Curious about what an Academic Society is, or how to join one? Here's your one-stop guide to what they are, and who they're for!
What is an Academic Society?
Academic societies are student-led groups designed to enhance both learning and the overall student experience at university. These societies receive financial and administrative support from the Students' Union, which ensures that activities are inclusive, accessible, and beneficial to all participants.
Each academic society is typically linked to a specific area of study, such as a course or department, though some may focus on more specialised topics. Some societies affiliate to or work closely with Professional Bodies, such as The Chartered Institute for IT and the Institute of Engineering and Technology, whilst such affiliations are not mandatory, they do provide excellent opportunities for members to network, upskill and develop their expertise.
Do I have to be part of a related course to attend?
Any student can join any academic society, regardless of whether it aligns with their course of study. Even if there is heavy benefit to being on a course it is by no means mandatory to enjoy the community surrounding your interest!
Are these the same as University Course sessions?
The primary aim of academic societies is not to replicate classroom teaching, but to complement and enhance it. They provide opportunities for peer support, discussions, and a variety of extra and co-curricular activities. These activities can range from industry expert talks and Q&A sessions, skills workshops and networking events through to fun and social quizzes, trips and games nights.
There are many benefits to students, including (but not limited to):
- Exploring your individual talents and passions with peers who share common interests.
- Developing knowledge, confidence, and identity within a broader learning community, and growing as part of a supportive peer group.
- Academic societies support the learning that happens outside of contact time and you can expect to develop key employability skills.
- Academic staff having the opportunity to engage with students within a more social setting while exploring the academic field of study further.
- Student sense of belonging is found to be most prevalent where the academic and social spheres fuse.
Over the years, we have seen that academic societies have empowered students to stay in higher education, graduate with valuable skills, and form lasting friendships, alongside the benefits of practicing what they have learnt within their lectures and lessons.
Our dedicated student leaders enable us to offer a wide range of academic societies for you to get involved with, including:
So what are you waiting for?
- Visit the What's On page to see what events they have lined up
- Pop along to the next meetings / events and find out where your academic society membership leads you.
If you are interested in any other societies, visit the Clubs and Societies page, if you are on a course that you'd think would benefit from an Academic Society, check our 'Available for Adoption' category or fill out a form!