Undergraduate prospectus
Why choose Essex: why choose the
Southend Campus
- The University’s Southend Campus is located in the heart of
Southend-on-Sea, just off the town’s High Street and close to the railway
station, so students are well located to enjoy the many attractions Southend
and the surrounding areas have to offer.
- Southend-on-Sea is situated on the south Essex coast. Just 50 minutes
from London, Southend is served with excellent road and rail transport
links. Southend’s seven miles of award-winning coastline provides
opportunities for a wide range of water sports and leisure activities.
- The Southend Campus has the University Square, the new student
accommodation which is due for completion in September 2010. The development
of the 561-room University Square includes many green and sustainable
features. The flats have ‘cluster’ kitchens which have a modern/contemporary
feel and, along with the study rooms, will offer high-quality accommodation
for students in October. Current Southend Campus students and prospective
students will be able to tour the accommodation from March 2010. The accommodation is just a two minute walk from The
Gateway Building and is in the heart of the town centre.
- The Gateway Building offers state-of-the-art teaching and learning
environments including modern lecture rooms and studios with panoramic sea
views. The Clifftown Studios provide extensive rehearsal and performance
space in former church.
- The Southend Campus has always welcomed overseas students which makes
for a rich and varied cultural experience. Since many of our staff are also
of different nationalities, students feel part of a thriving international
community.
- The Students’ Union offers the perfect location to
spend free time and access advice and guidance. The University also offers a
network of services to assist and support students throughout their studies.
- Students at the Southend Campus can follow a carefully defined programme of study to pursue career ambitions. Specialist instruction in
the areas of business, health and performing arts can provide a direct
pathway into related fields of employment.
The University’s Southend Campus is located in the heart of
Southend-on-Sea, just off the town’s High Street. Southend is located on the
south Essex coast, at the mouth of the River Thames, just 50 minutes from
central London. Southend is often referred to as ‘London’s playground’, and
with its seven miles of award-winning coastline, attracts over six million
visitors per year.
Eating, drinking and dancing
Southend’s mix of fashionable bars, modern restaurants, nightclubs and
alternative venues ensure that the town really comes to life at night.
During the day, coffee bars and cafés offer a cosmopolitan environment in
which to enjoy your free time.
Cuisines from around the world are served in a huge selection of
restaurants, bistros and brasseries to suit all tastes and budgets.
Franchises such as Nandos, Pizza Express and La Tasca, operate alongside
independent, family-run restaurants encompassing a variety of cuisines from
Chinese and Thai to Italian and Greek.
A wide range of pubs, late night bars and nightclubs around the High
Street and seafront present plenty of opportunities for a more lively night
out and somewhere to dance the night away with your friends.
Arts and culture
Southend offers a rich tapestry of cultural venues, activities and
events, from art galleries and theatres to special events and festivals,
including a folk festival, carnival, firework displays and the largest free
air show in Europe.
Theatre-goers are well catered for: the Cliffs Pavilion and Palace
Theatre present touring productions, ballets, concerts and comedy, whilst
the University’s Clifftown Studios, housed in a converted church, provides
an atmospheric space for student and professional productions. There is also
a thriving live music scene in Southend, with an array of venues staging
gigs by local bands as well as up and coming indie and rock bands.
A strong community of local artists exhibit their works in a series of
small, local galleries, with the highlight of the year being the annual
Leigh Art Trail. Exhibitions are also shown at the Beecroft Gallery and the
Focal Point, a gallery renowned for its photographic exhibitions.
Leisure activities
Southend-on-Sea has a dazzling array of leisure facilities to keep you
entertained, or indeed relaxed. Seven miles of glorious coastline offer a
wealth of water sports and activities, from the traditional sailing and
windsurfing to high-speed jetskiing and the increasingly popular
kitesurfing.
Southend’s High Street is a popular destination for shoppers with an
assortment of shops to satisfy most pockets. For independent and specialist
shops, head to Leigh-on-Sea, while ardent shoppers can travel less than an
hour to Lakeside or Bluewater shopping centres. At the bottom of the High
Street is the attractively landscaped Pier Hill which leads to the seafront
with its amusement arcades, theme park, bowling alley, marine life centre
and, of course, the world famous mile-long pier.
For those who prefer to spend their leisure time in a more sedate
fashion, the eight-screen Odeon cinema offers film lovers a wide choice,
whilst the award-winning parks, gardens and nature reserves around Southend
offer peace and tranquillity.
Further afield
The small fishing town of Leigh-on-Sea, just three miles from central
Southend, combines old world charm with a modern cosmopolitan
atmosphere. From traditional pubs and cockle sheds on the quayside to
contemporary bars, restaurants and independent boutiques on Leigh
Broadway, the town presents an agreeable alternative to the hustle and
bustle of Southend.
From Leigh, enjoy a walk across the downs through Hadleigh Country
Park to explore the ruins of a thirteenth-century castle and enjoy the
views across the estuary. Watch out for cyclists though: in 2012, the
park is host to the Olympic mountain biking event.
Well located
Southend is served by two train lines and two major roads, the A13
and A127, which all run into London. The Gateway Building is adjacent to
Southend Central train station, from where London can be reached in
under an hour. Both Stansted and Gatwick international airports are only
just over an hour away and Southend’s own airport is soon to expand its
passenger flights to destinations across Europe.
The University of Essex provides a range of accommodation ensuring
that you will quickly feel at home and have the opportunity to make new
friends.