A flourishing campus life
eSTABLISHED in 1850, St Mary’s University in London has been providing students with first-class education and unique social experience for more than 160 years. Si tuated in southwest London, nearby Strawberry Hill station and the River Thames, students of St Mary’s benefit from having access to Central London and the surrounding parks which populate the borough of Richmond, recognised as one of London’s safest districts.
Last month, St Mary’s was awarded full university status by the British Privy Council, recognising its years of stable growth, the quality of courses on offer and the excellent university experience provided to students.
A new vice-chancellor, Francis Campbell, will join St Mary’s in March, ushering in an exciting new era. Campbell comes with an excellent record, having worked in the British Diplomatic Service since 1997 and acted as Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister, Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, First Secretary at the British Embassy in Rome, Senior Policy Director with Amnesty International, Ambassador to the Holy See and Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan. Campbell will leave his current role as Head of the Policy Unit and Director of Innovation at UK Trade and Investment to take up the post at St Mary’s.
Receiving university status, along with the appointment of Campbell, heralds the beginning of an exciting time in St Mary’s long history.
Another new addition to St Mary’s is the challenging course, BSc (Hons) Applied Physics, delivered in collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory. From the weird worlds of quantum mechanics and relativity to radiation monitoring and medical imaging, from optoelectronics and telecommunications to superconductivity and space physics, from 3D manufacturing to the assessment of athletic performance by biomechanics, the Applied Physics degree programme has been designed to support students in their future careers via a strong engagement with high technology companies at the cutting edge of research and development.
The programme aims to develop the ability of students as the next generation of physicists to form educated and well-informed opinions on a range of topics of importance to mankind (environmental resources and future energy needs) and to the future technological well-being of the United Kingdom (aid to high technology companies, properties of novel materials of scientific and technological importance).
BSc (Hons) Applied Physics is a great course for students interested in Engineering and Physics but who are not yet sure which area they would like to specialise in. Receiving such a broad exposure to key themes within each subject helps to prepare students for postgraduate study with a specialist focus.
St Mary’s has steadily built a profile in Malaysia, welcoming students to a range of undergraduate and graduate degree programmes and providing teacher training courses to government-sponsored students. Its welcoming, nurturing and multicultural campus provides students with an excellent base to study, socialise and explore.
First year international students are guaranteed a room in one of St Mary’s various halls of residence, either on site or in the local area. Prices vary according to the size and facilities of each room.
With the working environment becoming increasingly competitive, St Mary’s works to support students in gathering experience, recording progress and putting forward their achievements in an engaging way to employers.
The Centre for Workplace Learning provides students with internships and work placements relevant to their course and postuniversity ambitions.
Recently, the International office at St Mary’s introduced a range of undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships which provide discounts of up to £1,000 (RM5,507) at undergraduate level and £3,000 (RM16,535) at postgraduate. Recognising that students excel in different areas, the scholarships are not limited only to academic excellence, but also sporting achievement, language skills and social engagement. Full details are available on the website with all students applying from outside of the European Union eligible to apply.
Derek Tan, a BSc Psychology student at St Mary’s, offers his insight into life at St Mary’s, the transition between Malaysian and British culture and his career hopes after graduation.