Royal Agricultural University: Courses, Admission, Cost

Located in the market town of Cirencester, Royal Agricultural University (RAU) is a public institution of higher education in South Western County of Gloucestershire, England. The idea to set up the Royal Agricultural College was coined at a meeting of the Fairford and Cirencester Farmers' Club conducted in 1842. With the Royal Charter from Queen Victoria, the institution officially began functioning in 1845 with just 25 students. In the year 2013, it obtained the university status and adopted its current name. RAU has a beautiful 25-acre campus surrounded by the rolling hills of the Cotswolds in downtown Cirencester. The site features state-of-the-art academic, administrative, residential and support facilities for the students as well as parking areas and green spaces. Besides this, the campus also has a range of athletic facilities including an all-weather pitch, outdoor fields and courts. In collaboration with the Frank Parkinson Trust, RAU opened John Oldacre Rural Innovation Centre in 2014, a multi-functional facility that houses a machinery workshop, laboratory research workshop, demonstration hall and large capacity rooms for teaching, training and event hosting.

The University Library, with nearly 40,000 printed volumes, 1,000 current journal subscriptions and over 40,000 e-books, is the major source of information for teaching, learning and research for both students and the faculty. Besides this, the library holds a growing number of full-text databases as well as RAU archive, which is a compilation of university's documents ever since its foundation. The university provides housing facility to the students in its 11 on-site residences halls that include both catered and self-catered accommodations. Other facilities on the campus include a chapel, health centre, counselling IT services and several eating options. The restaurant is the main eating joint on the campus that serves a selection of dishes and beverages.

The university offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate programmes in agriculture, food, animal science, equine science, farm management, environment, business, rural land management and real estate. Apart from this, students can pursue a variety of certificates and short-term courses in different disciplines of agriculture and environmental studies. At present, the university has over 1,100 students enrolled in various programmes. It has a responsible, experienced and knowledgeable staff on the roll that includes academics, administrative affiliates and helping workers.

Royal Agricultural University has a vast alumni network stretching across the globe. The institution maintains a record of its alumni and their success stories. It has produced some notable names like Dwijendralal Ray (Bengali Poet), Jason Little (Former Professional Rugby Union Player), Jonathan Dimbleby (Author, Political Commentator and TV Personality), Arthur George Nichols (Politician), Augustus Voelcker (Academic), Michael Colvin (Politician), Tim Heywood (Bureaucrat), Mark Bence-Jones (Writer). Further, the institution extends various benefits and services to its graduates