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QS World Rankings by Subject success

Published: 23 March 2016
QS World Rankings by Subject
Global recognition for Southampton in QS World Rankings by Subject

The University of Southampton has placed five subjects amongst the top 45 in the world according to the latest QS World Rankings by Subject.

Southampton is ranked 14 globally for Nursing and third amongst UK universities in the subject. The University is also ranked 27 in the world for Archaeology (seventh in the UK); 28 for Earth & Marine Sciences (eighth in the UK); 41 for Geography (15 in the UK); and 43 for the Performing Arts (ninth in the UK).

A number of other subjects at Southampton have the distinction of ranking in the top 100 in the world and amongst the top 10 in the UK according to QS. These include Computer Science & Information Systems, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics & Astronomy and Statistics & Operational Research. Materials Science at Southampton, ranked in the world’s top 150, is also ranked amongst the UK’s top 10.

This year’s results reflect Southampton’s best ever performance in the QS subject rankings, driven by the University’s continually improving academic reputation. Nursing’s strong performance in a new category for QS is powered by high rating for research while Southampton’s international reputation for Earth & Marine Sciences has led the University to yet another top 30 ranking in this field.

Professor Mandy Fader, Dean of Health Sciences, said: “Nursing at the University of Southampton is world-leading and I am both proud and delighted to see that the commitment and innovation of our academic teams has produced such outstanding results.”

Professor Rachel Mills, Dean of Natural and Environmental Sciences, added: “We have consistently appeared in the top 30 Earth & Marine Science departments for the last three years. This position reflects our global influence in research and education at all levels.”

Professor Anne Curry, Dean of Humanities, commented: “The success of Archaeology in the QS rankings underlines the success of our global activities at the cutting-edge of this field, which serves to unite science and humanities and that reflects the stimulating environment where colleagues in all our disciplines share a passion for the study of human existence both past and present.

“For Performing Arts, QS confirms our reputation for Music - having placed first in the UK in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework - where our strength lies in our diversity from early music to hip hop, and from Mozart to contemporary composition, with a strong emphasis on performance."

The QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) rankings reflect internationally-recognised indicators of excellence to rate and rank the world’s leading universities. In addition to providing global rankings at institutional level, QS ranks universities in 42 individual subject areas using data compiled from global surveys of academics and employers to assess international reputation plus further indicators to recognise research impact.

“These results in the QS World Rankings by Subject recognise Southampton’s excellence across a wide range of areas where the University has established an international reputation,” said Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Christopher Snowden. “Perhaps most importantly, these rankings reflect our impact as a University in the eyes of our peers in industry and academia which substantiates and reinforces our reputation around the world.”

Last September, the University of Southampton rose 13 places to 81 in the QS World University Rankings to consolidate its position amongst the world’s leading institutions. Amongst UK universities in the table, Southampton ranked 17.

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