Introduction

University College for Interdisciplinary Learning (UCIL) allows students to study units from across the university that contribute to their degree programme. All UCIL units are credit-bearing like any other within the university; each one is free and fits in to student timetables.

UCIL introduces your students to issues, topics and new ways of thinking, tackling the key questions facing society in the 21st century. We provide a unique learning experience by giving students the chance to meet and study with other students from different degree programmes across the university.

The design and assessment of our units makes them no easier or harder than any other within the university, and take in to account that students may come from a very different degree background. All of our units are undergraduate level.

Benefits

Based on feedback from students who have taken UCIL units, we've highlighted some key benefits below.

UCIL offers students the opportunity to:

  • Enhance their degree by taking a unit outside your subject
  • Meet and study with undergraduates from across the university
  • Stand out from the crowd and boost their employability

Some units also form part of our prestigious Manchester Leadership Programme and Enterprise Challenge.

Students Quotes

Click through the various quotes we have below.

"This was by far one of my favourite units over my 2 years at The University of Manchester. It is one of the select few units which I feel I've gained a lot of value and knowledge out of. What I liked most about this unit was that it focuses on real issues and real solutions - in the content, as well as in the discussion tasks. Some of the videos and content chosen for the modules are brilliant as they are draw out very interesting insights and concepts. The unit has taught me how to critically analyse the issues we face in the world today. It's a unit where I feel like I've genuinely learnt and broadened my knowledge of the world"

"I have learnt a lot of new things about myself and the outside world. It motivated me to get involved with lots of different voluntary projects which I thoroughly enjoyed. The speakers were fantastic and it brought me out of my comfort zone. I developed skills that I think will aid me in an adaptable work environment"

"It gave me an opportunity to study a subject that is not only interesting, but also completely outside my usual academic sphere of economics which made me thankful for the opportunity to be able to take this unit"

Unit Portfolio

You can find out more about UCIL by:

  • Looking at the units on offer each semester. Many units have a short introductory video by the lecturer giving you an overview of the unit;
  • Searching by employability skills in Semester 1 or Semester 2. For each unit we have highlighted some key skills students want to develop. You can also use the search function in the units section. As with all academic units, UCIL units will enable students to develop academic skills including critical thinking, research and written communication;
  • Exploring a unit leading to the Manchester Leadership Programme or Enterprise Challenge. UCIL offers two prestigious options linked to a selection of units which will give a students CV an extra boost.

You can also email us at ucil@manchester.ac.uk.