Homerton College

Address:: Homerton College (map)
Hills Road
Cambridge CB2 2PH
Telephone:: +44 1223 507111
Fax:: +44 1223 507120
Email:: admissions@homerton.cam.ac.uk
Website:: http://www.homerton.cam.ac.uk/
MCR:: www.homertonmcr.co.uk
See also:: Institution admissions pages, Graduate Studies Prospectus Entry.

Number of undergraduates: c.640
Number of male graduates: c.150
Number of female graduates: 225

Homerton is unique amongst Cambridge colleges in that its students, both undergraduate and graduate, specialise in one subject: Education. This has its advantages: you spend most of your time with the same group of people (and share a common aim), tutors tend to be more understanding of your academic needs (and they are close at hand), and you don't get treated as a second-class citizen by those doing PhDs. It also has its disadvantages: you spend most of your time with the same group of people, and this can become rather limiting. Graduate students are a minority in the college (though numbers are increasing), and as so few live in (around 30 at present), it can be difficult to organise postgrad only events. Although males form about a third of the postgrad population, the college as a whole is about eighty percent female.

The current year has seen a lot of refurbishment work on the existing buildings, and this has caused some disruption both to the college's appearance and to its atmosphere, as well as to those who live in. It is hoped that these problems will be solved when the current phase of building work is completed. Work will then start on the new accommodation block in the grounds, which will hopefully enable more graduates to live in.

Facilities at Homerton are quite reasonable - the college is set in extensive grounds (some of which may be sold off shortly) about a mile from the centre of Cambridge, and has playing fields, a squash court, a dance studio, and 24 hour computer facilities (both Macs and PCs), although funding of activities is quite restricted. Homerton Union of Students is the only Cambridge college student union to have a sabbatical president. It provides services few other Colleges match, including a minibus and a thriving social life, with regular events, bands and quizzes in the bar, which forms the main social centre in college. These activities are provided for all students by the Union. HUS tries to ensure that postgrads are treated with on a par with other college members, and to this end there is a graduate representative on the HUS Executive, allowing the views of postgrads to be represented effectively.