Services and facilities
The School of Social Sciences is committed to ensuring that our students have access to the Academic Facilities, Support Services and the Arts, Culture and Sport Facilities that will enhance the undergraduate experience of all our students. Conveniently located close to the centre of the thriving city, students can also take advantage of all that Manchester has to offer.
Academic Facilities
Library facilities
The library facilities at Manchester are among the very best in the country. The John Rylands University Library is one of the largest and best-resources academic libraries in the UK with more than 4 million printed books and manuscripts. As well as its massive collection of books and journals, thousands more items can be accessed electronically via its website – on or off campus – with access to over 41,000 electronic journals and 500,000 electronic books, as well as several hundred databases. There are a variety of areas in the library that students can take advantage of including computer clusters, quiet study areas and group study rooms, with 24/7 access to the main library during examination periods.
Further information about the John Rylands University Library (JRUL) and the facilities and services available to students is available on the JRUL website.
IT facilities
Manchester IT provision is also amongst the best in the country, and is constantly growing and being updated. With over 10,000 PCs across campus the University has one of the largest academic computing facilities in Europe. All new students are issued with their own email account and have the use of several computer clusters which provide standard university software as well as a range of specialist software for the social sciences. Accessibility of our IT facilities to students is key, with 24/7 access to computer facilities on campus (including a 24-hour cluster in the Owens Park halls of residence) and optional internet access and access to the University network in most halls of residence.
Services
Student support
- Academic Advisement: All students within the School of Social Sciences are assigned an Academic Advisor, an academic member of staff to whom they can turn to for general advice and support during their studies, and gives an opportunity for students to build a personal relationship with an academic member of staff. Academic Advisors can provide advice on course unit choices and reflect on their continuing academic development.
- Peer-mentoring: This is a student-led means of pastoral support, currently covers every Discipline Area within the School, as well as the BA(Econ). It is designed so that new undergraduates can seek the advice and support of existing students, and it encourages the involvement and independence that characterizes Manchester social science graduates. Close links between peer mentoring and local student societies help to ensure that new undergraduates are inducted into a supportive and sociable setting.
- Induction: Students will find extensive induction programmes provided by the School and Discipline Areas at the start of their period of study, as well as written documentation about all aspects of their courses. Programme handbooks, structures and other useful documents are all easily accessible online via the School of Social Sciences intranet.
Support services
There are a wide range of support services available to students at the University of Manchester to ensure that they have the support they may need to make the most of their experience as an undergraduate student. These services include the Careers Service, the Disability Support Office, Counselling Service and Student Guidance Service:
- Counselling Service: The University of Manchester Counselling Service offers confidential help with any personal issues affecting work, self-esteem, relationships, mental health and general well-being. The Counselling Service is freely available to all University of Manchester students and has a team of professional counsellors with a wide range of experience and qualifications, including extensive expertise in counselling and psychotherapy, which allows them to help people cope better with problems affecting their work or general well-being. As well as individual counselling the Counselling Service offer a range of courses and workshops in which students can learn new personal skills or better ways of coping with particular issues. Further information is available on the Counselling Service website.
- Student Guidance Service (SGS): The SGS offers confidential advice on any matter relating to a student's studies, for example: course changes, interruptions, anxiety about academic ability or exams, guidance on academic appeals, or any issue affecting themselves or their academic progress. It is a completely confidential service run by a small team of part-time advisors, some of whom are members of academic staff. Further information is available on the Student Guidance Service website.
Arts, Culture and Sport Facilities
Whitworth Art Gallery
The Gallery is situated in Whitworth Park, about 1.5 miles south of Manchester city centre, at the southern end of The University of Manchester campus.
Originally founded in 1889 as the 'Whitworth Institute', the Gallery has grown and now has over 50,000 objects with collections of works on paper, wallpapers and flat textiles that are amongst the finest outside London. With free admission and a whole range of collections to view, including one of the country's finest collections of British Watercolours. The Whitworth Art Gallery is ideal for students who want to sample the cultural side of the Manchester experience.
Further information about the Gallery is available on the Whitworth Art Gallery website.
Manchester Museum
Based in the centre of the University campus the Manchester Museum collection holds almost 4.25 million objects and artifacts. A host of different attractions, including one of the largest and most important collections of ancient Egyptian artefacts in the United Kingdom and an award winning Vivarium, make this an invaluable resource for students looking for something a little different on campus.
Further information about Manchester Museum is available on the museum website.
Sports Facilities
Students have a whole range of sporting and exercise opportunities and facilities on hand in and near the University Campus. There are 3 main sporting facilities on campus. The Armitage Site, in fallowfield and in the heart of the student community has a whole suite of fitness equipment, rooms and pithes for student use. The Aquatics Centre, purpose built for the 2002 Commonwealth games, is one of the biggest and best swimming facilities in the country and is the only centre in the UK to have two 50-metre swimming pools under one roof. The Sugden Centre in the centre of campus has a range of facilities including a fitness suite, a workout studio, squash courts and 2 sports halls so that most sports and activities can be catered for. All these sporting facilities are available for students use at a discounted rate.
Further information about SPORT manchester, the University's sport service is available on the SPORT website.