Abertay University

Abertay is a modern, friendly university in the heart of Dundee, Scotland, with a strong focus on teaching and preparing our graduates for the world of work, combined with excellence in research and knowledge exchange. With roots going back to 1888, Abertay has always responded to the needs of industry, supplying a pipeline of graduate talent to work, lead and innovate across a wide range of sectors. Having forged a reputation as one of the UK's leading tech universities, we are best known for our expertise in video games education and our degrees in this field have been ranked number one in Europe for the last seven consecutive years. From Mental Health Nursing to Civil Engineering, or Business Analytics to Ethical Hacking, our three academic schools offer programmes that prepare our students for employment and, in most cases, offer real-world work experience alongside their studies. We pride ourselves on offering an inclusive, friendly and welcoming environment for our students and staff alongside first rate teaching and and excellent student experience. And don't just take it from us! We're proud to be the 2021 Sunday Times University of the Year for Teaching Quality, to rank in the UK top 10 for Student Satisfaction in the National Student Survey, and to be a National Centre for Excellence for both video games and cybersecurity education.Abertay has a compact city centre campus right in the heart of Dundee. Our buildings blend the modern with the historic, with our Edwardian Old College giving a taste of the past and our Kydd Building housing specialist labs such as our Emergent Technology Centre, National Centre for Excellence in Computer Games and Scotland's only industry-standard food science consumer research lab. Our award-winning and recently-refurbished Bernard King Library is a focal point for students, offering modern learning and collaboration spaces alongside a cafe and social areas. Apart from getting on with the business of teaching, many of the staff are either actively involved in research or work with industry. All of our researchers are involved in teaching and developing courses – giving our students the chance to learn from world leaders every day. Coming to University marks a major step in your life, and we’re on hand to make sure that the transition is as smooth as possible. The University can offer advice and support on everything from accommodation and managing your finances, to staying healthy and planning your workload. We have a counselling service that can help you work through any problems, and we employ a team of students each year to act as mentors for all newcomers. The Students’ Association also provides help and advice via the elected student executive. No matter what your question, we have someone who can help you answer it.The friendly and welcoming environment at Abertay is created by our students, who represent a great diversity of backgrounds and cultures. Over 60 nationalities are represented on campus, and our courses attract everyone from local school leavers to overseas research students. We welcome a high proportion of mature students and a key priority for the University is working to widen access to higher education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, an area in which we lead the way in Scotland.Our Strategic Plan 2020-2025Abertay's strategic focus has been set out up to 2025, however we continue to adapt and develop in response to the needs of our students and the fast pace of change in the world around us. Some of our key purposes are: Offering transformational opportunities to everyone who has the ability to benefit from Abertay’s approach to university education. Inspiring and enabling our students, staff and graduates to achieve their full potential and to have a positive impact on the world around us.Preparing our students for the world of work and a life of learning.The following history to 1988 provides a summary account that relies primarily on the book published by Dundee Institute of Technology in 1989, 'The First Hundred Years: 1888-1988'. Where additional sources have been used, post 1988, these have been cited accordingly.  In 1872 Sir David Baxter, 1st Baronet of Kilmaron, died and bequeathed £20,000 (£1,581,200 adjusting for inflation) for the establishment of a mechanics' institute in Dundee. The Baxter bequest was intended to create an educational establishment permitting young (male) working mechanics and other craftsmen to better themselves. After some years of delay the trustees finalised a scheme and met the conditions of the bequest and the Dundee Technical Institute opened on 15 October 1888 in grounds, purchased from University College, Dundee, adjacent to Small's Wynd, Dundee. Initially 238 students enrolled and classes were conducted based on the syllabus of the Government Science and Art Department of South Kensington and the City & Guilds of London Institute. Subjects were primarily scientific and technical although applied art was also taught, and jute spinning and textile design were soon added to the portfolio.In 1901 the Dundee Technical Institute enrolled 723 part-time students and was one of the first education hubs to be recognised as a 'central institution' by the Scotch Education Department. In 1906 a new site in Bell Street, Dundee was purchased to build a larger complex to accommodate a growing student population. In 1911 the completed complex was formally opened as the Dundee Technical College & School of Art. The portfolio had by now expanded again to include marine engineering and navigation. The First World War retarded enrolments and growth but the vocational nature of the institute meant that its classes were highly relevant to the war effort. Records show that the first women students enrolled in 1914. After the war, the institute continued to expand adding a new school of pharmacy, and more specialist classes in engineering and building. Commercial classes in finance, economics and accounting were added to support trade at home and abroad.Abertay University is situated in the centre of Dundee. The campus buildings include the historic Old College buildings of Dundee Business School, the Bernard King Library, scenes of crime teaching facilities, specialist Ethical Hacking labs designed for research into computer hacking and misuse, and modern computer games labs in the UK Centre for Excellence in Computer Games Education. The Bernard King Library in Bell Street opened to learners in February 1998 and was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 30 June 1998. The library was voted best new building in Scotland in the 1998 Scottish Design Awards competition. The building has a stone rectangular 'spine' and a curved glass front mimicking an open book. The Library houses an English Language learning centre, a specialist Law library, and an EU funded IT suite. The library was designed with the digital age very much in mind, and although the traditional books still feature, the emphasis was and is very much on providing access to digital information through online subscriptions. The Student Centre building in Bell Street opened in 2005 providing a home to the Students' Association as well as a trading centre with an art gallery (Hannah Maclure Centre), cinema, student bars, food, and retail trading outlets.

Courses

See what the universities have to share with the world come to life here