Located right in the heart of London over six campuses, Imperial College offers students all the attractions of studying in the great city plus access to cutting edge facilities and courses, many of which rate on an international level.

In fact, Imperial is largely considered third in line to the English university throne behind Oxford and Cambridge in science-based studies such as engineering, medicine, natural sciences and management.

Since it was founded in 1907, Imperial has come to be recognized as a leading educator and rates highly on league tables – third in Europe and fifth in the world. It is also home to 14 Nobel Laureates.

Imperial engages some 13,000 full-time students from 158 countries who study in up to 238 taught courses.

Student Life
Living in London is definitely part of the experience, and a highlight, of studying at Imperial College London. Imperial has six campuses but the main one is in South Kensington which is something of a cultural hub for the arts and sciences with music, museums, shopping, eating places and even Hyde Park close by.

The other campus locations include Hammersmith, the teaching hospital St Mary’s, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Charing Cross Hospital and the medical campus Royal Brompton. There are two campuses located outside of London including Silwood Park and Wye. All campuses have good public transport facilities.

If the nearby entertainment districts aren’t enough, students at Imperial College also have a choice of 300 Clubs & Societies to attend which reflect much of the cultural diversity of London with everything from archery to cycling, debating, yoga, poker, netball, rugby, music and drama clubs.

Diversity
Imperial College London works hard to help students adjust to both its institution and life in London. There are a number of help services they provide. The Student Hub’s role is to assist students with queries regarding accommodation, examinations, finance and admissions.

The Advice Centre, run by the Union, is set up for issues pertaining to academic appeals, consumer rights, legal aid and also for international students facing homesickness or related problems.

Imperial provides a number of other services for foreign students. Chaplains, different faith societies and prayer rooms allow individuals to actively explore their religion on campus. There is also an Equal Opportunities Officer to deal with forms of discrimination and harassment.

Academic Programs & Resources
While Imperial is purely a science-based university, it still consistently ranks amongst the top UK universities and tops engineering and medicine tables. In fact, it usually comes in right after Oxford and Cambridge, although it did push Oxford to third in The Times 1999 and 2000 British League tables.

In Britain’s 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, Imperial’s five subjects Pure Mathematics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering all received the top rating for their internationally recognized research quality.

In the 2009 The Times Higher Education – QS World University Rankings Imperial was recognized in engineering and information technology (2nd in Europe and 6th in the world), life sciences and biomedicine (3rd in Europe and joint 17th in the world) and natural sciences (3rd in Europe and 10th in the world).

The student to staff ratio at Imperial is 10.9:1.

Faculty & Staff
Imperial’s research income is amongst the highest in the UK, allowing staff to actively pursue and develop their careers. Imperial College has also developed Imperial Innovations whereby research can be commercialized. Such practices continue to allow Imperial seek and employ high-rating staff.

In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, 26 percent of the 1,225 staff submitted from Imperial were given a four star rating and considered world-leading. Another 47 percent were given three star ratings and considered internationally excellent.

Safety, Health & Wellness
Given the central London location of many campuses, students are always advised to be cautious about their safety when travelling late at night, alone or with valuables. However the South Kensington campus does have a good safety record.

There are free, confidential counseling services provided at the South Kensington, Hammersmith and Silwood Park Campuses for students. Staff have access to the Employee Assistance Provider, a 24 hour phone or online helpline.

And there is a Health Centre at Princes Gardens for all Imperial College students with GPs, nurses, counselors, therapists and physiotherapists on call.

Imperial students also have free access to sports facilities for their health, fitness and well-being. Some of these facilities include tennis courts, a gymnasium, swimming pool and boathouse.

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