We Are Essex

Financial crises. Unemployment. Immigration. Global competition. At Essex we push the frontiers of accepted wisdom. We examine the decisions of individuals, the strategies of firms and the policies of governments.

We are one of Europe's leading economics departments. Our creative and committed academics undertake world-leading research, pioneering new solutions to global issues. This work informs our postgraduate courses. You'll learn alongside research stars who are breaking new ground in all fields of economics.

We're home to staff and students from all over the world who want to think, learn and achieve together. If you're ingenious, industrious and independent, welcome home.

What makes us unique?

• 96% student satisfaction (NSS 2015), ranked top 5 in the UK
• Ranked 5th in the UK for research excellence (REF 2014)
• Top 20 in the UK (The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2016)
• Ranked among the top 150 departments on the planet according to the QS World Rankings 2016
• Well-connected with international organisations and financial centres

We are world leaders in political science, asking difficult questions to find important answers. Where will the next civil war start? Can we predict social unrest from tweeting patterns? We'll help you understand how the forces that shape our world really work.

Our postgraduate courses train you to be fearless and independent, to question everything and to draw on the broadest possible range of facts and ideas. Some of the biggest names in the field work at Essex, giving you unrivalled access to the best minds in politics. As well as conducting ground-breaking research, your lecturers advise political parties, governments and international NGOs.

If you want to study with the best and are prepared to challenge your own opinions to uncover the truth, welcome home.

Our strengths:

• 92% student satisfaction (NSS 2015)
• Ranked among the top 30 departments on the planet according to the QS World Rankings 2016
• UK's leading political science research department
• Top in the UK for research excellence (REF 2014)
• Top 10 in the UK (The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2016)
• Awarded Q-Step Affiliate status to develop quantitative skills

Come and study History in Britain’s oldest recorded town. We are a friendly and supportive department which will provide you with a structured introduction to doing History, as well as opportunities to study a wide range of historical periods and places. From slavery, Stalin’s Russia, and Mao’s China, to the position of women in early-modern England, we view history through the eyes of ordinary people, as well as those of kings, queens and politicians. We help you to understand the events and ideas that fired people in the past, and which are still burning issues in our own day.

In becoming historians with us you will be supported by leading experts, and have the chance to apply historical skills gained to do your own research, and take History into the community. With us you can feed your passion for History but also develop the confidence in your powers of analysis, presentation, self-awareness, and digital expertise, that you will need in your future careers and lives.

Why history at Essex?

• 98% student satisfaction - top 10 in the UK in National Student Survey 2015
• Learn from leading historians with expertise stretching around the globe
• Flexible degrees with a range of history modules covering from 1450 to the present
• Courses incorporating vital careers skills from the outset

It is fundamental to our thought, our relationships and our civilisations. Study for a postgraduate course in language and linguistics and open the door to a whole new world.

We are one of the largest and most prestigious language and linguistics departments in the world.

You'll become part of an academic community that undertakes world-leading research. Your lecturers are internationally renowned. Their books figure prominently on reading lists at other universities.

If you want a global outlook, are interested in human communication and want to study for a degree with real-world practical value in a world-class department, welcome home.

Our strengths:

• 83% student satisfaction (NSS 2015)
• Top 10 in the UK for research quality (REF 2014)
• Ranked among the top 150 departments on the planet according to the QS World Rankings 2016
• All languages taught by native or bi-lingual teachers
• Internationally-recognised textbooks by our academics

We are an interdisciplinary department with expertise in English literature, drama, creative writing, journalism, film and screen media. Our courses are taught by leading academics, writers, film makers and journalists, and allow you to follow specialised pathways or to combine your interests across our subject areas.

We have an international reputation for the quality of our research and teaching, with excellent scores for student satisfaction and graduate prospects.

Our strengths

• Top in the UK for student satisfaction in film studies – 100% satisfaction in National Student Survey 2015
• 6th for drama in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2015)
• Top 20 in the UK for English and creative writing (Guardian University Guide 2015)
• Use of our state-of-the-art Lakeside Theatre
• Dedicated film screening and editing facilities, and media centre

Maths at Essex has a broad reach. From identifying key factors in recession-hit towns to being at the centre of the University’s pioneering work on data, you’ll join expert mathematicians who undertake ground-breaking research which makes a difference every day.

We want you to be the best you can be and are committed to developing the mathematicians, actuaries and statisticians of the future. We are award-winning teachers and passionate academics, and our staff and students know each other personally – we are a true academic family.

Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you graduate with the Essex mindset that maths is far more than an academic discipline: maths is everywhere.

Our strengths:

• Small and friendly department
• Dedicated workstations for research students
• One of our University's founding departments

At Essex you have the freedom and the facilities to study, experiment, explore and research why we think, feel and act the way we do.

We have a truly diverse academic community where different levels of experience and expertise are brought together by shared passions and interests. Our courses are accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), giving you professional status and allowing you the flexibility to determine your own academic career path.

Pushing boundaries is at the heart of what we do – in our teaching and our research. We’re committed to giving you the best access to state-of-the-art equipment, in our purpose-built psychology facility with dedicated labs, suites and classrooms.

Joining us at postgraduate level means you develop the knowledge, skills, friendships and professional networks to set you up for life.

Our strengths:

• Top 5 in the UK for student satisfaction with 97% satisfaction (NSS 2015)
• Exceptional research labs and facilities including our Centre for Brain Science
• 13th in the UK for our research, and 90% of our research rated as 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent'
• Courses accredited by the British Psychological Society
• An ESRC-accredited Doctoral Training Centre

We're about what makes people tick – why we are the way we are, how we develop and understand the world, what goes on deep down in our emotions, relationships and society as a whole.

We're unique: the only place where under one roof you can find a multifaceted clinical and academic approach to both psychoanalytic and Jungian studies. Our research puts us at the forefront of our field, challenging unquestioned norms and shaping professional practice. Our staff are acclaimed professors, clinicians and practitioners.

Our close relationships with the National Health Service, education, care services and professional institutions ensure our postgraduate courses are relevant, up-to-date and responsive to the needs of society.

So, if you're fascinated by human relationships and culture and want to dig deeper, welcome home.

What makes us unique?

• 95% student satisfaction rate (NSS 2015)
• Ranked in the top 10 in the UK for research quality (REF 2014)
• Strong links with the local National Health Service, education and care services and professional institutions

Sociology touches every aspect of your daily life. How you relate to politicians, celebrities, your teachers, your friends. How you define yourself, your family and others. At Essex we investigate what connects people and what divides them. We explore questions of social justice and equality.

We are in the top 25 sociology departments in the world and top-rated in the UK for the quality of our research. We embed our innovative and sometimes controversial research into our postgraduate courses, linking theory with evidence. Our world-leading academics will teach you to have your finger on the pulse of modern society.

If you want to be stretched and challenged, if you're ready to develop a sociological imagination and take it out into the world, welcome home.

Why we are unique:

• 96% student satisfaction (NSS 2015), ranked in the top 10% in the UK
• Ranked among the top 30 departments on the planet according to the QS World Rankings 2016
• Rated top 10 in the UK for research quality (REF 2014)
• Dedicated student resource centre offering academic and personal support
• Awarded Q-Step Affiliate status to develop quantitative skills

For 50 years, East 15 has produced actors, directors, theatre practitioners and technicians for the international stage, TV, film and radio. We were founded by Margaret Bury, growing from the work of Joan Littlewood’s famed Theatre Workshop which broke new ground, re-interpreting the classics for a modern age, commissioning new plays from socially committed writers, and creating an ensemble capable of inventing new work. This evolved into an outstanding ensemble that combined inspired, improvisational brilliance with method, technique, research, text analysis and the intense expression of truthful emotion. Much of our original approach was based upon the theories of Stanislavsky and, over the years, our new training methods have embraced approaches from diverse practitioners, such as Michael Chekhov, Rudolf Laban, Jerzy Grotowski, Jacques Lecoq, Peter Brook and other important contemporary trainers.

In 2000, we became a department of the University of Essex, opening an exciting new chapter and offering more opportunities to our students. Since then, more than £13 million has been spent on new buildings and facilities for our students at Loughton (on the edge of east London) and Southend-on-Sea, including the Clifftown Studios, once a Victorian gothic church which now enjoys a new lease of life following conversion into studios, workshops and a state-of-the-art theatre and performance space. We have also developed new programmes that take our students into the new era of internationally and culturally diverse theatre, film and physical theatre performance territories.

We are a member of the leading group of UK conservatoires, the Conference of Drama Schools, which grants our students automatic entry to Equity, the actor’s union. We are accredited by National Council for Drama Training and are now one of the largest specialist theatre schools in the UK, with distinguished international teaching staff.

We're champions of responsible management and sustainable business. We use creativity and innovation to drive organisations forward and make them better places to do business.

We’re a growing, ambitious and international community of more than 2,000 researchers, students and entrepreneurs, ranked in the UK's top 20 (Association of Business Schools). Our courses equip you to research, question and challenge assumptions. You learn from world-leading academics and practitioners, solving real-world business challenges.

If you have the drive and determination to make a difference, your voice will be heard. We help you to take control of your career and create ideas, products and services with real value. Business as usual? Not at Essex.

Why choose us?

• Essex is second for student satisfaction (NSS 2015)
• Ranked in the UK's top 25 for research excellence (REF 2014)
• Learn business fundamentals in a supportive environment
• Awarded Q-Step Affiliate status to develop quantitative skills
• Professionally accredited courses

We are an innovative, laboratory-based teaching and research centre, with an international reputation for cutting-edge work combining economic and financial modelling with computational implementation.

Get a head start in financial services with our specialist postgraduate courses in computational finance. As an interdisciplinary centre we bring together leading academics in the field from our University's departments of economics, computer science and business.

Our strengths:

• Cross-disciplinary syllabus incorporating the latest research
• Practical hands-on instruction across all courses
• Strong emphasis on skills and knowledge required by the industry
• Hosting advanced workshops and seminars
• Excellent links with government and industry, particularly via our City Associates Board

Organised health and social care is one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century, made possible by the vision and dedication of the professionals who staff it. We prepare you to join that inspirational workforce as a caring, compassionate and competent professional who shares our commitment to improving lives.

We are at the forefront of preparing people to solve real-life issues in health and society, offering courses that both commissioners and employers believe in. People are at the heart of all we do. We work in partnership with people from all walks of life, who offer us their expertise and experience, making us a team of people who truly understand what is needed from health and social care professionals – now and in the future.

Our strengths

• Specialist laboratories
• Innovative teaching
• Strong partnerships
• Real experience
• Flexible programmes

We are freer, more daring and more experimental than many traditional law schools. Our approach is global in outlook, based on justice, and reflects our commitment to providing a legal education and carrying out research that is relevant and responsive to the demands of a changing society.

Our courses combine rigorous legal training with opportunities to develop practical expertise. This prepares you to become an outstanding legal professional and gives you the skills and knowledge to be an agent for change, whatever your ambitions.

Why law at Essex?

• Gain practical experience with our Essex Law Clinic and Human Rights Clinic
• Peer mentors guide you through your first year
• Leading research expertise across commercial law, public law, and human rights law

We offer degrees in philosophy, art history and curating. You can study these areas separately and combined with each other and a wide variety subjects including politics, sociology, law, history, languages and literature. The Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities is also based in our School and offers degrees in American (US) Studies, European Studies, Latin American Studies, Global Studies and Liberal Arts.

We have an excellent record for student satisfaction and strong research expertise in phenomenology, critical theory, medical humanities and classical German philosophy, as well as renaissance studies, eighteenth- and nineteenth-century art, modern and contemporary art, curatorial studies and art from Latin America.

Our interdisciplinary degrees span a range of subject areas such as politics, literature, history and sociology. This enables students to tackle contemporary problems from a range of persepctives and to think beyond artificial intellectual barriers.

Why study with us?

• Top 20 for philosophy research departments in the UK (REF 2014) and a leading centre for continental philosophy
• Top 10 for art history research departments in the UK (REF 2014)
• 95% student satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2015