.15pm.

There is a dedicated Islamic Prayer Room on the University campus.

Teesside Discussions

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Social

Bars, Pubs and clubs

The hub of student night life is Teesside's award-winning Students’ Union. Rock nights, cheesy pop, 60s, 70s and 80s nights, R&B and karaoke.

Some of the best clubs in Middlesbrough are The Empire, Cornerhouse, and Onyx Rooms. The Empire was for many years the best, but since the opening of Onyx it has not been as popular. The Crown and Walkabout are also very popular.

Popular club nights include Sumo, at the Cornerhouse on Fridays and Play, now at Onyx on Saturdays. Onyx also runs a student night on a Wednesday.

On Thursday nights (student night), Absolute Bar is also a good shout. Its at the same place as Onyx Rooms (which runs on the Friday), and Absolute has some very decent drinks prices on student night especially on Spirits and Mixers.

Popular pubs close to the uni include The Dickens Inn and The Star. These, especially The Star, have a larger portion of students. In Off The Park, down Linthorpe Road, is also not a bad shout for something similar.

Spensley's on Albert Road opposite Cornerhouse is also a good shout for a pub/bar venue throughout the week. It also regularly hosts DJ nights/parties/club nights and has a good atmosphere.

Warehouse just along the street also is renowned for excellent club nights, playing all kinds such as tech/house/electro/DnB and always gives you a sweaty, filthy, hard night of clubbing. Its also very cheap too but quite rough at times so be careful, a few people I know have ended up in scraps there.

Events

There is a full list of events at www.tees.ac.uk and www.utsu.org.uk.

Clubs and societies

The Students’ Union supports over 20 societies; with the Activities and Skills Centre enabling students to set up new societies. Membership usually costs just a few pound per year, and can be obtained from the reception on the Union's first floor. Current societies include:

There are also over 40 sports clubs. All abilities are welcome, with teams competing at local, regional and national levels. Current clubs include:

Sport

Middlesbrough is a football town, and English Football League Championship side Middlesbrough F.C. is the team which 95% of people in the area follow. The Riverside Stadium (a 15 minute walk from the town centre) at Middlehaven Docks is their home and tickets are almost always available up to kick off for home matches. You can snap one up for about £24, but can get discounted tickets/season tickets in the North and South West Corners if you are a student. Away tickets are also available, but beware that some matches sell out very quickly.

Middlesbrough and Acklam rugby clubs play in the town, with Middlesbrough in Northern League One. They are not a huge club but do not do bad, and have decent facilities in case you want to watch/play. http://www.middlesbroughrufc.co.uk/first.html

There are also cricket clubs available for the summer.

Tennis World (in Marton suburb) is a good, large tennis centre, with 4 indoor carpet courts and 4 clay courts, 3 artificial grass and 3 hard outdoor courts. It hosts regular competition and has produced internationally ranked players. You can get membership or pay as you play. There is also a decent bar and reception/function area inside, as well as a club shop to get restrings etc. http://www.tennisworld.me.uk/

Accommodation

Teesside has some of the most affordable University-managed accommodation in the UK. (Survey by Accommodation for Students in 2007)

Facilities

You can choose University-managed halls, houses or flats (726 places) on campus or University-managed housing in the private sector - all within easy walking distance of University facilities.

Residences

Rents in University residences, with free internet, cost £44-£71 a week (2008-09). In University-managed houses in Middlesbrough, rent varies from £35-£41.

Undergraduate students who accept Teesside as their first (firm) choice are guaranteed a place in University accommodation on campus. International students starting a course in September, are guaranteed a place in University accommodation.

Student union

The Students’ Union is arguably one of the best in the country; having been named 'Students' Union of the Year' by both Club Mirror in 2002 and BEDA (Bar Entertainment and Dance Association) in 2004, and finishing runner-up in the latter in 2007. The Union also holds a 'Sport England VIP Recognition Award', while its bar, The Terrace Bar, was awarded 'Best Bar None' status in both 2006 and 2008.

Independent of the University, the union is run for students by nine elected executive officers, all of whom were Teesside students. As a student, you automatically become a member. All profits from commercial services are used directly for the provision of other services.

The main venue for the Union's biggest events, located on the second floor, is known as the Hub. This replaced the previous venue, Club One, in 2008, which in 2007 had notably hosted It's Not Funny; a live comedy performance featuring Bill Bailey, Marcus Brigstocke, Andrew Maxwell and then Never Mind the Buzzcocks host Simon Amstell.

Other useful facilities in the university include the Activities and Skills Centre, which helps to run both clubs/societies and personal improvement training courses throughout the year; and the Union Shop, selling food and course equipment at convenient prices. There is also a Job Centre, for those students interested in seeking work to help fund their studies.

The student newspaper is known as The Terrace Star, having changed its name from P.T.O. in 2008. Any interested students can get involved as writers, photographers, interviewers and designers. Alternatively, students can lend their time to the campus radio station, Click; which launched in early 2008, and changed its name from UTRN in 2009.

Local area

Teesside University is at the heart of Middlesbrough centre, a town leading the way in the Tees Valley. You’ll find investment, confidence, innovation and an unrivalled entrepreneurial spirit.

A multimillion-pound spend in town and on campus has created a lively, environment for learning and entertainment - a perfect combination for students.

The dockland waterfront, Middlehaven, is set for a £500m transformation which will see a further 250 acres devoted to both work and leisure.

Everything you want from a university town is on your doorstep - you'll walk it. You also get great value for money in one of the most affordable places to live in the UK with student discounts widely available.

Also nearby is the North Yorkshire coast, with the coastal towns of Whitby and Redcar close on the train. Saltburn pier (which won best nationally) is also something to do once. The Cleveland Hills are also there if you want to escape the town for a day or two, and the Cleveland Way can be walked as well as local landmarks such as Roseberry Topping near Great Ayton.

Those seeking the more cultural quarters of Teesside, meanwhile, should check out the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art -- opened in January 2007, and a short walk away from the university campus. Slightly further afield, Stockton's Arc is particularly noteworthy for its showcase of, besides others, stand-up comedy, theatre and arthouse cinema.

Teaching quality

Several of Teesside's departments have been rated 'excellent' by national higher education quality watchdogs HEFCE and QAA; these include Art & Design, computer science, history, social work, sport and exercise, electrical and electronic engineering, nursing, chemical technology (Foundation degree) and subjects allied to medicine. A 2004 institutional audit by the QAA also confirmed the high quality of the English, physical sciences, sociology and business (Masters) courses.

Students similarly rate the teaching quality highly – according to the 2008 National Student Survey, 82% say staff are enthusiastic and make the subject intellectually stimulating. And according to the 2009 National Student Survey, 100% of History students are satisfied -- ranking it joint first of all history departments nationally. Six other subjects -- nursing, law, design, social work, psychology and medical technology (radiography) -- are also ranked in the top ten nationally.

Teesside has also won eight National Teaching Fellowships for excellence in teaching.

In 2009, Teesside was named University of the Year by the Times Higher Education magazine; the first and so far only post-1992 university to be so.

Applying to Teesside

Applications to all first time full-time undergraduate courses must be made via the online UCAS service; see tees.ac.uk for more details. Applications to postgraduate courses, meanwhile, can be made either online or via a form; see tees.ac.uk for more details.

Thinking of applying to Teesside University? Why not read some Personal Statements which were used for applying here?

Other Teesside Articles

Why not read these other Teesside University Articles?

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