2020 Undergraduate prospectus Why choose us? Individual education with emphasis on TOP 25 personal approach. UNIVERSITY Award-winning IN THE UK careers service, 91% (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide, 2019) of students employed or in further study A global spirit within six months, lots of opportunities th Learn from world- to add to your CV. leading experts: (Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education, 2018) in the top 25% INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOK of UK universities IN THE UK F OR 20(Times Higher Education for research rated World University Rankings, 2019) 4* and 3*. (Research Excellence Framework, 2014) Beautiful campus in a safe location with plenty to experience in the local area and easy access to Vibrant and active central London. community with strong (The 10 most beautiful universities in the UK, Times Higher student involvement: Education, 2018) 150 clubs and societies plus quality music, media and performing arts opportunities. RANKED ABOVE MOST RUSSELL GROUP INSTITUTIONS FOR STUDENT SATISFACTION (National Student Survey, 2018) For more information royalholloway.ac.uk/Xxxdept 3 Contents 6 Our history Degree listing 8 Your life at Royal Holloway 44 Biological Sciences 10 Location map 48 Business and Management 12 Campus map 52 Classics 14 Social activities 56 Computer Science 16 Sport and fi tness 18 Our mascot Colossus 60 Drama, Theatre and Dance 64 Earth Sciences 19 Volunteering 68 Economics 20 Students’ Union 72 Electronic Engineering 21 Our international community 76 English 23 Accommodation 80 Geography 26 Personal support and wellbeing 84 History 28 Your future career 88 Languages, Literatures and Cultures: 30 Your study at Royal Holloway Modern Languages 32 Study styles 92 Comparative Literature and Culture 33 Academic support 94 Liberal Arts 34 Study facilities 96 Law, Criminology and Sociology 37 Study abroad 100 Mathematics 38 What you need to know 104 Media Arts 40 Managing your fi nances 108 Music 42 Scholarships 112 Philosophy 43 Choosing your degree 116 Physics 120 Politics and International Relations 124 Psychology The text of this prospectus 128 Degree directory can be made available in 132 How to apply alternative formats upon 134 Entry requirements request to the Disability and Dyslexia Services. 136 Terms and conditions This prospectus was edited and produced by 137 Your lifelong alumni community the Marketing and Communications team, Royal Holloway. It was published in February 2019 138 Next steps and the information given was correct at that time. It is intended primarily for those considering 139 How to fi nd us admission to Royal Holloway as undergraduate students in 2020. As described in our terms and conditions (found online), occasionally it may be necessary for the university to vary the content and delivery of programmes from what is printed in this prospectus. The university endeavours to keep such changes and disruption to a minimum, but all applicants are advised to refer to the website prior to making any applications. 4 Welcome to Royal Holloway, University of London You are embarking on what may be one of the most important As one of the UK’s most international universities, ours is also a global journeys of your life. When you invest in your future by deciding to community. Our academics come from all over the world, bringing study at university, you make choices that could help infl uence who diverse perspectives to your studies. The Royal Holloway community you are, the friends you have and the person you become. stretches beyond the UK, with over 90,000 alumni around the world, many of whom come back to campus and share their experiences. Royal Holloway is ranked highly in the UK for the quality of our research, and importantly, also that of our teaching – a powerful Royal Holloway has a rich history and we’re proud to be a part of it. combination that directly benefi ts you. By choosing to study We continue to be inspired by the egalitarian and ambitious spirit of our here, you become part of a close-knit community that’s all about founders, from our passion for the value that comes from education inspiring you to succeed – academically, socially and culturally. We and knowledge, to putting our students at the heart of all we do. understand our purpose and are here to help you explore yours. I hope that you’ll want to join in the story too, and I look forward to Here, you can be the individual that you want to be, and advance on welcoming you here. the path to fi nding your purpose, your ‘why’. Students who come to Royal Holloway talk about how our campus supports a unique culture and a ‘feel’ that they love. Classes are Professor Paul Layzell taught by recognised, world-leading academics who will genuinely Principal get to know you. Their open door policy makes it easy to access the support and guidance you need to succeed. Royal Holloway, University of London royalholloway.ac.uk/xxx 5 Our history Royal Holloway and Bedford Colleges combine over 150 years of historic discoveries, notable alumni and academic innovation. Here are some of the milestones along the way. royalholloway.ac.uk/virtual-timeline 1886 1887 18491849 Royal Holloway College is opened The fi rst 28 studentsents Bedford College is founded by by HM Queen Victoria begin their studieses at Elizabeth Jesser Reid as the UK’s fi rst Royal Holloway higher education college for women College Early students include the novelist George Eliot, famed for Middlemarch, and the fi rst woman doctor Dr Elizabeth Blackwell, who trained nurses in the American Civil War 1860 18941 Sarah Parker Remond, the slavery abolitionist and earlyy StudentsS include the suff ragette Emily Wilding African American female DavisonD , who died at the Epsom Derby in 1913, the physician, is a student pioneeringp woman surgeon, Dr Louisa Martindale CBE, aand her sister, Hilda Martindale CBE, who argued for eequal pay and rights for women as a pioneering senior ccivil servant 1910 Countess Frances Lloyd George CBE, the wife and Private Secretary to Prime 1900 Minister David Lloyd George, Both Bedford and Royal Holloway Colleges are graduates in Classics admitted as Schools of the University of London 1905 The novelist Dame Ivy Compton-Burnett DBE and Professor Helen Cam CBE, who will become the fi rst 1912 female professor at Harvard, are students Margaret Benson becomes Professor of Botany at Royal Holloway College, the fi rst female science 1942 professor in the country Eunice Timberlake, Geography lecturer at 1914 Bedford College, develops 1948 new techniques in air Richmal Crompton, the 1922 navigation to aid air rescue Dame Lillian Penson, author of the Just William Professor of Modern Students include DameDame KathleenKathleen LonsdaleLonsdale DBED FRS, after attacks on Atlantic books, is a student as is convoys History at Bedford College Ethel Watts, the fi rst one of the fi rst two women elected to the Royal Society (1930–62) becomes woman to qualify as a and Sylvia Scaff ardi, co-founder of the Council for Vice-Chancellor of the chartered accountant Civil Liberties,,y now known as Liberty University of London 19391 19441 BedfordB College SirS William Hunter iis evacuated to MMcCrea FRS becomes CCambridge during the Head of Mathematics at Royal SSecond World War Holloway. His discovery that the sun is composed mainly of hydrogen leads to the developmentment of the Big Bang Theory 6 2018 Completion of the Beatrice 2003 Shilling Building, a fantastic 2003 technology-led facility designed Community Sir Andrew Motion, the to develop a creative approach Action is founded Poet Laureate, is appointed to study, learning and research to enable students Professor of Creative Writing to volunteer in the and the singer and rapper community Example graduates in 2018 Media Arts Comedian and actor 19981 Sir Lenny Henry CBE TheT Information gains a PhD in Media Arts SecurityS Group 2016 wwins the Queen’s Royal Holloway wins the Times AAnniversary Prize Higher Education Outstanding ffor Higher and Further Contribution to Leadership EEducation Development award for its work closing the gender gap between male and female professors 1996 The Brit Award- winning singer KT 2011 Tunstall graduates in The winner of eight 2015 Paralympic Gold Medals, Music and Drama Royal Holloway hosts Sophie Christiansen OBE The Great Charter Festival graduates in Mathematics to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the sealing 1995 of Magna Carta Professor Euan Nisbet begins monitoring the rising levels of atmospheric 2013 methane, a highly potent but 2012 Our Music department is neglected greenhouse gas awarded a prestigious Regius We are the Olympic Village Professorship by HM The for Rowing. Our particle Queen to mark her Diamond physicists contribute to Jubilee. Until now, only two had the discovery of the Higgs been created in the last century 1989 Boson particle The South East Asiaa Research Group startsarts work on intrepid mapping of this remote rainforest- covered region 1980 1977 Postgraduates include Janice Baroness Catherine 1985 Hadloww, the future Controller Ashton, who will become Royal Holloway and Bedford New College opens of BBC22 the EU’s fi rst ever foreign following the merger of the two colleges. HM minister, graduates in Queen Elizabeth II inaugurates the new College Social Science theeoo following gye year 19699 Professor Samuel Tolansky receives samples of moon dust from NASA, brought back by Apollo XI, for his diamond research at Royal Holloway 1960 Professor David Bellamy OBE, the renowned broadcaster 19821982 and environmental activist,