UCMK is a partnership between the University of Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes Council and the expansion, planned for the start of the next academic year in September 2015, will see student numbers at UCMK begin to grow and additional courses added to the current portfolio. 

The University of Bedfordshire aims to have over 350 undergraduate and postgraduate students at UCMK by the 2015/16 academic year, and to grow numbers to around 500 within 3 to 4 years – with further growth to follow.

The expanded Campus will also see the establishment of a business innovation centre, strengthening the University’s links with small and medium-sized businesses and supporting local business growth and development.

Dr Paul Sant, Associate Dean of UCMK, said:

“The University and the Council are working in partnership to create and grow a university campus in Milton Keynes that will serve to drive forward the city’s ambitions for growth, innovation and a highly-skilled workforce.

"As UCMK expands, the business-focussed courses we will run next year will include a formal internship or placement, providing undergraduates with an in-depth experience working in their chosen industry, increasing their skills and making them particularly employable.”

Dr Sant, who is a member of the Institute for Research in Applicable Computing at the University of Bedfordshire, added:

“We are also excited to continue to grow and strengthen our partnerships with local businesses, including through the MK Data Hub, which will bring a wealth of opportunities for MK citizens and businesses.”

Councillor Rob Middleton, the Cabinet member responsible for Resources and Commercialism, said:

"As a city we have a long standing ambition to grow a vibrant local university and this agreement is a significant investment in the future of our local residents.

“The partnership between Milton Keynes Council and UCMK takes our city an important step closer to delivering our ambitious goal of a full university here.

“In the months and years to come, our city's local residents will be better skilled, meaning they are better able to access local and fairly paid jobs that Milton Keynes needs to grow and flourish."

The MK Data Hub, hosted at UCMK, is central to the success of the MK:Smart initiative, which will develop innovative solutions to support Milton Keynes’ economic growth. The MK Data Hub will acquire and manage vast amounts of data relevant to city systems, such as about energy and water consumption, transport, and social and economic data. Hosting the MK Data Hub at UCMK will give opportunities for MK-based businesses to work together with academics and students to, for example, develop applications, create new products and improve services to local communities.

For further information about the courses available at University Campus Milton Keynes from September 2015 please see the 2015 prospectus at: www.beds.ac.uk/ucmk/prospectus-2015