So much more than talking about jobs

University Alliance (UA) are a group of 16 leading professional and technical universities across the UK. They specialise in providing students with high-quality hands-on higher education.  

Their courses are often designed and taught with employers, and they are a leading provider of degree apprenticeships and placement opportunities.  

What is a professional and technical university?

University Alliance is a group of some of the UK’s leading professional and technical universities, but what is a professional and technical university?

Professional and technical universities specialise in working with industry and employers. That means that their students are empowered with career-ready skills, and their research supports businesses to innovate and thrive.

University Alliance is a group of some of the UK’s leading professional and technical universities. Our members deliver applied, career-informed teaching across healthcare, the creative industries, social sciences, business, engineering, computing and more.

What is it like to study at a professional and technical university?

Our students say there are three main things that make the experience of studying at one of University Alliance’s professional and technical universities stand out:

• Practical learning and assessment. At our universities, you are as likely to be assessed for a practical project as you are a written essay. The teaching style tends to be practical and interactive too.
• Employer contact. Employer contact is often built in to courses at our universities. This may mean placement opportunities are included, that teaching is delivered by industry professionals or that employers are commissioning students to deliver projects that are then assessed.
• Industry-standard facilities. Our universities often have facilities that are so up-to-date they are used by local business, industry and employers. That means students will encounter employers in and around campus, and that they learn using the same equipment they will then use in their careers.

What subjects can I study at a professional and technical university?

A whole range of subjects! While you might immediately associate ‘professional and technical’ with science and engineering subjects, our member universities also teach a range of creative and humanities subjects. Our biggest subject areas are:

• Healthcare
• Engineering
• Social sciences
• Creative industries
• Business and computing

When we talk about ‘professional and technical’ we are talking about the type of teaching and assessment. So across a range of subjects, a professional and technical university is likely to embed elements of employability and employer contact and include more practical learning opportunities.