University College, Bristol opened in October 1876 with two professors, five lecturers and 99 students. It was the first college in the country to admit men and women on an equal footing. Thirty-two years later, after much hard work by a variety of dedicated individuals and generous financial support from the Wills and Fry families (who made their fortunes in tobacco and chocolate, respectively), the College was ready to petition King Edward VII for a charter that would give it full university status. The King signed the charter in May 1909, and flags flew and churchbells rang across the city. The new University of Bristol opened in October 1909 with 288 undergraduates and some 400 other students. Henry Overton Wills became its first chancellor.

The Universitys reputation grew steadily throughout the 1930s, helped in no small way by the appointment of Winston Churchill as its third Chancellor in 1929. It became known as an institution with formidable academic strengths and an unshakeable commitment to quality - characteristics that are just as apparent now.

The University is internationally distinguished and one of the very best in the UK, thanks to its outstanding staff, superb facilities and talented students.

It is:

• A thriving international community dedicated to learning, discovery and enterprise;
  situated in the heart of Bristol;
  
• A major force in the life and economy of South West England;
  
• A world leader in research and a member of the Worldwide Universities Network and of the Russell Group of universities.
  
• The University offers excellent programmes of study, delivered through teaching of the highest quality.
  
• The University conducts world- class research across the whole range of disciplines - with increasing emphasis on interdisciplinary work.
  
• The Universitys teaching and research fit seamlessly together and strongly underpin one another.
  
• The University and the Students Union provide a supportive and stimulating environment in which students can thrive. Bristol graduates are eminently employable and often achieve great distinction in their chosen careers.
  
• The University is truly international, drawing students from over 100 countries and benefiting from an extraordinarily diverse culture.

THE SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS, FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT

The School of Economics, Finance and Management is delighted that its outstanding record in research has been recognised in the results of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). Accounting & Finance has been rated 4th in its Unit of Assessment, and Economics joint 6th.

The Economics Department is hosting a new Centre for Structural Econometrics (CSE). The CSE aims to encourage the use of structural methods in empirical research in economics, methods that formally incorporate the underlying economic theory into empirical analysis. There are a wide range of topics where these structural methods are being currently implemented. These topics include, but are not limited to, female labour force participation, gender pay differentials, earnings dynamics, immigration flows, housing, mortgage, and portfolio choices, firm investment decisions, price formation, auctions, and economic growth and development.