Facilities

Library and computing facilities

The John Rylands University Library of Manchester (JRULM) is the largest single-site university library in the UK with over 4 million books and publications. The JRULM boasts the most extensive range of electronic resources of any UK higher education library, including access to a vast range of online journals and periodicals, a computer cluster with 250 PCs, and facilities that allow borrowers to access the catalogue and borrower-services from any machine on the University's network. The Times Literary Supplement has said of the John Rylands Library that it "ranks among the worlds greatest research libraries, with holdings in many areas that few, if any, comparable institutions can match."

Students also have access to the Joule Library, with a collection dedicated specifically to the sciences, technology, engineering and languages. In addition, students can visit the Precinct Library, located in the University Precinct Centre, with a collection dedicated to management, business, accounting, economics and other social sciences.

Most discipline areas also offer their own library resources and computer clusters, often with specialist software. In addition, many halls of residence have networked computer facilities, and there are thousands of PCs available for use by students across the campus. Students bringing their own computer to the University can connect to the network and thereby research and write from the comfort of their bedroom.

All University of Manchester students are given an email address upon registration, which allows the University to contact them easily. Access to the internet is free for all students from any networked machine at the University.

Students’ Union

Manchester’s Students' Union is one of the largest and most active in the country, representing over 30,000 students. The Union has three music venues, including Manchester Academy, a high-profile music venue managed by the Students' Union, a nightclub, bars, cafes, a subsidised shop and an optician.

Fourteen elected students form the Executive Committee of the Union, and manage its day-to-day operation, looking after students' needs, including academic, social and welfare issues. The Union also supports over 100 student societies - ranging from the serious to the frivolous, the political to the religious and from the fun to the fundraising - to provide not only social opportunities, but also valuable extra-curricular pursuits to enrich the university experience and, at the same time, students' CVs

Sports facilities

With two large indoor and two large outdoor sports centres, as well as access to other nearby pitches and sailing facilities, the University’s sporting facilities are superb. Rugby, football, hockey, lacrosse, tennis and athletics teams make use of extensive sports grounds - including all-weather pitches - whilst squash, basketball, netball, badminton and many more are accommodated inside the Armitage Centre in Fallowfield and the Sugden Sports Centre on campus.

Sports clubs are organised both centrally by the Athletics Union – one of the oldest and most prestigious in the country – and by discipline areas and halls of residence, so students can compete at all levels of ability. Also located on the University campus is the Manchester Aquatics Centre, the site of the 2002 Commonwealth Games swimming and diving competitions, which boasts two Olympic-sized pools, a gym, regular fitness classes and sauna/steam-room/jacuzzi facilities. Because the University part-owns the centre, students can use this world-class facility at highly discounted prices.