What Students Say?
Likes
- Integrated campus, easy to walk with all amenities nearby
- Leeds is more affordable than London
Dislikes
- Not the London level exposure
- Airport access for international travel to India/other Asian countries is from Manchester or London (1-3 hr train ride)
I chose this university as it is one of the top-rated transport studies school in the world with amazing research output and faculty. In transport planning, Leeds Uni is known everywhere. It has a great alumni network as well. The program also had employer presentations, which helped me land a job.
Course Curriculum
In my opinion, the course was quite relevant and included coursework or assignments which addressed latest policy developments in UK. We did not have any industry exposure. It's a one-year master's course, which ended with a dissertation. So I would say you do build on your research skills.
Exams
- My IELTS score was 8.5. It varies for programmes, but I think around 6.5 or 7 is what's needed. - CBSE- 87% (12th), CBSE- 93% (10th) School of Planning and Architecture- B.Plan 73% (UG) - Requirements: I had to submit one SoP and two references. I did not had any interviews. The SoP essentially focused on why was I applying for the particular course and what made me suitable to take it up.
Placement
Placements are not how engineering and management schools do in India. There are employment and career fairs/presentations where you can interact with someone from the company and they tell you about their work. Based on available vacancies, they may also seek out CVs from the current students which is something you can take advantage of. My school particularly also had internship presentations(which are called placements in the UK). Some students opted to do that. Do keep in mind the prevailing visa rules and immigration changes when considering jobs. The situation changes from time to time, and it's good to remain up to date.
Fees
30750 GBP
Faculty
The faculty is well-known in the industry and has done projects with different government agencies in the UK. They are very knowledgeable and approachable. It is however recommended to ask your questions in class and send any email queries in advance, as sometimes they can be too busy to answer last-minute doubts. My programme coordinator Dr. James Tate was pretty good and I liked his coursework. I also liked the elective on global transferability of policies provided by Dr. Paul Timms.
Campus Life
The University has many societies which you can be a part of - including sports. I liked the gym, which has a pool, badminton, squash, basketball and football facilities. You get basic gym access with your University accommodation. The libraries are amazing and become your second home. There are 24 hr open library facilities where you can book group rooms for group work. The library also has cafes, and in case you have any laptop needs IT can help you with that.
Hostel
I stayed at the University accommodation which was quite nice. I think it costs around 9000 to 9500 GBP (around 650 to 750 GBP a month) for a year now. It was one of the better ones and had amazing facilities. The rooms are ensuite which means the bathroom was inside the room, with a common kitchen and laundry. I shared my flat with five more students. There are other options available from the university. Unipol is a good website for searching for private accommodation. Headingley, Hyde Park, and Burley Park are some student areas where you can find accommodations costing 500 GBP a month or maybe less.
