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Is Buckingham university considered 'prestigious'?

Dr Dr

1

Also, is at a good uni to study Law at?

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Reply 1

cambio wechsel

20

No, and I don't know.

They do a full calendar year, though, I think. i.e. you're at university and in classes for 42 weeks of the year, which means that you can complete a BA in 2 years. That's perhaps the best it has to commend it, if this is a concern.

Reply 2

Historicity

20

It's not particularly prestigious, no.

Reply 3

The University of Buckingham

7

Hi, I'm Heather, I work in Central Marketing at Buckingham.

In terms of league table position Buckingham has ranked 16th out of 120 institutions in the Guardian this year (2012) and the Law Department came 30th out of 97.

The University is run in the traditional Oxbridge style of teaching so every two hour lecture is followed up with a one hour tutorial. We also maintain a student: staff ratio of 10.5:1 (average for the UK being 18.1:1) which translates in to tutor groups of 6-8 students so access to academics is really high. I know for a fact that our Dean of Law teaches some of the undergraduate modules and hosts tutorial groups in his office. We’re very much a teaching university as opposed to a research university so our students get the best of our academics time. Add to that our 'open door policy' for academics and you've got the foundations for a prestigious university - not forgetting that we are only 37 years old.

I can also tell you that five of our law graduates have gone on to become QCs in London.

You'd be very welcome to come and visit the University, meet some staff and get a tour. Let me know if you want me to arrange anything.

Hope that helps.

Heather.

Reply 4

River85

17

Original post by The University of Buckingham

In terms of league table position Buckingham has ranked 16th out of 120 institutions in the Guardian this year (2012) and the Law Department came 30th out of 97.

Be selective in your choice of league table!

The University is run in the traditional Oxbridge style of teaching so every two hour lecture is followed up with a one hour tutorial. We also maintain a student: staff ratio of 10.5:1 (average for the UK being 18.1:1) which translates in to tutor groups of 6-8 students so access to academics is really high. I know for a fact that our Dean of Law teaches some of the undergraduate modules and hosts tutorial groups in his office.

How is your style of teaching a "traditional Oxbridge style of teaching"? It is quite normal for universities to offer one hour tutorials after a lecture which has provided an outline of the topic. You even admit yourself that tutor groups tend to be 6 - 8 students. This certainly isn't small. It's quite average, in my experience. By contrast a supervision at Cambridge will usually be just one or two students, and students will need to do weekly supervision essays.

So are your groups as small as one or two students? Do your students do weekly essays? If not, how is it comparable to the style at Oxford or Cambridge?

Reply 5

Rascacielos

19

Original post by River85

Be selective in your choice of league table!

How is your style of teaching a "traditional Oxbridge style of teaching"? It is quite normal for universities to offer one hour tutorials after a lecture which has provided an outline of the topic. You even admit yourself that tutor groups tend to be 6 - 8 students. This certainly isn't small. It's quite average, in my experience. By contrast a supervision at Cambridge will usually be just one or two students, and students will need to do weekly supervision essays.

So are your groups as small as one or two students? Do your students do weekly essays? If not, how is it comparable to the style at Oxford or Cambridge?

I don't know much about Buckingham University, but if that information is true about the student:staff ratio and the structure of supervisions and lectures, then it is certainly a lot more like the traditional Oxbridge style of teaching than other universities. I'm at Southampton, which is meant to be one of the top universities for Law, and tutorials usually have at least 10 students in them (sometimes more) and there's only one tutorial per module per fortnight, and not one after every lecture.

I'm sure no one is trying to say that Buckingham University is the same as Oxbridge in terms of teaching style, but I think it's more comparable than other institutions.

Reply 6

The University of Buckingham

7

Original post by River85

Be selective in your choice of league table!

How is your style of teaching a "traditional Oxbridge style of teaching"? It is quite normal for universities to offer one hour tutorials after a lecture which has provided an outline of the topic. You even admit yourself that tutor groups tend to be 6 - 8 students. This certainly isn't small. It's quite average, in my experience. By contrast a supervision at Cambridge will usually be just one or two students, and students will need to do weekly supervision essays.

So are your groups as small as one or two students? Do your students do weekly essays? If not, how is it comparable to the style at Oxford or Cambridge?

Hi there,

I appreciate that many people are sceptical about league tables but many people also find them useful and it's one of the few indicators available to compare institutions.

I don't think it is as normal as it used to be to follow up every two hour lecture with a one hour tutorial, as universities have increased in size they've reduced the number of tutorials they offer, that was certainly my experience of university. By third year I found that I only received one hour long tutorial for every four hours worth of lectures, and my tutorial groups were often 15+ people. Seeing as the average staff: student ratio in UK institutions is currently 1: 18.1 I expect most students experience larger tutor groups.

As for the weekly essays I’m not aware that our students are required to submit these. When I say that we offer ‘traditional Oxbridge style teaching’ I’m referring specifically to the fact that we believe in small group teaching, and relative to most UK institutions I believe 6-8 students is small group teaching. I also know from my own experience that not all institutions require their academics to operate an open-door policy, which is the case at Buckingham :smile:

Heather.

Reply 7

River85

17

My reply to the OP is in bold.

Original post by The University of Buckingham

Hi there,

I appreciate that many people are sceptical about league tables but many people also find them useful and it's one of the few indicators available to compare institutions.

It's not so much using league tables (and there are a number of other ways to compare universities). It was more a selective use of league tables. For example, in the Complete University Guide Buckingham is in the mid 50s in both the general table and the table for law. This is forty places lower than in the Guardian's. Whether this forty places is significant or not is debatable, of course.

But don't worry, I know all marketing departments do this. My own alma mater is terrible. They still had outdated news stories of being named "best student city" in some obscure survey plastered all over the website for two years.

Reply 8

The University of Buckingham

7

Well we're not out to mislead anyone and we always clarify this statement with an explanation so there shouldn't be any confusion, though I take your point on board and thank you for your input.

Dr Dr, if you'd like to come and visit us and meet an academic and get a tour of campus you are more than welcome, just let me know and I'll make the arrangements for you.

Thanks,

Heather.

Reply 9

anony.mouse

15

I didn't know it had a uni until now . . .

Does that answer your question?

Although it doesn't mean that it hasn't got one particular school/department that's particularly good in it's field. IMO it's better to go to an average uni, but to their one department thats in the top 10 out of the country especially if the course is acredited, than to a russel group uni to do a bit of a mickey-mouse degree (although there wont be many at RG unis) in a department that's rated lowly where the courses aren't acredited by any proffessional institute/organisation.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 10

ChinweRita

3

Original post by Rascacielos

I don't know much about Buckingham University, but if that information is true about the student:staff ratio and the structure of supervisions and lectures, then it is certainly a lot more like the traditional Oxbridge style of teaching than other universities. I'm at Southampton, which is meant to be one of the top universities for Law, and tutorials usually have at least 10 students in them (sometimes more) and there's only one tutorial per module per fortnight, and not one after every lecture.

I'm sure no one is trying to say that Buckingham University is the same as Oxbridge in terms of teaching style, but I think it's more comparable than other institutions.

Hi there
I am Chichi and I just got accepted into the University of Southampton for the 2023/2024 entry year.
My issue now is that I cannot pay for my tuition. I moved to the UK in October, 2020 so I apparently cannot qualify for the Student Finance for my year in the September entry.
I applied to deferred entry for London Metropolitan University and University of Law for January 2024 and got in and I also got in for the September entry to East Anglia.
My question is do you think it is worth deferring my entry for a year as I am now 19 and will be turning 21 by the time I am in my first year of Southampton.
I really do not want to take a gap year also.
Please reply ASAP. Thank you

Reply 11

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by ChinweRita

Hi there
I am Chichi and I just got accepted into the University of Southampton for the 2023/2024 entry year.
My issue now is that I cannot pay for my tuition. I moved to the UK in October, 2020 so I apparently cannot qualify for the Student Finance for my year in the September entry.
I applied to deferred entry for London Metropolitan University and University of Law for January 2024 and got in and I also got in for the September entry to East Anglia.
My question is do you think it is worth deferring my entry for a year as I am now 19 and will be turning 21 by the time I am in my first year of Southampton.
I really do not want to take a gap year also.
Please reply ASAP. Thank you

Hi Chichi, this thread is 9 years old and doesn’t seem to have anything to do with your question. I’d recommend starting a new thread, but it seems to me you don’t have much choice if you can’t avoid to fund without taking a gap and being eligible for finance.

Is Buckingham university considered 'prestigious'?

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