The Student Room Group

Bath Spa University - opinions?

Hello. Could you please tell me something about Bath Spa University? I don't know whether I should apply there or not (obviously for the next year) - is it any good? Has it got good opinions? Is it employable? Are the courses good, the standard of teaching, or is it rather more like LondonMet, a place that gets everyone to fill up their places and doesn't give good grounding in general...?

Thanks in advance for your help. :smile:

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Reply 1
I think its safe to say its not as good as the University of Bath. It is a new official university. I think it won university status in March 2005. But it does seem to be pretty good considering its only recently achieved that.
Reply 2
dakedake
I think its safe to say its not as good as the University of Bath. It is a new official university. I think it won university status in March 2005. But it does seem to be pretty good considering its only recently achieved that.

Thanks for the opinion :smile: Anyone else to share his or her view? :biggrin:
Reply 3
I'm there at the moment and it's pretty damn good, search for threads on Bath Spa there's a few knocking around with a lot of useful information.

Only thing I'd recommend is to visit the campus before you make a decision.

CameoCarl
Reply 4
CameoCarl
IOnly thing I'd recommend is to visit the campus before you make a decision.

I've already been there last year, my friend has started her studies there this week, and I am curious about that Uni - as her English is extremely poor (she's Polish) and she hardly managed to get past the minimum requirements (6.0 in IELTS), and so I am interested in how good this uni is :biggrin:

Maybe I'll apply there next year as well, if that uni is really this good, haha :biggrin:
Reply 5
Oh, and I'm quite confused about quality of the courses there... I mean, I'm not attending that uni, but heck - I would have never thought that a serious uni may offer courses like "FOOD STUDIES/Music" or "FOOD STUDIES/Media Communication" or "Dance/FOOD STUDIES" etc. :rolleyes:
Reply 6
So you're hung up because they offer food studies?

Er...

And you'd make your choice based on the fact that they offer that course?

:confused:
Reply 7
Wanderlust
So you're hung up because they offer food studies?

no, I'm hung up 'cause they offer Food Studies combined with Music which makes the most awkward combination of subjects that I've ever seen :rolleyes:
Reply 8
Well, you don't have to take it...

All it means is that they offer 'Food Studies' and 'Music' and the module scheme works in such a way that you could fit 3 modules of each on your timetable..
Reply 9
Wanderlust
All it means is that they offer 'Food Studies' and 'Music' and the module scheme works in such a way that you could fit 3 modules of each on your timetable..

Yeah, I'm diggin' it, but I still see absolutely no sense in making/taking such a combination, I mean, it's like two totally different courses and subjects and it won't probably give you a good background on either one of them, so... What's the point of taking that? :confused:
so you can sing and/or dance whilst making lovely food?
:P
i dont know much about bath spa, except it's obv not as good as bath uni! lol..
i worked w some ppl from there, who were lovely, it's done quite well considering it's so new, it has a good bus route to town and upto bath uni, and dunno anything else about it!
Reply 11
I've heard that its quite out of town-something like 6 miles.Don't quote me on this,i've never been there.

I've heard its really good for creative writing.

What do you want to study?
Reply 12
Elondra
What do you want to study?

Seriously considering Journalism and stuff.
Reply 13
Elondra
I've heard that its quite out of town-something like 6 miles.Don't quote me on this,i've never been there.

I've heard its really good for creative writing.

What do you want to study?


It's the best in the country for creative writing- my best friend went there and she got 4 A's at a-level, so I think bath spa gets a lot of stick for no good reason really. I also know someone doing the MA in creative writing at spa and again she adores it!

Have a look at the times good university guide for your subject, or the guardian league tables to see where it is rated. As, a university isn't necessarily bad or good as a whole, it moreso depends on whether it is good or bad for your subject.
Reply 14
I applied to Bath Spa this time last year. After looking around the campus twice and having two friends there I know quite a bit about it.

Yes, it is true that it is not as well regarded as Bath uni, but it does offer a broad range of subjects. It is quite a way away from the city centre, but there are Bright Orage Buses, or BOBs as theyre called that run direct from campus to the city. They even run up until 3 in the morning I believe.

From what I have heard, the night life isn't all that great, but the SU bar does offer cheap drinks. Obviously some of the courses are better regarded than others. It is particularly good for English and Education, and History also from what I heard. I'm not too sure about any of the others subjects.

However, it is quite low down in the league tables, but league tables are what you make of them, and so this is only as big an issue as you make of it. I also remember reading last year, I think it was in the Times good university guide, that Bath Spa graduates have some of the lowest starting salaries out of all of the universities, but this again could be due to the choice of subjects it offers.

Hope some of this helps
Reply 15
Dont know much about the uni but as a city to live in Bath is great. Low crime, close to bristol for the big shops and clubs, and not a bad nightlife.

Spa has two campuses - one out of town at Newton St Loe and one just above Royal Crescent. I know someone who is applying for a course at the one in town, which is probably better for nightlife etc than the Newton one.
Reply 16
Rach.d.
It is quite a way away from the city centre, but there are Bright Orage Buses, or BOBs as theyre called that run direct from campus to the city. They even run up until 3 in the morning I believe.


One time my friend fell asleep/passed out on a 418 and ended up in Bath Spa. There were no buses after midnight or something so he had to walk 6 miles.
The buses for Bath uni do run up until 3 in the morning but I doubt they do for Bath spa as well.
Reply 17
I think some of us University Of Bath students should go on a educational visit to Bath Spa lol. I've never been there and would like to see it. We could go, test out there students union, etc. Then we could give an independent review lol
Elondra
One time my friend fell asleep/passed out on a 418 and ended up in Bath Spa. There were no buses after midnight or something so he had to walk 6 miles.
The buses for Bath uni do run up until 3 in the morning but I doubt they do for Bath spa as well.


Yeah they do. :s-smilie:
Reply 19
Wanderlust
Yeah they do. :s-smilie:


What an idiot then...