National Student Survey highlights excellent student satisfaction in Physical Sciences and Engineering

Students in Physical Sciences and Engineering at the University of Southampton have demonstrated excellent satisfaction levels in the National Student Survey 2017 (NSS).

Data published from the highly-esteemed assessment places Southampton’s Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE) second and Physics and Astronomy third for overall satisfaction out of all UK Higher Education Institutes.

The NSS 2017 found that 99 per cent of EEE and Physics and Astronomy students and 90 per cent of Computer Science students were satisfied or very satisfied with the overall quality of their course.

The strong NSS performance has been welcomed by senior leaders from the Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering, which contains the Departments of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) and Physics and Astronomy.

Professor Bashir Al-Hashimi, Dean of Physical Sciences and Engineering, says: “I’m delighted with these results which evidence that our faculty is providing the highest quality student experience and learning. We have plans to build further on this success to the benefit of our students and staff.”

The National Student Survey has been conducted annually since 2005 by HEFCE and IpsosMori and asks final year undergraduates for feedback on their universities and courses. This year has seen substantial changes to the NSS, including the addition of three new sections that focus on the Student Voice, Learning Community and Learning Opportunities.

In EEE, 100% of MEng Electronic Engineering students were satisfied or very satisfied with the teaching of their course and agreed that staff are good at explaining things, that staff have made the subject interesting and that the course is intellectually stimulating and challenged them to achieve their best work. In Computer Science, the NSS 2017 found that 99% of students agreed that the IT resources and facilities provided have supported their learning well.

Professor Paul Lewin, Head of ECS, says: “This is further confirmation that in ECS our staff provide high quality research-led education that is both intellectually challenging and more than meeting the expectations of our students. I would like to personally thank all ECS staff who have contributed to our undergraduate programmes over the last year; their continued hard work and dedication are largely responsible for this result.”

In Physics and Astronomy, the NSS found that 91 per cent of students were satisfied or very satisfied with the teaching of their course, with 99 per cent agreeing that they were able to contact staff when needed. 100 per cent of BSc Physics students agreed that staff have made the subject interesting, and that the course is intellectually stimulating. 92 per cent of BSc Physics students agreed that the IT resources and facilities have supported their learning well, while 98 per cent of Master of Physics students agreed that they have been able to access specialised equipment, facilities or rooms when needed.

Professor Jonathan Flynn, Head of Physics and Astronomy, says: “We are delighted to have such good results from the NSS again this year. Our students are the future and it's very important to us to give them the best possible environment to learn and develop.”