, former_names=University College of Swansea, University of Wales Swansea
, motto= cy, Gweddw crefft heb ei dawn
, mottoeng="Technical skill is bereft without culture"
, established=1920 – University College of Swansea
1996 – University of Wales, Swansea
2007 – Swansea University
, type=
Public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
, endowment=£6.1 million (2017)
, administrative_staff=3290
, chancellor=
Dame Jean Thomas
, vice_chancellor=Professor
Paul Boyle
Paul Joseph Boyle, (born 16 November 1964) is a British geographer, academic, and academic administrator. He was the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester between 2014 and 2019. He had been Professor of Human Geography at the Universi ...
, students=
, undergrad=
, postgrad=
, city=
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the C ...
, country=Wales, United Kingdom
, coordinates=
, campus=Suburban/coastal
, colours=Academic: blue, silver and black
Athletic Union: green and white
, affiliations=
ACU EUAUniversity of Wales
, latin_name =
, image =
, caption = Coat of Arms
, motto = cy, Goreu Awen Gwirionedd
, mottoeng = The Best Inspiration is Truth
, established =
,
, type = Confederal, non-member ...
Universities UK
Universities UK (UUK) is an advocacy organisation for universities in the United Kingdom. It began life in the early 20th century through informal meetings of vice-chancellors of a number of universities and principals of university colleges and ...
, website=
Swansea University ( cy, Prifysgol Abertawe) is a
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
research university
A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kn ...
located in
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the C ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, United Kingdom. It was chartered as University College of Swansea in 1920,
as the fourth college of the
University of Wales
, latin_name =
, image =
, caption = Coat of Arms
, motto = cy, Goreu Awen Gwirionedd
, mottoeng = The Best Inspiration is Truth
, established =
,
, type = Confederal, non-member ...
. In 1996, it changed its name to the University of Wales Swansea
following structural changes within the University of Wales. The title of Swansea University was formally adopted on 1 September 2007 when the University of Wales became a non-membership confederal institution and the former members became universities in their own right.
Swansea University has three faculties across its two campuses which are located on the coastline of
Swansea Bay
Swansea Bay ( cy, Bae Abertawe) is a bay on the southern coast of Wales. The River Neath, River Tawe, River Afan, River Kenfig and Clyne River flow into the bay. Swansea Bay and the upper reaches of the Bristol Channel experience a large tid ...
. The Singleton Park Campus is set in the grounds of
Singleton Park to the west of
Swansea city centre
Swansea city centre in Swansea, Wales, contains the main shopping, leisure and nightlife district in Swansea. The city centre covers much of the Castle ward including the area around Oxford Street, Castle Square, and the Quadrant Shopping Centr ...
. The £450 million Bay Campus, which opened in September 2015, is located next to Jersey Marine Beach to the east of Swansea in the
Neath Port Talbot
Neath Port Talbot ( cy, Castell-nedd Port Talbot) is a county borough in the south-west of Wales. Its principal towns are Neath, Port Talbot, Briton Ferry and Pontardawe. The county borough borders Bridgend County Borough and Rhondda Cynon Taf ...
area.
It is the
third largest university in Wales in terms of number of students. It offers about 450 undergraduate courses, 280 postgraduate taught and 150 postgraduate research courses to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
History
Foundations
![Swansea University Foundation Stone](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Swansea_University_Foundation_Stone.jpg)
The University College, Swansea, (as it was known then), was established in 1920, opening its doors on 5 October. At the time, it was the youngest of the four colleges of the University of Wales. It was established on the recommendations of a Royal Commission set up in 1916. The college was founded on what were perceived as the needs and the wants of the local area, and Swansea's main industries in particular.
![Singleton](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Singleton.jpeg)
The Park Campus houses the oldest parts of the university's estate, including
Singleton Abbey, a large eighteenth-century mansion which was the ancestral home of the
Vivian family, having been bought by the prominent industrialist,
John Henry Vivian.
Swansea University's foundation stone was laid in 1920 by
King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...
in July 1920, welcoming 89 students, of whom eight were female.
Subjects taught from the beginning of the college were the sciences, mathematics, metallurgy and engineering. The professors were A.R. Richardson (mathematics), E.J. Evans (physics), J.E. Coates (chemistry), A.E. Trueman (geology), C.A. Edwards (metallurgy) and F. Bacon (engineering).
The university was granted a coat of arms by the
College of Heralds
The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sovere ...
in 1921 with the motto ''Gweddw Crefft Heb Ei Dawn'', translated as 'technical skill is bereft without culture.'
Arts subjects were not taught immediately in 1920, but started in the following 'session', 1921–22. The first professors in those initial departments were D. Emrys Evans (classics), W.D. Thomas (English language and literature), Henry Lewis (Welsh), E. Ernest Hughes (History), F.A. Cavenagh (education) and
Mary Williams (French).
Williams was the first woman to be appointed to a chair in the United Kingdom.
This met with some reaction from senior men at the college, one of whom she would later marry.
Saunders Lewis
Saunders Lewis (born John Saunders Lewis) (15 October 1893 – 1 September 1985) was a Welsh politician, poet, dramatist, Medievalist, and literary critic. He was a prominent Welsh nationalist, supporter of Welsh independence and was a co-found ...
, the well-known Welsh language writer and activist, became a member of staff in 1922 although he ran up against controversy in 1936/37 for trying to set fire to a
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
bombing school on the
Llŷn Peninsula
The Llŷn Peninsula ( cy, Penrhyn Llŷn or , ) extends into the Irish Sea from North West Wales, south west of the Isle of Anglesey. It is part of the historic county of Caernarfonshire, and historic region and local authority area of Gwynedd. Mu ...
. He was tried at the
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...
and sent to prison for nine months.
When Singleton Abbey and its surrounding land was handed to the college in 1923, arts subjects were moved there from the college's temporary site in Mount Pleasant. Student numbers remained relatively small until the Second World War.
Swansea acquired departments of philosophy in 1925, German in 1931, economics in 1937, social policy in 1947, political theory and government in 1954 – the same year that a civil engineering and a geography department were added. In 1961 Swansea became a centre for Russian and East European studies, while Italian and Spanish joined the Department of French.
There were many notable staff members at the university in the period, including the long-serving female professor of botany, Florence Mockeridge. Another was Glanmor Williams (history) who retired in 1982. Other well-known staff members were the author of novels such as ''
Lucky Jim
''Lucky Jim'' is a novel by Kingsley Amis, first published in 1954 by Victor Gollancz. It was Amis's first novel and won the 1955 Somerset Maugham Award for fiction. The novel follows the exploits of the eponymous James (Jim) Dixon, a reluctan ...
'' and ''
That Uncertain Feeling'',
Kingsley Amis
Sir Kingsley William Amis (16 April 1922 – 22 October 1995) was an English novelist, poet, critic, and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, short stories, radio and television scripts, and works of social ...
, who lectured in English in the 1950s and early 1960s; Rush Rhees, an expert on Wittgensteinian philosophy, who was a member of staff from 1940 to 1966; and Kenneth O. Morgan (now Lord Morgan of Aberdyfi) who was a junior history lecturer from 1958 to 1966.
Post-war campus development
In 1947,
John Fulton, the university principal, had designs on creating the UK's first contained university campus. Located in the vast expanse of Singleton Park, the university only had 2 permanent buildings; Singleton Abbey and the library.
The 1960s saw the university embark on a large campus development programme, aiming to fulfill Fulton's plan of becoming a self-contained community within the city. Along with new halls of residence, a Maths and Science Tower was built, with College House – later renamed Fulton House.
Campus
![-SeneddSwansea (22089809814)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/-SeneddSwansea_%2822089809814%29.jpg)
For most of its history, Swansea University operated exclusively from the
Singleton Park Campus. However, owing to rapid expansion, the university developed a 65-acre, £450 million beachfront science and innovation Bay Campus which opened in September 2015. Since then, Swansea University has operated as a dual-campus university with the 'Park Campus' located in its traditional Singleton Park grounds, and the Bay Campus, at Crymlyn Burrows.
The Bay campus has been developed on a 65-acre beachfront site between Fabian Way and Jersey Marine beach at Crymlyn Burrows. It houses much of the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the School of Management, a Great Hall seating 800, a library offering views over a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and student accommodation, as well as several research institutes.
Sports
Swansea Bay Sports Park facilities include, five minutes' walk from the Singleton Park Campus, the 50-metre Wales National Pool Swansea, eight-lane outdoor athletics track, six-lane indoor track and training centre, floodlit playing fields including rugby, football, lacrosse and cricket pitches, artificial hockey pitches, a sports hall, tennis and squash courts, a climbing wall and spin room. Facilities at the Bay Campus include a sports hall, multi-use games area, and gym. The University also owns training pitches in the north of the city, in
Fairwood, which it has developed alongside
Swansea City A.F.C.
During the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, th ...
, the university hosted the training camps for the Mexican and
New Zealand paralympic teams and the Ireland triathlon team. In 2014, it hosted the
IPC Athletics European Championships. Furthermore, in 2015 it hosted the training camps of the
Canada national rugby union team
The Canada national rugby union team (french: Équipe du Canada de rugby à XV) represents Canada in men's international rugby union competitions and is governed by Rugby Canada. Canada is classified by World Rugby as a tier two rugby nation a ...
and the
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team represents Fiji in men's international rugby union competes every four years at the Rugby World Cup, and their best performances were the 1987 and 2007 tournaments when they defeated Argentina and Wales resp ...
in preparation for the
2015 Rugby World Cup
The 2015 Rugby World Cup was the eighth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial rugby union world championship. The tournament was hosted by England from 18 September to 31 October. Of the 20 countries competing in the World Cup in 2011, there was on ...
.
Sports science at the university ranks 13th in the Complete University Guide Sports Science Rankings 2023.
The department has links with
Swansea City A.F.C.,
Ospreys
The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...
and
Welsh Athletics. Former scholars include Wales rugby union player
Alun Wyn Jones, Olympic swimmer
Georgia Davies, Paralympian swimmer
Liz Johnson and Paralympian
boccia player
David Smith. Swansea is in the top quarter of the British University's sporting leagues. It competes with Cardiff University in the Welsh Varsity tournament, the largest student sports event in Wales. This includes
The Welsh Boat Race and the showcase rugby union varsity match which attracted 16,000 students to Swansea's
Liberty Stadium in 2015.
Wales National Pool
![Ellie Simmonds 2008 Olympic Parade](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Ellie_Simmonds_2008_Olympic_Parade.jpg)
The
Wales National Pool
The Wales National Pool ( cy, Pwll Cenedlaethol Cymru) is a 50-metre swimming pool in the Sketty area of Swansea, Wales.
The main pool is 50 m long and 21 m wide, so it does not meet the FINA definition of an Olympic size pool.
History
The ...
, next to the Singleton Park Campus, is a 50-metre pool built to
FINA
FINA (french: Fédération internationale de natation, en, International Swimming Federation, link=yes) (to be renamed as World Aquatics by ) is the international federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for administer ...
standards. The facility, which also has a 25m × 9.5m training pool and 1,200 spectator seats, is HQ of
Swim Wales
Swim Wales ( cy, Nofio Cymru) (WASA) (founded 1897 as the Welsh Amateur Swimming Association) is the national governing body of diving, swimming (including open water and synchronised swimming) and water polo, in Wales. It is responsible for es ...
.
The pool, one of five of
British Swimming
British Swimming is the national governing body of swimming, water polo, synchronised swimming, diving and open water in Great Britain. 's Intensive Training Centres (ITC), was used to train swimmers for the
London 2012 Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
was built with funding from
Sport Wales
Sport Wales ( Welsh: ''Chwaraeon Cymru'') is the national organisation responsible for developing and promoting sport and physical activity in Wales. Working alongside partners such as governing bodies of sport and local authorities, they aim t ...
, Swansea Council and Swansea University.
It is home to the Swim Wales National Performance Centre, a hub for elite and performance swimming in Wales. This has included disability swimming under renowned coach Billy Pye who has trained several Paralympians in Swansea, including
Ellie Simmonds
Eleanor May Simmonds, OBE (born 11 November 1994) is a British former Paralympian swimmer who competed in S6 events. She came to national attention when she competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, winning two gold medals for Gre ...
and Liz Johnson. University sports science researchers provide back-up to the hub. The centre is also home to Swansea University Swimming and City of Swansea Aquatics.
Museum of Egyptian Antiquities (Egypt Centre)
Located in the Taliesin building, the Egypt Centre is open to the public. More than 4,000 items are in its collection.
Most were collected by the pharmacist and entrepreneur Sir
Henry Wellcome
Sir Henry Solomon Wellcome (August 21, 1853 – July 25, 1936) was an American pharmaceutical entrepreneur. He founded the pharmaceutical company Burroughs Wellcome & Company with his colleague Silas Burroughs in 1880, which is one of the f ...
. Others came from the British Museum, the Royal Edinburgh Museum, National Museums and Galleries of Wales Cardiff, the Royal Albert Museum and Art Gallery and private donors.
Staff lecture museum groups and other outside bodies on volunteering, social inclusion and how to widen community participation with university museums. School parties regularly visit for interactive events.
Organisation and administration
Governance
![Building in Swansea University - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Building_in_Swansea_University_-_geograph.org.uk_-_893505.jpg)
Swansea received its
royal charter
A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, b ...
in 1920 and like many universities is governed by its
constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When these pr ...
that is set out in its
statutes
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made ...
and a
charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the re ...
. The governing body of Swansea University is its Council, which is supported by the Senate and the Court.
* The Council consists of 29 members including the Chancellor, Pro-chancellors, Vice-chancellor, Treasurer, Pro-vice-chancellors, staff and student members, city council representation and a majority of lay members. The council is responsible for all of the University's activities and has a well-developed committee structure to help discharge its powers and duties.
* The Senate is the main academic body of the university and is responsible for teaching and research. Most of its 200 members are academics but it also includes representatives of the Students' Union and the
Athletic Union
An athletic union or athletics union (AU) usually refers to the group of student sports clubs within a university or other institute of higher education, in the United Kingdom.
General information
Sports clubs affiliate to their athletic union f ...
. The Senate is chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, who is the head of the university both academically and administratively.
* The Court consists of more than 300 members representing
stakeholders from local to national institutions. It meets annually to discuss the university's annual report, its financial statements and issues in
higher education
Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after compl ...
.
List of vice-chancellors
Principal
* 1920 to 1926:
Franklin Sibly; first principal
* 1927 to 1947: C. A. Edwards
* 1947 to 1959:
John Fulton
* 1960 to 1965:
J. H. Parry
John Horace Parry CMG, MBE ( Handsworth, Birmingham, England, 26 April 1914 – Cambridge, Massachusetts, 25 August 1982) was a distinguished maritime historian, who served as Gardiner Professor of Oceanic History and Affairs at Harvard Univer ...
* 1965 to 1974: Frank Llewellyn Jones
* 1974 to 1982:
Robert Walter Steel
* 1982 to 1994 Brian Clarkson
Vice-Chancellor
* 1994 to 2003:
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...
* 2003 to 2019:
Richard B. Davies
* ''2019 onward'':
Paul Boyle
Paul Joseph Boyle, (born 16 November 1964) is a British geographer, academic, and academic administrator. He was the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester between 2014 and 2019. He had been Professor of Human Geography at the Universi ...
Faculties and Schools
Swansea University's academic departments are organised into three faculties, which include a total of eleven schools:
Humanities and Social Sciences
School of Culture and Communication
School of Management
Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law
School of Social Sciences
Medicine, Health and Life Science
Swansea University Medical School
School of Psychology
School of Health and Social Care
Science and Engineering
School of Aerospace, Civil, Electrical, General and Mechanical Engineering
School of Mathematics and Computer Science
School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
School of Culture and Communication
![James Callaghan Building](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/James_Callaghan_Building.jpg)
The school offers courses in American studies; classics, ancient history, and Egyptology; English language, teaching English as a second or foreign language, and applied linguistics; English literature and creative writing; film and visual culture; history; media, communications, journalism, and public relations; modern languages, translation, and interpreting; and Welsh.
In spring 2006, M Wynn Thomas and
Dai Smith established the
Library of Wales series as an offshoot of the school which has influenced Welsh Government policy to benefit the creative industries, cultural tourism and education.
School of Management
![School of Management - Swansea University](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/School_of_Management_-_Swansea_University.jpg)
The School of Management is a leading UK provider of management, finance and accounting education, with 100% of its research rated internationally excellent or world-leading in the 2021
Research Excellence Framework
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a research impact evaluation of British higher education institutions. It is the successor to the Research Assessment Exercise and it was first used in 2014 to assess the period 2008–2013. REF is under ...
.
In 2015, the school relocated to the University's Bay Campus and is home to over 2,000 students, 150 members of staff and a range of industry partners, including The Bevan Commission, Fujitsu, Greenaway Scott, and AgorIP.
The School of Management provides a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including accounting and finance, business management, economics, tourism, and marketing. The school ranks in the UK top 30 for business and economics graduate prospects, and top 10 for accounting and finance.
Alongside teaching, the school also houses various research centres including The Centre for Visitor Economy Research (CVER), Emerging Markets Research Centre (EMaRC), The Hawkes Centre for Empirical Finance, Swansea iLab, Welsh Economy Labour Markets Evaluation Research Centre (WELMERC), The Bevan Commission, The Centre for Health and Environmental Management Research and Innovation (CHEMRI), Centre for People and Organisation.
Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law
![Hillary Clinton at Swansea University](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Hillary_Clinton_at_Swansea_University.png)
The
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
School of Law is the largest
law school
A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction.
Law degrees Argentina
In Argentina, ...
in Wales and ranks third in the UK for criminology and 22nd in the UK for law (The Times Good University Guide 2019). Swansea University opened its School of Law in 1994, in order to complement its departments in engineering, the sciences, and arts and humanities. Known previously as the College of Law and Criminology, the school's name changed on 14 October 2017, as part of a ceremony including the conferment of an honorary doctorate on
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
.
The school is situated at the Singleton Campus but intends to move to purpose-built premises on the university's Bay Campus within the next few years. This new development will house commercial law firms, technology companies, national and international agencies, along with the academics and students of the School.
Teaching at the School of Law comprises undergraduate, postgraduate and professional courses. Undergraduate programmes include qualifying law degrees, criminology degrees and joint honours programmes. Postgraduate programmes include LLMs in shipping and trade, human rights, an MA in applied criminal justice and criminology and research degrees. Professional courses on offer include the Graduate Diploma in Law and the Legal Practice Course. Students are taught in lectures, discussion groups and interactive seminars by academics with extensive industry experience.
In the
Research Excellence Framework
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a research impact evaluation of British higher education institutions. It is the successor to the Research Assessment Exercise and it was first used in 2014 to assess the period 2008–2013. REF is under ...
2021, 87.5% of its research environment was rated internationally excellent and 78% of its research overall was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. This research encompasses the school's numerous research centres including the Centre for Criminal Justice and Criminology, Cyber Threats Research Centre, The Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law, the Observatory on Human Rights of Children, and the Governance and Human Rights Research Group.
Engineering
![Swansea University College of Engineering](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Swansea_University_College_of_Engineering.png)
Engineering has been studied at Swansea University since its beginning in 1920, and the engineering departments are now based in two schools on the Bay Campus - the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the School of Aerospace, Civil, Electrical, General and Mechanical Engineering.
In the 2021
Research Excellence Framework
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a research impact evaluation of British higher education institutions. It is the successor to the Research Assessment Exercise and it was first used in 2014 to assess the period 2008–2013. REF is under ...
Engineering at Swansea University rated a 100% world-leading and internationally excellent research environment.
Research centres in the schools include:
Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering (ZCCE); Materials Research Centre (MRC); Systems and Process Engineering Centre (SPEC); Future Manufacturing Research Institute (FMRI); Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine Research Centre (A-STEM).
School of Health and Social Care
Swansea University's School of Health and Social Care offers courses in health and social care, healthcare science, nursing and midwifery, occupational therapy, osteopathy, operating department practice, paramedic science, and social work.
It ranks fourth in the UK for Health Studies in the Complete University Guide 2023 and in the top ten for Nursing in The Guardian University Guide 2022.
Research centres include: the Centre for Global Burns Injury Policy and Research; Centre for Innovative Ageing; Lactation, Infant Feeding and Translational Research; Swansea Centre for Health Economics; Swansea Centre for Improvement and Innovation; Developing Evidence Enriched Practice (DEEP).
Medical School
Swansea University Medical School
Swansea University Medical School is a medical school on Swansea University's Singleton campus. It is linked to additional teaching centres located throughout South and West Wales, including Cefn Coed Hospital, Singleton Hospital and Morristo ...
is ranked fourth in the UK according to the Guardian University Guide 2022. In the 2014 and 2021
Research Excellence Framework
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a research impact evaluation of British higher education institutions. It is the successor to the Research Assessment Exercise and it was first used in 2014 to assess the period 2008–2013. REF is under ...
its research impact was considered outstanding in terms of reach and significance.
Established in 2004, the Medical School works closely with government, industry and the NHS, in particular Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, over teaching, research and innovation. It also has two Institute of Life Science research centres, equipped with clinical trials, medical imaging, research and business development facilities and a Centre for NanoHealth.
Its research highlights include DNA damage and the safety of nanomaterials, the control of fungal diseases, children and young people's mental health, avoiding unnecessary medical interventions, and cholesterol in human health and disease.
Research
Swansea is a research-led university, ranking 48th in the UK in the 2021
Research Excellence Framework
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a research impact evaluation of British higher education institutions. It is the successor to the Research Assessment Exercise and it was first used in 2014 to assess the period 2008–2013. REF is under ...
(REF). The university submitted the work of a record number of researchers (578) for assessment to REF2021, a 56% increase on the 370 submitted in 2014. It meant a growth in the university's overall proportion of world-leading and internationally excellent research from 80% in 2014 to 86% in 2021. Almost a third (32%) of its outputs were rated 4* world-leading (up from 21% in 2014), and 91% of its research environment is rated 4* world-leading or 3* internationally excellent, with 86% of its research judged outstanding and very considerable in terms of impact - reach and significance.
Medicine and Life Science continue to be ranked in the UK top five overall at 4th in Allied Health Professions (UOA3), and Mathematics is ranked joint 16th in the UK and is joint top for impact, with 100% rated as outstanding.
Geography is ranked 20th in the UK, climbing 11 places with 90% 4* world-leading or 3* internationally excellent research. A third of the university's units of assessment rated 100% for their outstanding and very considerable impact.
Selected research centres and institutes
* Centre for Nanohealth
* Research Institute for Arts and Humanities – which includes the Global Drug Policy Observatory
* Institute of Life Sciences
* Research Institute for Applied Social Sciences
* Welsh Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
* SPECIFIC
* CSAR
* Energy Safety Research Institute (ESRI)
Academic profile
Rankings and reputation
The university is listed as one of the top 500 universities in the
World University Rankings. Swansea is ranked 24th in the Guardian 2022 University guide.
Swansea University's best ranked departments include
Medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...
and Mathematics, ranked 4th and 16th respectively in the 2021
Research Excellence Framework
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a research impact evaluation of British higher education institutions. It is the successor to the Research Assessment Exercise and it was first used in 2014 to assess the period 2008–2013. REF is under ...
. The Law Department also ranks highly, coming in at 22nd in the Times Good University Guide 2019 in the UK, as well as in the 151–200 category in QS World Rankings. Overall, Swansea University is ranked 48th in the 2021
Research Excellence Framework
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a research impact evaluation of British higher education institutions. It is the successor to the Research Assessment Exercise and it was first used in 2014 to assess the period 2008–2013. REF is under ...
.
National Student Survey results (for 2021) rank Swansea 12th in the UK for "overall satisfaction", with 82% saying they are satisfied with their course overall. The survey ranked Swansea number one for Archaeology; Biology (non-specific); English Language; and Others in Business and Management.
Swansea University is top in Wales in the 2023 Guardian University Guide and in the 2022 Student Crowd university rankings, which places it 15th in the UK.
International partnerships
In recent years, Swansea University has established many partnerships with leading universities in Europe, North America, Africa and Asia.
Swansea University has a strategic partnership with
Wuhan Union Hospital in
Wuhan
Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the ninth-most populous Chinese city a ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
. The hospital was founded by Swansea missionary Reverend Doctor
Griffith John
Griffith John ( zh, t=楊格非, p=Yáng Géfēi; 14 December 1831 – 25 July 1912) was a Welsh Christian missionary and translator in China. A member of the Congregational church, he was a pioneer evangelist with the London Missionary Societ ...
. As a result of this partnership, in 2015, the College of Medicine hosted the 2nd UK-China Medical Forum at
Singleton Hospital. Swansea University has also established a joint medical centre at the Wuhan Union Hospital to engage in clinical collaboration. In 2020, the partnership enabled health experts from across Wales to learn from some of the first medics to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
in 2013, Swansea University established a partnership with
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...
and
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M Unive ...
. The universities collaborate on research as well as exchange visits by academics and students. Since then, the partnership has expanded to include six more partner institutions in Texas:
University of Houston
The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...
,
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
,
Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) is a medical school and research center in Houston, Texas, within the Texas Medical Center, the world's largest medical center. BCM is composed of four academic components: the School of Medicine, the Graduate S ...
,
Houston Methodist Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.
In 2012, Swansea University established a partnership with the
Joseph Fourier University
Joseph Fourier University (UJF, french: Université Joseph Fourier, also known as Grenoble I) was a French university situated in the city of Grenoble and focused on the fields of sciences, technologies and health. It is now part of the Univers ...
in
Grenoble
lat, Gratianopolis
, commune status = Prefecture and commune
, image = Panorama grenoble.png
, image size =
, caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
with the aim of beginning joint degree programmes, collaborative bids for European funding and student and staff exchanges particularly in the subject areas of Medicine, Computer Science and Engineering. This partnership has now grown to involve a community of universities and research organisations in the Rhone‐Alpes region of France with a combined student population of over 65,000. The partnership involves research collaboration, staff and student exchanges, and sharing facilities and best practice.
In 2007, the university set up a programme along with the local
NHS trust
An NHS trust is an organisational unit within the National Health Services of England and Wales, generally serving either a geographical area or a specialised function (such as an ambulance service). In any particular location there may be several ...
,
Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board
Swansea Bay University Health Board (SBUHB) ( cy, Bwrdd lechyd Prifysgol Bae Abertawe) is the local health board of NHS Wales for Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, in the south-west of Wales. Established as Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Heal ...
, to establish a partnership with the School of Medicine at the
University of the Gambia
The University of the Gambia (UTG) is an institution of higher education located in Sere Kunda, the largest city in the Gambia.
History
The campus was founded in 1998 in Kotu- Kanifing, a suburb of Sere Kunda. It was not until March 1999 that ...
in
The Gambia
The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...
. The purpose of this partnership is to improve health care outcomes as well as collaborate on clinical care, health service delivery, teaching and research. This programme also provides opportunity for local doctors and medical students to pursue a placement in either the Gambia or Swansea Bay. In December 2014, this programme was awarded a
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
Gold Star for its contribution to the improvement of Gambian health outcomes.
Swansea University collaborates with Navitas with International College Wales Swansea to provide foundation, 1st year degree and Pre-Masters programmes on campus.
In 2021 Swansea University launched a Sports and Exercise Science partnership with the
University of Canberra
The University of Canberra (UC) is a public research university with its main campus located in Bruce, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The campus is within walking distance of Westfield Belconnen, and from Canberra's Civic Centre. U ...
in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
and Swansea also offers a dual degree programme with
Trent University
Trent University is a public liberal arts university in Peterborough, Ontario, with a satellite campus in Oshawa, which serves the Regional Municipality of Durham. Trent is known for its Oxbridge college system and small class sizes. in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
. Since its inception in 2016, Swansea University has been a member of the Jiangsu–UK 20+20 World-Class University Consortium, involving more than 30 universities from the UK and
Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with it ...
Province in China.
Student life
Swansea University Students' Union
Swansea University Students' Union ( cy, Undeb Myfyrwyr Prifysgol Abertawe) is the students' union for Swansea University and is part of the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom. The Students' Union aims to promote the interests o ...
(Welsh: ''Undeb Myfyrwyr Prifysgol Abertawe'') is the students' union for Swansea University. Known as the SU, it supports more than 170 student clubs including African-Caribbean, Chinese, Hellenic and Indian societies, among others. The Union runs student bars and nightclubs, a travel shop offering trips around the UK and Europe, a radio station, nursery, launderette and shops. Profits are reinvested into improving the student experience, including supporting students through its advice and support centre.
Services include money advice and support office, student counselling, a health centre, dentist, chaplains, an academic success programme, specialist tuition and residential services.
Sports
Sport Swansea offers more than 50 sports clubs and has over 5000 active members, covering sports ranging from rugby and aikido, dodgeball, and hockey to tae kwon do.
Swansea and Cardiff University compete in an annual varsity match, varsity competition, known as the Welsh version of the Oxbridge event, which includes the Welsh Varsity rugby match and
The Welsh Boat Race.
Most of Swansea University's individual and team training takes place at the Swansea Bay Sports Park off campus on Sketty Lane. In the same complex as the
Wales National Pool
The Wales National Pool ( cy, Pwll Cenedlaethol Cymru) is a 50-metre swimming pool in the Sketty area of Swansea, Wales.
The main pool is 50 m long and 21 m wide, so it does not meet the FINA definition of an Olympic size pool.
History
The ...
, the Sports Village is home to outdoor football and rugby pitches, a running track, an indoor athletics centre, hockey pitches, racquet courts and a gym, which is open to both students and the general public. Several sports clubs also use facilities on the Bay Campus.
Student media
Xtreme Radio is the radio station of the University, run by students. It was founded in November 1968 as Action Radio, making it the third oldest student radio station in the UK and oldest in Wales. It broadcasts to various areas around campus and is available worldwide on the internet. The station plays a wide variety of music, as well as having a number of specialist programmes including talk and sports shows.
The Students' Union also runs the Waterfront news service and SUTV television.
Student accommodation
![Bay Campus Accommodation](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Bay_Campus_Accommodation.jpg)
Swansea University provides approximately 3200 places in University halls across its two campuses, as well as some 1300 in the purpose-built Hendrefoelan Student Village and more in off-campus residences at Beck House.
There are also a number of university managed properties in the Uplands and Brynmill areas of the city.
Bay Campus halls
The Bay Campus halls have about 2000 rooms and will in due course replace the student accommodation in the Hendrefoelan Student village. The Hendrefoelan estate is 2.5 miles from the Singleton Park campus, just off the main Swansea to Gower road, set amongst mature woodland with open grassy areas. The student village is now undergoing a phased redevelopment through the construction of 3 and 4-bedroom family homes.
Singleton Campus halls
There are nine halls that make up the campus residences providing accommodation to around 1182 students. The halls offer a combination of part and self-catered rooms and a choice of standard or ensuite study rooms. Three of these halls (Caswell, Langland and Oxwich) were completed in 2004 and the original halls (Kilvey, Preseli, Rhossili and Cefn Bryn, formerly known as Sibly, Lewis Jones, Mary Williams Annexe and Mary Williams respectively) have undergone some refurbishment in recent years. Penmaen and Horton are the newest addition to the campus residences providing 351 self-catered, ensuite study rooms. Many rooms have views over the bay or across the park.
Tŷ Beck / Beck House
Tŷ Beck consists of six large Victorian town houses situated in the Uplands area of Swansea, approximately a mile from the Singleton campus. It predominantly provides rooms for postgraduates and students with families, as well as overseas exchange students.
Notable alumni and academics
Academics
![Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Ludwig_Wittgenstein.jpg)
* Sir Kingsley William Amis, CBE English lecturer
*Amy Brown (Professor), Amy Brown, Professor of Child Health
* Tom Cheesman, reader in German
* Dame June Clark (nurse), June Clark, Professor of Nursing
* Siwan Davies, Professor of Climate Science
* Ralph A. Griffiths, Emeritus Professor of Medieval History
* C. E. M. Hansel, Emeritus Professor of Experimental Psychology
* A. E. Heath, Professor of Philosophy
* Julian Hopkin CBE, founder of Medical School; awarded CBE in 2011 for service to medicine
* Christine James, Professor of Welsh
* Gareth Jenkins (scientist), Gareth Jenkins, Director of Research of the Medical School; a "Research Leader" for Health and Care Research Wales
* Hilary Lappin-Scott, Chair in Microbiology and Pro-Vice Chancellor for Strategic Development and External Relations
* Jon Latimer, historian
* Keith Lloyd, Dean and Head of Medical School; Chair of Welsh Psychiatric Society
* Ronan Lyons, Clinical Professor of Public Health; Director of the National Centre for Population Health and Wellbeing Research; Director of the Farr Institute Centre for the Improvement of Population Health
* Robin Milner, computer scientist
*
![Mary Williams](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Mary_Williams.jpg)
Florence Annie Mockeridge, botanist, Dean of Science 1933–35
* Tavi Murray, glacioloigist
* James G. Oldroyd, mathematician and noted rheologist
* David Olive, physicist
* Gyan Pande, Emeritus Professor
* Clive Ponting, Reader in international relations
* Dewi Zephaniah Phillips, prominent Wittgenstinian philosopher of religion
* Valerie Randle, Professor in Metallurgy
* Rush Rhees, philosopher
* Martin Sheldon, Professor of Reproductive Immunobiology; Editor of ''American Journal of Reproductive Immunology''; Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
* Andrew Tettenborn, professor of law
* John Williams CBE, led establishment of Postgraduate Medical School; founding president of Welsh Association for Gastroenterology and Endoscopy
*
Mary Williams, Chair of Modern Languages
* Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher; spent six months in 1941 writing and teaching at Swansea University
* Olgierd Zienkiewicz, pioneer of computational methods for engineering
* Andrew R. Barron, Andrew R Barron, Ser Cymru Chair of Low Carbon Energy and Environment; Director & Founder of ESRI
Alumni
Academia
* Peter Cottrell, novelist and historian
* Paul Dolan (academic), Paul Dolan, behavioural scientist
* Paul Moorcraft, Professor in Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies at Cardiff University
* D.Z. Phillips, philosopher
* Geoffrey Thomas (academic), Geoffrey Thomas, President of Kellogg College, Oxford
* Dame Jean Thomas (academic), Jean Thomas, first female Master at St Catharine's College, Cambridge
* Colin H. Williams, sociolinguist
* Sir Glanmor Williams, religious historian
* Nigel Addinall, Academic author, French (Hon)Consul
Arts
![Jason Mohammad @ the Senedd](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Jason_Mohammad_%40_the_Senedd.jpg)
* Annabelle Apsion, television and film actress
* Richey Edwards, member of rock group Manic Street Preachers
* Stuart Forster, travel journalist and photographer
* John Greening, poet, editor and critic
* Jonathan Hill (presenter), Jonathan Hill, presenter of ''Wales Tonight'' on ITV Wales
* Jason Mohammad, television/radio presenter for BBC Wales
* Mavis Nicholson, writer and television broadcaster
* Jonny Owen, Welsh actor, ''Shameless'' and ''Svengali'' Internet series
* Charlie Williams (UK writer), Charlie Williams, author of ''The Mangel Trilogy''
* Urien Wiliam, Welsh language novelist and playwright
* Nicky Wire, member of rock group Manic Street Preachers
* Jack Clothier, founder of Alcopop! Records#Alcopop! anti-UKIP controversy, Alcopop! Records
Business
* Ron Jones (businessman), Ron Jones, Director of Tinopolis
* Paul Pindar (businessman), Paul Pindar, Chief Executive of Capita Group, Capita
* Ratan Tata, Indian industrialist, investor, philanthropist, and a former chairman of Tata Sons who serves as its chairman emeritus.
Politics
=Welsh Parliament (Senedd)
=
* Peter Black (Welsh politician), Peter Black, MS for South Wales West
* Andrew Davies (Labour politician), Andrew Davies, former MS for Swansea West; former Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery, Welsh Government
* Mike Hedges (politician), Mike Hedges, MS for Swansea East
* Val Lloyd, former MS for Swansea East
=Houses of Parliament
=
* Donald Anderson, Baron Anderson of Swansea, Lord Anderson of Swansea, former MP
* Mims Davies, MP for Eastleigh and Wales Office Minister
* Caroline Dinenage, MP for Gosport and Minister for Care
* Nigel Evans, MP for Ribble Valley
* Hywel Francis, former MP for Aberavon
* Sylvia Heal, former MP and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons
* Sian James (politician), Sian James, former MP for Swansea East
* Anne Main, former MP for St Albans
* Rod Richards, former MP for North West Clwyd; former AM for North Wales
* John Sewel, Baron Sewel, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords
* Mark Tami, MP for Alyn and Deeside
=International
=
* Shekhar Dutt, Former governor of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh
* Stanislaus A. James, Governor-General of Saint Lucia, 1988–1996
* Isatou Njie-Saidy, Vice President of
The Gambia
The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...
* Wictor Sajeni, Deputy Minister of Primary Education in the Malawian government
Science, engineering and technology
![Lyn Evans - pictures donated by CERN-1 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Lyn_Evans_-_pictures_donated_by_CERN-1_%28cropped%29.jpg)
* Sir Jonathan Asbridge, former President of the Nursing and Midwifery Council
* Anne Borsay
Chair in Medical Humanities
* Edward George Bowen CBE FRS, radiophysicist
* Alan Cox (computer programmer), Alan Cox (shared with University of Wales, Aberystwyth), Linux pioneer
* Jonathan Elphick, ornithologist and zoologist
* Lyn Evans, CBE, Project Leader, Large Hadron Collider, CERN
* Andy Hopper Order of the British Empire, CBE FRS, co-founder of Acorn Computers Ltd
* Lionel Kelleway, natural history broadcaster
* Sir Terry Matthews Order of the British Empire, KBE, technological entrepreneur
* Colin Pillinger CBE, planetary scientist
* Graham Ryder, geologist, lunar scientist, posthumous winner of the Barringer Medal in 2003
* Sir John Meurig Thomas, chemist
* Evan James Williams, physicist
Sports
![Alun Wyn Jones 2008 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Alun_Wyn_Jones_2008_%28cropped%29.jpg)
* Guillem Bauzà, football player for Swansea City
* Daniel Caines, athlete
* Jazmin Carlin, British Olympic swimmer
* Mike Hooper (footballer), Mike Hooper, former Liverpool goalkeeper
* Rob Howley, Wales national rugby union team, Wales and British and Irish Lions, British Lions rugby union international
*
Liz Johnson, gold medal winner at Beijing Paralympics in swimming
*
Alun Wyn Jones, Welsh rugby union international
* Simon Jones (cricketer), Simon Jones, Glamorgan and England cricketer
* John McFall (athlete), John McFall, Paralympic sprinter
* Dwayne Peel, Welsh rugby union international
* Rhys Priestland, Welsh rugby union international
* James Roberts (British athlete), James Roberts, Paralympic rower and sitting volleyball
*
David Smith, boccia
* Chris White (rugby union), Chris White, English international rugby referee
* Marcus Wyatt (skeleton racer), Marcus Wyatt, Skeleton World Cup, World Cup skeleton racer
See also
* Armorial of UK universities
* Academic dress of the University of Wales
* Education in Wales
* GLIMPSE Project
* List of universities in Wales
* List of UK universities
*
Singleton Abbey
* Technium
References
External links
Swansea UniversitySwansea University Student Union (SUSU) websiteSwansea University Athletic Union (SUAU) website
{{authority control
Swansea University, Swansea University
Universities in Wales
Swansea Bay
Organisations based in Swansea
Educational institutions established in 1920
1920 establishments in Wales
Universities UK