Academic and Research Careers
At ARU we make positive change happen in the real world at remarkable pace. In this respect alone, we’re unlike many other institutions. As a vibrant, diverse university with an ambitious mind-set, we’ve proved what’s possible to achieve in a short space of time.
Research at ARU
The overarching aim of our Research and Innovation Strategy is to deliver transformative benefits locally and globally. We are passionate about research at ARU, its potential to innovate, and its power to enhance social, cultural and economic well-being at national and global levels.
Our reputation as a centre for outstanding research continues to grow. ARU is home to six research institutes and one cross-institutional research centre, whose work is having a positive impact on the world. These institutes focus on subjects including music therapy, sustainability, policing and crime, and clinical and medical innovation.
Discover more about our world-leading and impactful research, including case studies from our ARU-wide Research, Innovation and Impact Themes: Sustainable Futures, Safe and Inclusive Communities and Health, Performance and Wellbeing. You can read more about our multi-disciplinary institutional research environment.
In summer 2022 we published our new Research and Innovation Strategy and are currently working on its implementation. Our research excellence has been recognised by the UK’s Higher Education funding bodies, with all 16 of our research areas assessed as having world-leading areas in REF2021.
Faculties
We have four faculties, each providing professionally focused and world-leading courses and research.
In the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences we nurture creativity and critical thinking to educate, entertain, inspire and understand people. We’ve been doing this since 1858 when Cambridge School of Art, which grew to become the modern-day ARU, was first established. Our Faculty uses our expertise and connections in the East of England and beyond to improve the lives of individuals and our local and global communities.
Our research has real-world impact. Academics are active researchers, regularly publishing and featuring in catalogues, exhibitions, books, journals and conference papers, and securing major funding success. In the most recent Research Excellent Framework assessment (REF 2021) five subject areas in the Faculty were judged to have achieved “world-leading” impact, that is they have brought significant and substantial change or benefit to the wider world. These areas were: Communication, Cultural and Media Studies; Language and Literature; History; Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts; and Sociology.
Our research is led by our research institutes: International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute (IPPPRI) and Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research (CIMTR), supported by research groups and units. Our world-leading Music Therapy work won ARU The Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2021 in particular for its research with people living with dementia, and their families.
Our Faculty is made up 4 schools: Cambridge School of Art, Cambridge School of Creative Industries of Creative Industries, School of Education and School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Comprised of around 5000 students and 300 staff, we’re a vibrant community of artists, storytellers, policy-shapers and change-makers working across disciplines and forging international collaborations to make a difference.
Visit the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences
Our Faculty is made up of two Schools specialising in economics, finance, law and management and five research centres. These research centres have real social impact, with our staff driven by their passion for meaningful results that make a real difference to our society.
Our experts have featured in the Financial Times, Metro UK, Hargreaves Lansdown, Business Insider UK, International Business Times, BBC, Newsweek and the Daily Express. We organised the first Cryptocurrency Research Conference in the UK. Our research has been published in journals like the International Review of Financial Analysis, Economics Letters, the Journal of Corporate Finance and the International Journal of Forecasting.
The School of Economics, Finance and Law prepares students for complex, competitive careers with hands-on practice in mock law courts and the Bloomberg Financial Markets Lab, building confidence, skills, and knowledge before graduation. The School of Management offers multi-disciplinary courses that provide comprehensive knowledge and skills to enhance students' management abilities. It lays a solid foundation for pursuing career opportunities and business growth.
Our courses offer an environment where technology and teaching are blended to provide a dynamic, innovative experience, providing students with skills ready for the future. By highlighting employability and using emerging technology blended into our teaching, we create a dynamic, innovative learning environment that builds our students employability skills and ensures they are able to demonstrate these skills and be ready for the future they choose.
Visit the Faculty of Business and Law
As the largest faculty in Anglia Ruskin University, the Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Social Care is the largest provider of health and social care courses in the East of England, and we are proud to educate the doctors in the first School of Medicine in Essex. Over the last five years we have grown significantly by seizing opportunities and responding to national priorities and needs of our local partners. Our courses have been designed to achieve the best student outcomes, wherein they learn using high-end facilities which mirror real-life clinical situations. Students are educated by award winning academics, and they graduate with the skills to positively impact people’s lives.
The School of Allied Health & Social Care offers innovative, clinically relevant teaching based on evidence-based science and research. Our students benefit from rigorous academic education, training, and practical experience in flexible learning environments. We provide a Foundation Year in Public Health and various undergraduate and postgraduate courses to prepare graduates for impactful careers in social care.
The School of Medicine offers an integrated curriculum with a strong science base and excellent clinical opportunities. Our Medicine MBCHB course includes state-of-the-art skills labs and the ARU Anatomy Centre, taught by experienced tutors and visiting NHS clinicians. We also offer MSc programs in Physician Associate Studies, Medical and Healthcare Education, and various CPD courses, with early and continuous placements for diverse clinical experiences.
With over 25 years of experience, the School of Nursing and Midwifery has split into the School of Midwifery & Community Health and the School of Nursing. Our goal is to produce competent, caring nurses and healthcare professionals through a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, supporting career development in midwifery, community nursing, and advanced practice, offering CPD opportunities for nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals, specialisations in adult, child, or mental health nursing, and the FdSc Nursing Associate course for direct entry students and apprentices.
Working here means joining a community dedicated to excellence in teaching, research, and healthcare. Our staff are award-winning professionals who contribute to significant social impact through their passion and expertise. We provide an environment that fosters professional growth, collaboration, and innovation, ensuring that both our staff and students achieve their full potential.
Visit the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Social Care.
As one of the largest faculty in Anglia Ruskin University, with around 7,500 students studying worldwide, the Faculty of Science and Engineering combines a strong and active research culture with excellence in learning and teaching. Our 550 staff members spread across disciplines that include engineering, architecture, psychology, life sciences and computing, and now also agriculture, animal and environment, following our recent merger with ARU Writtle. We are proud of our ongoing work to support an inclusive culture in the Faculty.
Our academics collaborate and pursue interdisciplinary and collective research projects, creating a vibrant faculty and environment for hands-on learning and world-leading research. Whether through our major European research projects or those closer to home in our Cambridge, Chelmsford and Writtle sites, we tell a story of continued, accelerating expansion and demonstrates our commitment to developing close links with industry, public sector, professions and business.
Our staff, research institutes and groups carry out internationally excellent research across a diverse range of science and engineering fields and work to combine theory and practical skills always with an eye toward true understanding, employability, and making a difference.
We continually aim to work collaboratively with businesses, individuals and researchers, as well as educational and research partners here in the UK and globally. The Faculty has received the Athena SWAN Silver Award in Spring 2024 for its commitment to gender equality in STEMM education and research.
Read more about the Faculty of Science and Engineering, the Department of Vision and Hearing Sciences and the Global Sustainability Research Institute.
Visit the Faculty of Science and Engineering
