Glasgow Caledonian University

Glasgow Caledonian University (informally GCU or Caledonian) is a public university in

Glasgow, Scotland.

Home to more than 20,000 students, it is now one of Scotland's largest universities and, with over

£ 45million recently invested in state-of-the-art facilities, its main campus in Glasgow city centre is regarded

as one of the most modern campuses in the UK.

Key statistics

The university is made up of three schools: the School of Engineering and Built Environment, Glasgow

School for Business and Society, and School of Health and Life Sciences. GCU also has a presence in

New York City and in Spitalfields in London, which offers postgraduate courses in fashion.  Programme

subject areas include business, engineering, health, vision sciences, nursing, life sciences, computing and

the environment.

GCU prides itself on being a practical institution that offers a unique range of degree programmes.

It is the only university to offer an Honours degree in Risk Management and its London-based school of

fashion is the only one of its kind to offer an MBA in Luxury Brand Management. It prides itself on its overseas

initiatives such as the Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing in Dhaka, which it cofounded in 2010 to help improve

healthcare standards in Bangladesh.

The university's practical approach has led to the development of teaching facilities such as a virtual hospital,

broadcasting suite and a fashion factory. It’s an approach that’s been commended by the Confederation of

British Industry and Future Fit, among others, for successfully preparing its students for employment.

GCU is also a popular choice among students for its courses in nursing and midwifery, and the university boasts strong

links with the NHS.

It has a strong reputation for implementing effective widening access policies. Its award-winning initiative,

The Caledonian Club, works with young people in Glasgow and London to tackle below average progression rates

into higher education.

The university's motto is 'For the common good' and it is one of only 29 universities and colleges in the world to be

certified as a 'Changemaker Campus' by Ashoka U, for promoting higher education as a vehicle for social change.

It is also the first Scottish university to be accredited by the Living Wage Foundation.

Commonly referred to as the 'culture capital' of Scotland, Glasgow was also cited by National Geographic in 2016 as

being one of the top places in the world to visit.

Notable Alumni

·        Rhona Martin MBE – Scottish curler, gold-medallist in Olympic Winter Games, 2002.

·        Khalid Abdulrahim – CEO and Chairman of construction company, Cebarco Bahrain which has

          over 4,500 staff.

·        Laura Bartlett – bronze medallist member of Team GB hockey squad, 2012 Olympics.

·        Gary Lewis – actor in Billy Elliot, My Name is Joe and Gangs of New York among other productions.

·        Professor David Gartry – first to perform laser eye surgery for short-sightedness in the UK.

·        David Sibbald OBE – co-founder of Atlantech Technologies, sold to Cisco systems in 2000 for

          $180milion; and a Vice-President of UK UNICEF.

·        Professor Ian Deary – internationally renowned for work on human cognitive ageing and cognitive abilities,

         Professor of Differential Psychology at the University of Edinburgh.

·        Gordon Smith – former Rangers football player, former BBC pundit and former Chief Executive of the

         Scottish Football Association.

·        Phyllida Law – acclaimed actress and writer.

·        Henry Simmons – Chief Executive, Alzheimer’s Scotland

English Language Requirements

• Please note: some programmes may have higher minimum requirements.
• General standards are: academic IELTS 6.0 with no single element below 5.5; or

           Trinity College London, Integrated Skills in English (ISE) – Pass at Level III; or Pearson PTE

           Academic with overall score of 54, minimum score of 51 in Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing

           elements; or GCSE or IGCSE in English or English as a First Language with grade C.

• INTO GCU offers programmes and courses for international students seeking additional support

           to meet the academic and English language requirements for direct entry to university.

• Please refer to the university website for details.

Accommodation for International Students

• International students who apply early are guaranteed accommodation. 

• Students tend to be housed together, depending on age group, and do not have to move

           out of their accommodation during Christmas and Easter vacations.

• Accommodation is at GCU’s Caledonian Court, located just across the road from the campus.

          Housing 660 students in 100 modern self-catering apartments, it offers a friendly atmosphere in a secure,

          convenient location with staff on site. All rooms have internet/Wi-Fi access.

• Accommodation fees include Internet access, electricity and heating.

Scholarships

GCU has a variety of scholarships to offer international students. These include a guaranteed scholarship

of £1,000 available to self-funded students on undergraduate and postgraduate full-time taught programmes,

merit based country scholarships, alumni scholarships and more. GCU also offer joint scholarships,

such as the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship.

There are numerous other scholarships. Kindly refer to the university website for detail qualifications required.

Other scholarships

You can also apply for the British Government's Chevening Scholarships, and a variety of private agencies and

charities for scholarships, bursaries and grants to study in the UK. For more information visit the 

British Council website or the UK Council for International Student Affairs website.