Bucks new university

• Location: Several campuses in Buckinghamshire, England,
• Year of foundation: 1891,
• Number of students: about 14,000,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of study: mixed.

Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) is a public multidisciplinary university located on several academic territories in Buckinghamshire, England.

The history of BNU began in 1891, when the School of Science and Art was founded. For more than 130 years, the university's active teaching and scientific activities have changed not only the fate of the students who received their education here, but also the life of the local community. High-quality academic plans, a focus on individual studying, extensive opportunities for acquiring practical skills, developing personal interests, and other important aspects of university life attract hundreds of local and foreign students to BNU campuses every year.

The institution teaches British higher education programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. From animation, film, media, television, or costume design programs to the hospitality industries, with an extensive range of courses, students are sure to find the right specialization for their future careers! International students are offered support in the format of individual consultations, preparatory courses before direct admission to higher education degrees.

Kevin McDonnell

Specialist in International Students of the University of Sussex

What are the currently popular courses at UK universities?

UK universities are known for their diverse subject offerings. Business, medicine, and engineering traditionally see high demand, with growing interest in computer science. 

Recognized as a No1 university in student support, BNU is a place for higher education for a diverse student group of different cultures, countries. The university staff offers a wide range of support: from well-being support, financial advice, career guidance to finding suitable housing, providing contacts for government organizations, planning a career path.

BNU includes several specialized schools, faculties and centers representing the following areas:

• Hospitality, hospitality,
• Art, design, performance,
• Aviation, Security,
• Business, law,
• Creative, digital industries,
• Engineering, Built Environment,
• Healthcare, social security,
• Humanities, Social Sciences,
• Nursing, obstetrics.

They provide specialized training for students, research work, and practice.

Research and knowledge sharing are central to BNU's mission to bring about positive change in industry and society. Around 44% of research papers are recognised as world-leading or internationally excellent, making BNU the right place for those who would like to dedicate their lives to innovation, improving the quality of life of the community.

The educational institution guarantees accommodation for new students, while not ignoring the rest of the students. If there are not enough rooms in the residence, the staff offers students alternative housing options: private houses, rooms in third—party university residences, apartments near educational areas.

The High Wilcom campus offers three modern residences:

• Hughenden

The residential building is about a 15-minute walk from the campus. The rooms are equipped either with a private bathroom and a shared kitchen-dining room in apartments for six people, or studio rooms with a built-in kitchenette. All rooms have Wi-Fi, wired internet connection, fully furnished.

• Brook Street

The residence is a five-minute walk from the campus. The housing stock consists of apartments with 6-10 bedrooms. Each apartment shares a kitchen-dining room, two showers, two toilets. Each room has its own washbasin, fully furnished, wired Internet access and Wi-Fi.

• Windsor House

It is located in the heart of High Wycombe, just a five-minute walk from the university. The living conditions here are the same as in Hughenden: rooms with either a private bathroom and a shared kitchen-dining room in shared apartments for six people, or studio rooms with a kitchenette.

If a student studies on university grounds in Uxbridge or Aylesbury, they can stay in one of the High Wilcom residences or choose private housing. Free shuttles run daily from the campus to the residential buildings.

None of the residential buildings offer accommodation with a meal plan, so students take care of it themselves by visiting BNU cafeterias and dining halls, restaurants, cafes and shopping malls in the city. The kitchen areas equipped in the residences are fully prepared for self-cooking and food storage.

The BNU Student Union ranks first in the UK due to a variety of criteria, for example, free social, sports, personal development and entertainment events for all students. The Student Union heads hundreds of thematic communities, organizes most of the events on campuses, and unites the student and teaching staff of the institution.

Thematic communities are one of the most sought-after areas of extracurricular activities. They reflect the interests, hobbies and goals of individual student groups, help students find like-minded people, promote their own ideas, and achieve results.

Some of the communities are:

• Anime, cosplay,
• Aviation,
• Men's mental health,
• Board and video games,
• Esports,
• Christian Union,
• Dramatic Art,
• Indian Society,
• K-pop,
• Musical theater,
• Podcasting,
• The Society of Paramedicine.

Community members take part in many events on campus: from workshops, parties to large-scale concerts, field competitions.

Sport is another important area of extracurricular activities for BNU students. Thanks to the diverse sports infrastructure, experienced coaches, and the support of medical professionals, students can achieve excellent results and even build a career in their chosen sport. Some of the directions of physical activity are:

• Athletics,
• Basketball,
• Badminton,
• Hockey,
• Cheerleading,
• Football,
• Dancing,
• Rugby,
• Netball,
• Volleyball,
• Swimming,
• Cricket,
• Archery,
• Jiu-jitsu,
• Horseback riding.

Since all recreational activities are free thanks to the Student Union and its The Big Deal program, students have the opportunity not only to continue doing what they loved at home, but also to try new directions that they might not even have thought about. Everything is available to students: from trips to the theater, the Thorpe amusement park, quest rooms, mixology demonstrations to djing and much more - there really is something for everyone to do here.

Additional professional skills seminars are also offered free of charge, conducted by experienced teachers and invited specialists.

• No. 1 in the UK in terms of student satisfaction — NSS 2024,
• One of the top ten universities in terms of international education — Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023,
• Some programs, such as Film Production, Photography, Graphic Design, and Fine Arts, have made the university famous as one of the best in terms of their teaching in the UK.,
• The Office of Student Affairs is highly rated for extremely stimulating experiences, small class sizes, and an emphasis on hands—on, professional learning using simulations and practical assignments - TEF Silver 2023,
• The BNU Student Union ranks first in the country,
• No. 1 in terms of student support,
• The colossal employment rate of graduates is 96%,
• Guaranteed placement of new students.

The main educational area of the institution is the academic site in High Wycombe. It is only a 30-minute train ride from central London, and a short drive from Oxford, Reading and Birmingham. Thanks to excellent transport links, students will be able to easily reach the city's pubs, restaurants, shopping and entertainment centers, go outside the city to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the county. The main campus is home to a number of modern facilities, such as personal workspaces for art and design, an aviation simulator, a gym, and film and television studios.

The Uxbridge campus is dedicated to the education of students who have chosen medical specialties: a number of work rooms, simulation laboratories, operating rooms, classrooms for research and much more have been created on this academic territory. Uxbridge is close to the London Metropolitan and Piccadilly underground lines, and the nearest station is just a five—minute walk away. In the city itself, students will be able to explore the many shops, restaurants and bars, and the cozy countryside.

The Aylesbury campus, built in 2015 and the newest of the three academic areas, offers a wide range of specialized facilities for various fields, including nursing, preparatory year programs, business, law, and computer science courses. Surrounded by countryside and private homes, this small and quiet neighborhood offers the feeling of a close-knit community. There are a number of shops and pubs in the city itself.

Seminars on some of the programs are held at the Missenden Abbey Convention Center in Great Missenden. The Conference Center is located in the heart of the Chiltern Hills, just a five-minute walk from the train station with direct connections to London Marylebone, as well as from bus stops running to the university campuses.

In addition to dozens of lecture halls, specialized laboratories, computer labs, and halls for group classes, the campuses have distinctive facilities that are unique in their facilities available to students.

Some of them are:

• 3D workshops will allow students to explore a range of materials using modern and traditional techniques: from wood, ceramics and metal to FabLab, where they use 3D printing, CAD/CAM, model making, painting and finishing,
• Photo studios are specialized rooms with industrial—standard lighting, a dark area, a professional scanning complex and a printing bureau.,
• Fashion and textile studios are a two—story workspace where students create costumes.
• Sewing workshops, areas with laser cutters, knitting machines, digital and thermal transfer equipment for Mimaki printing on fabric, thermal presses and other technologies have been prepared here.,
• Flight simulator Elite S812 FNPT II, designed for training students studying at the Aviation School,
• The Gateway Gym is the largest sports building at BNU. Here you can find cardio and strength training areas, stretching and dancing classes, medical rooms and other facilities for individual and group classes.

Classes start in September-October, February.  The academic year is divided into two semesters.

Additional fees include:

• Registration fee
• A deposit confirming a place on the course
• Examination fees
• Tuition fee deposit
• Round-trip flights
• Round trip transfer
• Compulsory medical insurance
• Personal pocket expenses
• Visa fees and services, translation and certification of documents
• Consular fee (to be paid at the Embassy).

Future students will have to go through several introductory stages, many of which are available in a completely remote format:

• Filling out a detailed questionnaire, providing the required documents,
• Payment of registration fees,
• Receiving an invitation to entrance exams,
• Passing an interview, possible tests,
• Receiving an official letter of readiness for enrollment,
• Payment of part or full of the tuition fee,
• Arrive on campus to attend orientation events, settle in a residence and start your studies.

Graduation statistics annually show high-quality specialized preparatiom, teaching success and the modernity of the BNU curriculum - 96% of students are employed or continue their academic path within 12 months after graduation. If a student experiences difficulties, university staff will help him find a place to work, an internship.

Before enrolling in higher education programs, foreign applicants who have not previously studied in the English educational system and in English will have to complete a preparatory course. The general requirements for enrolling in one of the programs are:

• Personal documents: passport, medical insurance, visa or residence permit,
• A certificate or diploma from a previous place of study: school, bachelor's degree or master's degree, depending on the candidate's level of education. You should also provide assessment reports and exam results.,
• Language test results: IELTS (from 6.0), TOEFL iBT (from 80), PTE Academic (from 59) or equivalent. The higher the level of education, the higher the required English language scores.

Many degrees require either passing entrance tests, or having a portfolio of individual achievements in a chosen field.

A large number of scholarships designed for especially gifted and successful students cover part of the cost of annual tuition and other expenses. Awards are given according to various criteria: high academic scores, sports achievements, scientific activities or others. There are also scholarships that are issued to first-year students on the basis of high performance at the previous place of study, offer free preparatory courses.

Students can count on financial support in special circumstances when they cannot pay for their studies on their own. The university awards several such scholarships, as well as partner institution programs, and searches for government grants, loans, and credits that fit the situation.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision