The distinctive qualities that make the Granite City an attractive place to study will be showcased on Wednesday (March 3) when the University of Aberdeen hosts its sixth annual MA Applicant Day.
Prospective students will travel from far and wide to find out about the broad range of MA courses available at the University — and to get a flavour of student life in Aberdeen.
Through the MA programme they will be able to study subjects ranging from Accountancy, Film Studies, and Sociology, to traditional subjects like English, History and Philosophy.
They will also hear how the University has modernised the structure, content, delivery and flexibility of its degrees to ensure they match the needs of graduates and employers.
Aberdeen is the first university in Britain to undertake a comprehensive review of its curriculum and to implement changes, placing it firmly in the vanguard of progressive higher education in the world alongside Yale, Harvard, Melbourne and Hong Kong universities.
An activity-filled day of guided tours and subject presentations has been arranged for the estimated 800 visitors, as well as talks on a range of subjects including student funding, careers, and student support and accommodation.
This Applicant Day will also highlight the infrastructure investment which is making a major difference to the campus with new facilities such as the Aberdeen Sports Village and the development of the £57M Library and Special Collections Centre — the largest capital fundraising project undertaken by the University.
From 2010, new first year undergraduates at Aberdeen will more choice of courses, including newly designed Sixth Century courses, designed to contrast how different disciplines approach issues.
Students will also have the opportunity to study one of six languages, including Arabic or Mandarin Chinese, business, or a series of other subjects, intensively for two years alongside their main subject.
Professor Trevor Salmon, Director of Teaching and Learning for the College of Arts and Social Sciences, said: “Our students have a wide and varied choice about what they study in their first two years and many end up graduating in subjects they had not previously considered.
“The broad and flexible MA degree at Aberdeen continues to be attractive to prospective students from all over the world.”
On the morning of the MA Applicant Day, students will be welcomed to the University by Professor Salmon, who will talk about student life on campus, and Vice-Principal Professor Bryan MacGregor will explain the structure of the MA degree.
Students can then visit the Elphinstone Hall where more than 30 information stands will be set up for all the MA disciplines. Academic staff will be on hand to answer any questions and to chat with students and their parents.
Professor Salmon added: “Aberdeen is such a distinctive city, which is big enough to provide all the advantages of city life, yet compact and friendly enough to enjoy the more intimate atmosphere usually associated with small towns.
“King’s College offers a sense of history in the daily life of a university but through Curriculum Reform we are further enhancing the student experience and ensuring our graduates are equipped to take on the 21st Century.”
Further information on the MA Applicant Day on Wednesday, March 3, is available by contacting the College of Arts and Social Sciences, on 01224 272084, email: cass@abdn.ac.uk,or by visiting: www.abdn.ac.uk/maapplicantday