Founded in the year 1495, the University of Aberdeen is the fifth oldest university in the UK. We have a student population of around 14,000 and a large international community of students drawn from 120 different countries. The University has an excellent reputation for teaching quality and research, and, over the years, has had four Nobel Prize winners.

The fastest rising university in the world's top 200, the University has also been ranked in the UK's top 10 for student satisfaction by the NSS Survey 2008. In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), 10 departments received the high rating of five as internationally distinguished and 19 departments received a rating of four recognising national excellence. The University thrives as an integral part of the economic, industrial and cultural life of north-east Scotland, creating a stimulating research infrastructure through partnership with local research institutes and specialist centres.

The University has a beautiful central campus where ancient buildings sit side by side with modern, first-class laboratories. The university library, over five sites, is one of the largest and best-equipped in Scotland and computing facilities are up-to-the-minute with wireless network access across the campus.

We also boast some of the most important museums in the country, with collections of international importance built up over centuries. A high-tech Language Centre is open to all students and offers excellent resources, including courses for students whose native language is not English.

Sports facilities are outstanding, and a new student centre also ensures that all recreational needs are catered for on-campus. We have embarked upon a £230 million investment programme to ensure that resources and facilities are the best in the country. This includes a brand new library, which will be established as a major intellectual and cultural learning centre for the 21st century, and an Olympic standard sports complex which will open in 2009. Our sixth century campaign has also brought some of the world's leading academics to the institution. In addition, a range of postgraduate resources are available to students, and support services rank with the best in the UK.

We offer a huge range of research opportunities across our three colleges of Arts and Social Sciences, Life Sciences & Medicine, and Physical Sciences, with 28 of our postgraduate research areas awarded four or five stars by the RAE.