NCL Undergraduate School

UWS and New College Lanarkshire have formed Scotland's first joint undergraduate school located on a college campus. The partnership takes a new approach to addressing below-national-average degree attainment in North Lanarkshire, opening new doors for local learners to access an undergraduate degree.

The partnership brings university-level education closer to home for students who may not have seen themselves on a traditional university path. It provides a clear, supported route to a degree, eliminating barriers like relocating or travelling long distances. With over 80 enrolments in its first year, the joint undergraduate school is already creating those new opportunities.

Students in Lanarkshire now have access to industry-focused degree programmes built around the needs of the region's economy. Courses like the BSc in Dental Nursing, BSc in Collaborative Health and Social Care, and BA in Social Sciences are designed to fill urgent skills gaps in health, care and community services where demand is growing, and local talent is vital. And with strong links to regional employers embedded within learning and teaching, we know that our students are gaining relevant, practical learning experiences in their own communities.

The initiative goes beyond a new campus model; it creates a new way of thinking about widening access and place-based learning, working with our partners to co-create solutions to local problems.