On top of the world

Ten subjects at Warwick have made it into the top 50 in the world in the latest world rankings from Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

The annual ‘QS World University Rankings by subject’ showed that of the ten subjects that made it into the top 50, nine had moved up from the year before.

The department which came out top was History which is ranked 16th best in the world, up nine places from last year. Economics made the biggest improvement, up 23 places from the previous year, ranking 19th best in the world.

Mathematics was up six places to 23rd, Politics and International Studies up 20 places to 23rd, Sociology was placed 23rd up 12 places whilst Statistics were up 15 places to 30th in the world.

English was the only department at Warwick in the top 50 that had fallen from the previous year down nine places to 30th globally.

QS only rank the top 50 universities individually; the remainder are put into bands of 51-100, 101-150 which means it is difficult to make year on year comparisons to departments not in the top 50.

The three departments which failed last year to get into the top 50 rankings were French, German Studies and Italian (classed together by QS as Modern Languages), which was placed 26th this year. Law was placed 36th worldwide, whilst the Accounting and Finance course offered by WBS was placed 40th.

Peter Dunn, the head of communications at the University, told the Boar: “Having no less than nine subjects move up all at once suggests that we must be doing something right.”

When asked why Engineering and Sciences are lacking in the top 50, he replied: “[It’s] just a reflection that are many more universities out there the concentrate solely on Sciences, so it’s harder to be in the top 50 in those subjects.

“For Engineering this particular ranking breaks it down into specific  individual types of Engineering, favouring institutions that have departments focusing on such individual areas rather than ours which covers almost all of Engineering. Despite all that we still have two Science departments in the top 50.”

Miranda Murphy, a second-year English and German student, was disappointed that the English department’s score was lower than last year: “I don’t think it’s great, but then I think that all the factors they judge league tables by are pretty vague and I’m not sure how much bearing they have on the actual reality of students’ education.”

Verity Armstrong, a second-year Engineering student felt her department was right not to be in the top 50: “Whilst Engineering has many links with industry and is good at research, the teaching standard is poor and lectures often seem completely pointless.

“It’s often a lot easier and quicker to learn topics by yourself at home instead of in class.”

In 2012, the overall QS world rankings placed Warwick 58th in the world, down eight places from the year before. This year’s tables are yet to be released.

Mr Dunn stated that: “The ranking methodology used is not transparent enough for us to make even an informed guess as to whether [Warwick would be in the top 50] or not,” based on the subject rankings.

Nigel Thrift. Photo: Warwick Media Library

As part of the ‘Vision 2015’ project, which was published by the University in September 2007, Vice Chancellor Nigel Thrift stated he hoped that “by 2015 Warwick will be in the top 50 world universities.

“As we approach Warwick’s 50th birthday in 2015, our challenge is plain: how to focus activity and drive so as to attain greater international pre-eminence. National pre-eminence is no longer enough.”

The recently published 2013 Complete University Guide, which ranks UK universities, placed Warwick eighth, down two places from the year before. Warwick remains the best university in the West Midlands, beating the likes of Birmingham University.