University of Dundee (UK)
- Sara Cavalieri
- Apr 14
- 3 min read
With origins dating back to 1881, the University of Dundee was actually an early constituent college of the University of St Andrews.
After gaining independent university status 1967, the university is nowadays known for a number of programs, which include life sciences, design, law and dentistry.
In fact, the university happens to be ground zero for the study of biosciences, as the pioneering Scottish zoologist D'Arcy Thompson was also the first professor of biology at Dundee.
And as campus-based university in a fun, student-friendly city, Dundee has a lot to offer.
Here are more of the highlights from my visit!
City of Dundee
One of the first things that struck me about this city was that it's considered 'Scotland's Sunniest City,' and even in the winter, we were blessed with sunny days.
Only an hour and a half from Edinburgh and Glasgow, it was really easy to get to -- with both train and bus links directly from both airports and city centres.
And for a city with 150,000 people, I was also surprised at how lively and artsy it is.
There is also a lot happening around the waterfront, as works are underway to transform the space.
Already, there are parks, museums and plenty of sites to check out, which draw many tourists tourists around the UK and the world.
One such site is the V&A Museum, which reflects the city's status as the UK's first and only UNESCO City of Design.
The city's history is one that was linked with the textile industry in the 1800s, but nowadays, it's an international hub for video game design.
One such company is Rockstar, the creator of Grand Theft Auto.
Affordability-wise, Dundee is much less expensive than Glasgow, Edinburgh and even St Andrews.
Many St Andrews students actually live in Dundee and commute 25 minutes on the bus because of this and also the fact that there is more to do in Dundee.
Although Dundee itself is quite a green city set in natural surroundings, a short 7-minute ride on the train away is the adorable area of Broughty Ferry.
With cute shops and cafes, you can stroll along the coast and wander into Broughty Ferry Castle, which offers stunning views of the surrounding water, too.
Dundee Campus
The campus at the University of Dundee is made up of buildings with an interesting mix of architecture, from the modern facilities like the library to the historical ones within the College of Life Sciences.
Everything you need is here, too, including on-campus housing, a gym, pool, chaplaincy and outdoor sports facilities.
Students can even get free dental care from the on-site dental hospital, where Dundee dental students train (supervised, of course).
My favorite building, however, was in fact the College of Life Sciences, where the D'Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum can be found.
The museum houses specimens from all around the world, most of them collected by Thompson himself.
The school has an international reputation for excellence in the three 'triple intensity' areas of research, teaching and external engagement, and it also has a joint degree in this area with the National University of Singapore.
But if that's not evidence enough of its reputation in this field, Dundee also scored highest in the UK (ahead of Oxford) in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF) for biological sciences.
With 18,500 students, Dundee is considered a medium-sized UK university.
Generous scholarships are on offer for international students as well.
Lastly, it's also an entrepreneurial university with a mission to transform lives.
Summary: University of Dundee
The University of Dundee was such a pleasant surprise.
Students love its dedicated campus feel and the fact that it is just minutes from the city centre, where the bus links and transport are also excellent.
As Scotland's sunniest city, Dundee is also great for the outdoors enthusiast, and its flexible entrance requirements make it even more accessible to all.
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