It is attended by around 7,000 undergraduate and 2,500 postgraduate students.

It is governed by a University Council with 26 members of whom 14 are lay, 10 staff and 2 students.

The council oversees the university's development and assists in the achievement of its teaching and research objectives.

The day-to-day running of the University is managed by the Vice-Chancellor who is assisted by 4 Pro-Vice-Chancellors.

It is ranked 35th by the Sunday Times University Guide 2011 and 36th by the Guardian University Guide 2011.

(1) Aston Business School (2) The Centre for Learning Innovation and Professional Practice (3) Interdisciplinary Studies (4) School of Engineering and Applied Science (5) School of Life and Health Sciences (6) School of Languages and Social Sciences (7) Centre for Executive Development and (8) Research Groups

The school operates its own residential conference centre.

The Islamic Finance and Business Centre opened at Aston Business School in January 2010 (News Archive 14/01/10).

It offers leadership in teaching and learning innovation, technology enhanced learning, work-based curriculum theory, and pedagogical research.

It also delivers part-time study through the Lifelong Learning Centre.

(1) Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry (2) Computer Science (3) Electronic Engineering (4) Engineering Systems and Management (5) Mathematics (6) Mechanical Engineering and Design

Courses are tailored to the health and science industries and student placements provide clinical, hospital and laboratory experience.

The main undergraduate subject areas are: audiology, biology, biomedical science, optometry, pharmacy and psychology.

The school conducts interdisciplinary research in health sciences, biomedical sciences and neuro sciences and leads the Aston Brain Centre and the Aston Research Centre for Healthy Ageing.

The school operates an Audiology Clinic, Optometry Clinic, Dyslexia Clinic, and Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology Clinic.

(1) English (2) French (3) German (4) Politics, International Relations and European Studies (5) Sociology and Public Policy and Management (6) Spanish (7) Translation

Its core research themes are: (1) Health and Wellbeing (2) Effectiveness of Organisations (3) Engineering Solutions (4) Language and Society (5) Learning and Teaching

It contains a large number of concrete and plate-glass buildings dating from the 1960's.

The main building is a 12-storey 50-metre T-shaped block.

The campus contains all academic departments and research groups, sports facilities, the student village, student's guild, library and health centre. It is set in parkland with an ornamental lake and Aston Triangle sculpture.

(1) The Woodcock Sports Centre contains a newly-refurbished swimming pool and gymnasium.

(2) The Gem Sports Centre contains a sports hall, squash courts and all-weather 5-a-side football pitches.

The university also owns an outdoor recreation centre in Great Barr (map), roughly 6 miles north of Birmingham City Centre.

The Lakeside Centre contains six air-conditioned conference and banqueting suites, the largest of which can hold 200 theatre-style.

Stafford Tower is a self-catering 21-floor 59-metre residence with 355 single study bedrooms.

Lakeside is a self-catering hall with 647 single study bedrooms.

William Murdoch and James Watt Residences are a pair of 60-metre 18-storey accomodation blocks.

James Watt contains 820 rooms and William Murdoch, 487 rooms.

Stafford Tower will be demolished in 2014 and replaced by a new 60-metre accomodation block (as yet unnamed).

The former Central Fire Station on Aston Street will be redeveloped as student flats with the addition of a 107-metre residential tower.

It is run by the Guild Executive: an elected student board consisting of 4 full-time sabbatical and 11 part-time officers.

The Guild provides advice, support and representation and supports student clubs and societies. It also publishes a student paper called the Aston Times.

The facilities include:

(1) Base Common Room (2) Einstein's: beverages and food (3) Blue: bar and subway sandwich outlet (5) Bar 4 Bar (6) Loft: open communal area with sofas, tables and computers.

The Guild also runs the Aston Brook Green student village.

It is on Aston Brook Street East, barely 400 metres north of Aston University.

It consists of 52 Victorian terraced houses converted into 33 three-bedroom flats, 8 four-bedroom flats, and 20 one-bedroom flats.

33, 51, 56, 56A, 66, 66A, 110, 112, 115, 116, 902, 904, 905, 907, 914, 915, 934, 935, 935A, 952, 997, 997A, X51, X73

Alternatively, travel to central Birmingham but turn onto the A4540 Ring Road before reaching the city centre. Then continue to Dartmouth Circus and Corporation Street or to Ashted Circus and Jennens Road.

Parking is limited at Aston University but there is a multi-storey at Millennium Point on Jennens Road (map) and a basement car park at Faraday Wharf off Love Lane (map).