The University of Central Lancashire

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston was founded in 1828 as the Institution for the Diffusion of Knowledge. ‘Ex solo ad solem’, or in translation, ‘From the Earth to the Sun’, has been its motto ever since – helping people from all walks of life to make the most of their potential is what UCLan’s all about.

Today UCLan is one of the UK’s largest universities. With a student and staff community approaching 38,000 it is the fifth largest employer in the North West of England. Internationally UCLan has academic partners in all regions of the globe and it is on a world stage that the first class quality of its education was first recognised. The University has an increasingly thriving campus in Cyprus delivering UCLan programmes and original research within a UCLan environment and culture.

In 2010 UCLan became the first UK modern university to appear in the QS World University Rankings. In 2015 the Centre for World University Rankings placed UCLan in the top 3.8 percent of all worldwide universities, highlighting the progress the institution has made in providing students with real-world learning experiences and reflecting the institution’s broad pool of academic talent.

Amongst its programme portfolio of some 400 undergraduate and 200+ postgraduate courses, UCLan has been at the forefront of developing degrees in emerging disciplines such as Fashion and Forensic Science to more recent additions such as Dentistry and, new for 2015, undergraduate Medicine which is being delivered in the UK’s newest Medical School.

Aerospace Engineering is another new programme, part of UCLan’s commitment to grow its portfolio of engineering-related courses, and is coupled with the development of a £30 million+ Engineering Innovation Centre (EIC). The aim is to provide a rich source of new graduates that reflect the economic priorities of the North West, the UK and indeed the global economy.