University of Liverpool vs UWE Bristol

Original post by Anonymous

Hi I’m in a similar position and have offers for Uni of Liverpool, UWE and Nottingham Trent . I found UWE really friendly but not so Liverpool . Any advice appreciated .

Liverpool is a very large school - there are in excess of 600 students enrolled on their Part 1 (but less than 50 on their MArch Part 2, which I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions from)... for comparison: NTU has around 200 (35 for Part 2), while UWE - across their three different RIBA-validated programmes - has a little under 500 (80 for Part 2). Whether you’d rather be in a larger or smaller school will come down to personal preference, but at least you’ve got the numbers to help decide now.

All three schools offer good/very good facilities, there’s not much in it in that regard, but student satisfaction is by far the highest (of any school anywhere) at UWE. As validated programmes, there’s nothing much to choose between them in respect to their pedagogy (or house style, for that matter), especially if you’ve applied for K100. If you’ve applied to either of the specialist programmes at UWE, then obviously that changes things slightly.

Bristol is expensive, especially if you decide to live off campus. Liverpool’s by far the cheapest, Nottingham sitting in the middle. They’ve all got a decent quality of life/nightlife, though as an architecture student you’ll only experience it once or twice a week in your first year if you’re lucky/reckless, and never again thereafter.

They’re decent schools, none of them are held in any particular higher regard by employers (outside of their immediate vicinity, I mean), so go whichever one gives you the best feels.

Reply 6

Original post by Psychetechne

Liverpool is a very large school - there are in excess of 600 students enrolled on their Part 1 (but less than 50 on their MArch Part 2, which I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions from)... for comparison: NTU has around 200 (35 for Part 2), while UWE - across their three different RIBA-validated programmes - has a little under 500 (80 for Part 2). Whether you’d rather be in a larger or smaller school will come down to personal preference, but at least you’ve got the numbers to help decide now.

All three schools offer good/very good facilities, there’s not much in it in that regard, but student satisfaction is by far the highest (of any school anywhere) at UWE. As validated programmes, there’s nothing much to choose between them in respect to their pedagogy (or house style, for that matter), especially if you’ve applied for K100. If you’ve applied to either of the specialist programmes at UWE, then obviously that changes things slightly.

Bristol is expensive, especially if you decide to live off campus. Liverpool’s by far the cheapest, Nottingham sitting in the middle. They’ve all got a decent quality of life/nightlife, though as an architecture student you’ll only experience it once or twice a week in your first year if you’re lucky/reckless, and never again thereafter.

They’re decent schools, none of them are held in any particular higher regard by employers (outside of their immediate vicinity, I mean), so go whichever one gives you the best feels.

Thankyou - any thoughts on CARDIFF uni for architecture ? In comparison to the others already mentioned.

Reply 7

Original post by Arc46

Thankyou - any thoughts on CARDIFF uni for architecture ? In comparison to the others already mentioned.

I’m a big fan of Cardiff.

It’s a small school with just over 200 students on Part 1 (around 90 on Part 2) that’s very underrated. They’ve just had (as in the last couple months) a massive refit of their workshops, which extends their focus on making; if you’re into wood as a design material, there are few better places to study.

Cardiff itself is also a great place to live; it’s cheap, with decent transport links, and they’re leading the way in the area for engagement and events (for architecture and urbanism related stuff).

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

Reply 8

Thankyou . Can I ask if you’ve studied on any of their courses ? Any thoughts on Uni of Nottingham ?

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 9

Original post by Arc46

Thankyou . Can I ask if you’ve studied on any of their courses ? Any thoughts on Uni of Nottingham ?

No, although I’m considering their MA in Urban Design, and I’ve visited the school a couple of times.

I used to live in Nottingham and I spent a fair bit of time floating around both the schools there; I previously had an offer on Uni of’s MEng, and I’ve got friend who’s a studio tutor there, so... It’s a very good, average sized school - 400 students across their two Part 1 programmes (just shy of 100 on Part 2) - on a stunningly beautiful, green campus. Good facilities, free materials, arty but not too conceptual; love their sports centre.

All the programmes you’ve mentioned are good/very good, so don’t stress too much. What’s your most important criteria?

Reply 10

Original post by Psychetechne

No, although I’m considering their MA in Urban Design, and I’ve visited the school a couple of times.

I used to live in Nottingham and I spent a fair bit of time floating around both the schools there; I previously had an offer on Uni of’s MEng, and I’ve got friend who’s a studio tutor there, so... It’s a very good, average sized school - 400 students across their two Part 1 programmes (just shy of 100 on Part 2) - on a stunningly beautiful, green campus. Good facilities, free materials, arty but not too conceptual; love their sports centre.

All the programmes you’ve mentioned are good/very good, so don’t stress too much. What’s your most important criteria?

I really felt comfortable at UWE and feel I would get good support . However, friends and family are suggesting it’s not as well known as some of the other options. I like the idea of being on a campus and found the course leaders to be very friendly.

Reply 11

Original post by Arc46

I really felt comfortable at UWE and feel I would get good support . However, friends and family are suggesting it’s not as well known as some of the other options. I like the idea of being on a campus and found the course leaders to be very friendly.

Clearly you should carefully consider the counsel provided to you by your family and friends, but... while I might personally choose differently to you, I can reassure you that UWE offers a very good education, that it’s architecture programmes are highly regarded in industry, and the department is led by a passionate leader (Elena) who has a near laser-focus on having UWE beat Bath in the rankings. You will not be getting a substandard education at UWE, and if the same department were transplanted to a red-brick institution you can be damned sure everyone would be putting it on their shortlist.

Many years ago (I’m an adult returner to education), when I did my first undergraduate degree, I chose a programme based on all the wrong criteria. Do not underestimate the importance of the place “feeling” right to you, and remember that architecture is a professional degree and the quality of your individual work is what will mark you out from the rest when you’re looking for employment. (And also, don’t forget you can do your Part 2 somewhere else, without any penalty.)

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 12

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by Psychetechne

Clearly you should carefully consider the counsel provided to you by your family and friends, but... while I might personally choose differently to you, I can reassure you that UWE offers a very good education, that it’s architecture programmes are highly regarded in industry, and the department is led by a passionate leader (Elena) who has a near laser-focus on having UWE beat Bath in the rankings. You will not be getting a substandard education at UWE, and if the same department were transplanted to a red-brick institution you can be damned sure everyone would be putting it on their shortlist.

Many years ago (I’m an adult returner to education), when I did my first undergraduate degree, I chose a programme based on all the wrong criteria. Do not underestimate the importance of the place “feeling” right to you, and remember that architecture is a professional degree and the quality of your individual work is what will mark you out from the rest when you’re looking for employment. (And also, don’t forget you can do your Part 2 somewhere else, without any penalty.)

So I’ve had all my offers . Rejected from uni of Nottingham , but got an offer from Cardiff uni tonight ! I’ve never been to Cardiff ....... I still like UWE BRISTOL but am open to consider CARDIFF . What should I do ?

Reply 13

mnot

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Original post by Arc46

So I’ve had all my offers . Rejected from uni of Nottingham , but got an offer from Cardiff uni tonight ! I’ve never been to Cardiff ....... I still like UWE BRISTOL but am open to consider CARDIFF . What should I do ?

go visit them

Reply 14