Key facts
in the 2012 NSS rankings, nearly 90 per cent of Sussex students were satisfied or very satisfied with the teaching on their course
teaching staff working at the forefront of their fields
innovative learning approaches
Students walking into Fulton, the state-of-the-art teaching building on our campus
The Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts
The University encourages an interdisciplinary academic approach, making your studies at Sussex a comprehensive and unique experience. Our enviable reputation for research attracts outstanding academic staff and provides firm foundations for our teaching excellence. Add to this our proud history of innovative learning approaches and our high rankings, and you have a recipe for outstanding success
Choosing a research-led university such as Sussex has huge advantages. Who better to teach you than experts working at the forefront of their fields? Not only do they know their subject, they actually create the knowledge that moves their subject forward. This means that your teachers will be groundbreaking, innovative and enthusiastic. In recent years, six members of our academic team have won the Higher Education Academy’s prestigious National Teaching Fellowship Scheme awards, recognising those who make an outstanding contribution to students’ learning experience.
Whatever your subject at Sussex, you will receive excellent teaching and acquire a range of intellectual skills based on sound research principles. You will develop an analytical and enquiring mind, and the ability to reflect critically on what you have learnt.
You will learn to identify challenging questions and to solve intellectually difficult problems. These skills will prove invaluable in a job market that increasingly prizes the intellectual skills that are encouraged at a research-led university. A degree from Sussex will give you the edge.
Our main teaching building, Fulton, provides teaching space across three floors. The design incorporates a flexible social and meeting space, and supports innovative approaches to teaching and learning to give you an enhanced student experience.
We are currently refurbishing the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts – a performance space and research centre – which will enhance the research and teaching in the humanities that are at the core of the University mission.
Our £30-million Jubilee Building is a major addition to the heart of campus. It includes a 500-seat lecture theatre (the largest on campus), as well as general and specialist teaching spaces, academic and support space, and social and café facilities.
Hazel's faculty perspective
‘The best thing about working at Sussex is the people! Students and staff here are from diverse backgrounds but one thing we all have in common is a passion for our subject and awareness of its wider context and contribution to society. Working with like-minded colleagues provides an environment that enables us to explore different approaches to learning and assessment.
‘Teaching goes beyond textbooks and lectures – it’s about encouraging curiosity, stretching the mind, communicating ideas, and instilling the confidence to tackle any problem. In fact, our undergraduate students often do summer research placements, bringing our research-led teaching to life.
‘Student support is close to my heart. There's a comprehensive infrastructure to ensure that all students get the support they need to flourish – from the academic support at Department level to pastoral support at University level. Additionally, the student representative scheme and staffstudent meetings allow us to find out directly what works for our students and also what doesn't, so that – together – we can fix problems.
‘Sussex is a wonderfully unique place to both teach and research as I have the best colleagues and the most inspiring students to engage with every day!’
Dr Hazel Cox
Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, University of Sussex, and winner of a 2012 Sussex Teaching Award