Aberystwyth University

Aberystwyth University (Prifysgol Aberystwyth; sometimes shortened to "Aber") is a university located in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding Member Institution of the former federal University of Wales. As of late 2006, the university had over 12,000 students spread across seventeen academic departments.

The university was founded in 1872 as University College Wales. In 1894, the university became a founder member of the University of Wales and changed its name to the University College of Wales Aberystwyth. In the mid 1990s, the university again changed its name to the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. On 1 September 2007, the University of Wales ceased to be a federal university and Aberystwyth became an independent university in its own right once again. However, students who now enroll with Aberystwyth from the academic year 2009/2010 onwards (or have studied their 1st year in the academic year 2008/2009) have the choice to receive a University of Wales degree or an Aberystwyth University degree.

The National Student Survey named Aberystwyth fifth in the UK in 2006 and tenth in 2007, for overall student satisfaction. The Times Good University Guide 2008 ranked Aberystwyth joint first in the UK for student satisfaction. In the League table Aberystwyth is ranked 2nd in Wales after Cardiff University and 39th out of 113 institutions in the United Kingdom overall. Aberystwyth was also short-listed for a best student experience award by the Times in 2007.

History
The University was founded in 1872 as University College Wales. The first Principal was Thomas Charles Edwards and initially there were just 26 students. In 1894, the college joined the University of Wales as a founder member (prior to this students had been submitted for examinations to the University of London). One of the newest departments in the University is the Department of Sports and Exercise Science, which was established in 2000. Joint honours Psychology degrees were launched in September 2007.

The university's coat of arms was awarded in the 1880s. The shield features two red dragons, the red dragon being a common symbol of Wales, and an open book, symbolising learning. The crest is an eagle or phoenix above a flaming tower; it possibly symbolises the rebirth of the College after the fire of 1885. The motto is "Nid Byd, Byd Heb Wybodaeth": "A World Without Knowledge, is No World At All".

Reputation and academic rankings


The Times Good University Guide 2011 ranks Aberystwyth 40th overall out of 114 institutions in the UK. In the same guide, the School of Law came 34th overall out of 87 Law Schools across the UK.

Aberystwyth was given 6th place in the 2008 Times Higher Education Supplement's "Student Experience Rankings", a large survey of student satisfaction in their University ranging from teaching standards to social life.

The computer science department has been ranked 17th in the United Kingdom, and first in Wales according to the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008) with a 100% research quality profile.

As of February 2011 the School of Management and Business is one of only 28 departments in the world to have its Masters degrees, including the MBM, accredited by the AMBA. It is similar to the AACSB in the U.S. and EQUIS in Europe. Its MBA is also accredited by the same organisation.

The Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences was the first British university department to offer single honours degrees in human geography and physical geography, a course which has since been adopted by many other universities in the UK. Aberystwyth was ranked 11th of 60 UK universities for Geography and Environmental Studies in the 2009 Guardian University Guide and, according to the 2009 Times Good University Guide, ranked the department at number 12 from 76 university geography and environmental science related departments.

The Department for International Politics was founded in 1919 and is the oldest such department in the world.

The university came under criticism in 2007 for its record on sustainability, with a ranking of 97th out of 106 UK higher education institutions in the "Green League 2007". However, the University has managed to climb up to 76th in Ranking for the revised Green League Table for 2009.

Departments
Aberystwyth university was ranked 40th overall in the UK in the 2011 Times Good University guide.

The Department of History and Welsh History, and the Institute of Mathematics and Physics can trace their beginnings back to the formation of the University in 1872. The Department of Law was established in 1901 and, as such, is one of the oldest law schools in the UK. The School of Art has a history stretching back to 1917 when it was part of the only British university concerned with the Art and Crafts Movement. In 1936, it became a sub-department within the Education Department where, in 1965, the Joint Honours Art scheme was established. Single Honours Art and Masters degree schemes were introduced in 1974, one year after the subject had once again been given autonomy as a university department. Modern languages has been taught at Aberystwyth since c. 1874, making the current Department of European Languages one of the oldest departments in the UK to teach the subject. The Department of Information & Library Studies was founded in 1989 following the merger of the University with the College of Librarianship Wales. The Institute of Biological Sciences was formed in 1993 from the Department of Biological Sciences, the Department of Biochemistry and the Genetics Group of the Department of Agricultural Botany. These former departments, in turn, can trace their beginnings to the foundation of the University. In 1993, budgetary considerations caused the University to permanently close its department of philosophy. The efforts of some student philosophy organizations have so far failed to restore any funding for a philosophy department at Aberystwyth although there are a number of political philosophy related modules covered by the Department of International Politics.

List of Departments and Institutes

 * Art
 * Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences
 * Computer Science
 * School of Education and Lifelong Learning
 * English and Creative Writing
 * European Languages
 * Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences
 * History and Welsh History
 * Information Studies
 * International Politics
 * Law and Criminology
 * School of Management and Business
 * Institute of Mathematics and Physics
 * Psychology
 * Sport and Exercise Science
 * Theatre, Film and Television Studies
 * Welsh

Department of Computer Science
The Department of Computer Science at Aberystwyth was founded in 1970. The department is known for its research in Computational Biology and Robotics

In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008) the department ranked 20th in the United Kingdom for Computer Science and Informatics.

The RAE 2008 results highlighted the Department of Computer Science, with 70% of its research activity rated as world leading or internationally excellent and the remaining 30% rated as internationally recognised. The Department is the only such department in Wales that has been awarded a quality profile with 100% of its research being of international quality.

AberMUD, the first popular internet-based MUD, was written in this department of the university by then-student Alan Cox.

Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences
The Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences was formed in 1989 from the former Departments of Geography (established in 1917) and Geology. This department contains the E.G. Bowen map library, containing 80000 maps and 500 atlases.

Aberystwyth was the first department to offer students single honours degrees in human geography and physical geography. In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) in 2008, where the Institute was ranked in the top 12 departments in Britain for Geography, with 20% of research classed as "world leading" and 45% classed as either "world leading " or "internationally excellent".

Department of Information Studies
The College of Librarianship Wales (CLW) was established at Llanbadarn Fawr in 1964 in response to a recommendation for the training of bilingual librarians made in the Bourdillon Report on Standards of public library service in England, (H.M.S.O., 1962). The College grew rapidly and became the largest institution for the training of librarians in Europe. The independent College merged with the University in August 1989. The new department has since introduced courses by open, part-time and distance learning to supplement full-time student numbers.

Since 1956 the university has also offered professional training in archive administration and records management, first as a Diploma course and since 1995 as a modular Master's course. The course is run in partnership with the National Library of Wales and the Ceredigion Record Office, who contribute to the taught courses, support the practical work of the students and assist with research projects.

Department of International Politics
The Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth was founded in 1919, and claims to be the first such department in the world. It was founded shortly after World War I with the stated purpose of furthering political understanding of the world in the hope of avoiding future conflicts. This goal led to the creation of the Woodrow Wilson chair of International Politics.

The department has 500 undergraduate students and 120 postgraduates studying at Masters Degree and PhD level. Of all Aberystwyth's submissions to the 2008 RAE, it had the highest proportion of research that was regarded as world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour.

The department has had various notable academic staff in the field including E. H. Carr, Leopold Kohr, Andrew Linklater, Ken Booth, Steve Smith and Michael Cox. In 2006, a new building for the Department of International Politics was completed and opened on the main Penglais Campus.

The department is also home to a number of journals. These include "Intelligence & National Security", "International Relations" and "Critical Studies on Terrorism".

Department of Law and Criminology
The Department of Law and Criminology is housed in the Hugh Owen Building, which is located on the main campus. This department was founded in 1901. Ranked within the top twenty institutions for Law in the United Kingdom, it is the oldest law school in Wales. Furthermore, the Department is home to the specialist research centre, the Centre for Welsh Legal Affairs. All lecturers in the Department are engaged in research and the International Journal of Biosciences and the Law, and the Cambrian Law Review are edited in the Department. Over the years a large number of well-known legal academics, practitioners and politicians have taught in the Department. Recently the Department has worked closely with the Quality Assurance Agency in testing new processes for teaching quality assessment. The Department is one of only a few universities in the United Kingdom which offers the two-year LL.B scheme to graduates in a discipline other than law. Information published in 2006 indicates a progression rate from first year to second year of about 93.5% on the LLB courses.

In 2006 the Department of Law & Criminology started a Legal Practice Course. The LPC is a requirement for anyone who wishes to practice as a solicitor in England and Wales. The Times Good University Guide 2009 ranks its School of Law 34th overall out of 87 Law Schools across the UK.

Department of Psychology
In 2007, Aberystwyth added Psychology as a subject to its portfolio of module schemes by establishing a Centre for Applied Psychology within the Department of International Politics. This allowed the university to establish several new joint honours degrees schemes and lead to the establishment of a new independent Psychology Department in 2008; the first time Psychology has been offered as a study course at Aberystwyth for 50 years. The department is now aiming for full British Psychological accreditation by 2012.

Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies
The Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies is one of the largest departments in the university in terms of numbers of undergraduate students and was established in the late 1970s. The department incorporates a BBC studio built in 2001.

Institute of Rural Sciences
The Institute of Rural Sciences on Llanbadarn Campus was formed by the merger of the Welsh Agricultural College, which had hitherto been independent, and the University's Department of Agriculture in 1995.

School of Management and Business
In 1998 the Department of Economics (founded 1912), the Department of Accounting and Finance (founded 1979) and the Centre for Business Studies merged to create the School of Management and Business. The MBA programme at Aberystwyth was established in 1985 and is accredited by the AMBA; it was the first business school in Wales to achieve this. The school's postgraduate programmes in Management and International Business Management are both MBM (Masters in Business Management) accredited by the Association of MBAs. Only 28 business schools throughout the world, as at February 2011, have achieved this programme accreditation and Aberystwyth is one of only 9 in the UK. Recently the school has been ranked 16th in Europe for accounting research by the Journal Accounting and Business Research and 22nd in Europe for Finance and Financial Economics by the Journal of Business Finance & Accounting. In the most recent subject specific teaching quality reviews the Accounting and Finance degrees schemes and the Economics degree schemes at Aberystwyth were both judged to be excellent, this is the highest category that can be awarded. The research training masters are also ESRC 1+3 recognised.

Department of Sport and Exercise Science
In 2001 the Department of Sport and Exercise Science was established under Prof. Jo Doust, the department was then taken over by Prof. David Lavallee in 2007. The department delivers undergraduate programmes in sport and exercise science, performs research in the sport and exercise sciences, and provides consultancy services to individuals and organisations in Wales and the rest of the UK.

The Department has seen much success in its short history, including academic success for students and staff/researchers. For example recently students have won the 2007 and 2008 British Psychological Society (BPS) Division of Sport & Exercise Psychology H.T.A. Whiting Undergraduate Dissertation Prize and there is a history of success (undergraduate and postgraduate prizes) for communications at the annual student conference of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES).

Research
The department is active in research, and members of staff are involved in various projects including collaborative work with other Universities and organisations. The department has made contributions to respiratory and endurance physiology, and the role of exercise in mental health and well-being. Members of academic staff have an established record of publications in scientific journals, as well as contributing to book chapters, popular magazine articles and television and radio broadcasts on issues related to their research work. In the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008, the Department of Sport and Exercise Science, which was returned for the first time since its formation in 2001, had 65% of research submitted rated as being recognised internationally and 15% being of international excellence.

Geography of the university campuses
The main campus of the university is situated on Penglais Hill, overlooking the town of Aberystwyth and Cardigan Bay. The Penglais Campus is the site of 12 of the University's 17 departments, as well as most of the student halls of residence. Just below the Penglais Campus is the National Library of Wales, one of Britain's five legal deposit libraries. A BBC article suggests the library is "considered to be one of the world's greatest libraries, and its international reputation is certainly something that all Welsh men and women are intensely ... proud of". The original university building, next to the sea, known as "Old College", is the site of most of the University's administration as well as the Departments of Welsh and Education. The Llanbadarn Campus is located approximately one mile to the east of the Penglais Campus, and hosts the Institute of Rural Sciences and the Department of Information Studies. Additionally, the Llanbadarn Campus is the site of the Aberystwyth branch of Coleg Ceredigion, a further education college, and not part of the University. The School of Art is located between the Penglais Campus and the centre of Aberystwyth, in what was originally the Edward Davies Chemical Laboratory, site of the now-defunct Department of Chemistry.

Student residences
The various student residences owned, leased or managed by the university offer over 3,500 bed-spaces in total. All feature wired access to the University's computer network and a support network of wardening staff.

Penglais Campus: Llanbadarn Campus:
 * Cwrt Mawr (self-catered flats, capacity 485)
 * Pantycelyn (traditional catered Welsh speaking hall, capacity 260)
 * Penbryn (traditional catered hall, capacity 525)
 * Rendel (Blocks 1, 2 & 3)
 * Davies Bryan (Block 4)
 * Alban Davies (Block 5) (Now being remodelled into academic space)
 * Ifor Evans (Block 7)
 * Thomas Charles Edwards (Blocks 8 & 9)
 * Trefloyne (self-catered flats, capacity 146)
 * Rosser (self-catered en-suite flats, capacity 332)
 * Aeron, Cletwr, Dyfi, Einion and Leri – 5 residences that housed a total of 298 catered students (closed in June 2007 and since demolished)

Pentre Jane Morgan (the Student Village):
 * 178 self-contained houses accommodating typically 5 or 6 students each
 * Pentre Jane Morgan is due to be expanded over the next 5 years to accommodate for the closing of Llanbadarn (2007), Pantycelyn (2011) and some Sea Front (2011) halls. In total the site will expand to reach the boundary of Aberystwyth Golf Club and accommodate an estimated 900 students. However, due to the previously mentioned closing halls, the expansion will only see total of 300 additional rooms to the campus in total.

Town:
 * Brynderw (self-catered flats, capacity 146)
 * Seafront Residences (self-catered flats located on the seafront and Queen's Road, overall capacity 720–800 including the redeveloped Alexandra Hall and Clarendon House Postgraduate residence). The original Seafront residences (Plyn' and Caerleon) were destroyed by fire in 1998.

List of Presidents of the University

 * 1872–1895, Henry Austin Bruce, 1st Baron Aberdare, GCB PC DCI FRS.
 * 1895–1913, Stuart Rendel, 1st Baron Rendel of Hatchlands, PC.
 * 1913–1926, Sir John Williams, 1st Baronet, of the City of London, GCVO DSC MD LLD.
 * 1926–1944, Edmund Davies, Baron Edmund-Davies, PC MA LLD.
 * 1944–1954, Thomas Jones (T. J.), CH MA LLD.
 * 1955–1964, Sir David Hughes Parry, QC MA DCL Hon LLD.
 * 1964–1976, Sir Ben Bowen Thomas, MA LLD.
 * 1977–1985, Cledwyn Hughes, Baron Cledwyn of Penrhos, CH PC.
 * 1985–1997, Sir Melvyn Rosser, Hon LLD FCA.
 * 1997–2007, Elystan Morgan, Baron Elystan-Morgan, LLD.
 * 2007–present, Sir Emyr Jones Parry, GCMG PhD FInstP.

List of Principals and Vice-Chancellors of the University

 * 1872–1891 Thomas Charles Edwards
 * 1891–1919 Thomas Francis Roberts
 * 1919–1926 John Humphreys Davies
 * 1927–1934 Sir Henry Stuart-Jones
 * 1934–1952 Ifor Leslie Evans
 * 1953–1957 Goronwy Rees
 * 1958–1969 Sir Thomas Parry
 * 1969–1979 Sir Goronwy Daniel, KCVO.
 * 1979–1989 Dr Gareth Owen
 * 1989–1994 Prof Kenneth O. Morgan, Baron Morgan of Aberdyfi
 * 1994–2004 Prof Derec Llwyd Morgan
 * 2004–2011 Prof Noel Lloyd
 * 2011 – present Prof April McMahon

Notable staff

 * Henry Bird, lecturer in art history (1936–1941)
 * Ken Booth, professor of International Politics
 * Edward Carr, Historian & Woodrow Wilson Professor of International Politics
 * Henry Walford Davies, first Gregynog Professor of Music, composer, broadcaster, Master of the King's Music
 * John Davies, Welsh historian
 * R. Geraint Gruffydd, Chair of Welsh language and literature (1970–1979)
 * David Russell Hulme, Director of Music (from 1992), conductor and musicologist
 * Robert Maynard Jones, Chair of Welsh language (1980– until retirement)
 * D. Gwenallt Jones, poet, Welsh lecturer
 * Leopold Kohr, economist and political scientist
 * Dennis Lindley, Professor of Statistics 1960–1967
 * David John de Lloyd, Gregynog Professor of Music, composer
 * Richard Marggraf Turley, poet, Professor in Department of English and Creative Writing
 * Ian Parrott, Gregynog Professor of Music (1950–1983, composer and musicologist
 * Joseph Parry, Professor of Music, composer and conductor
 * Sir T. H. Parry-Williams, poet and author; Professor of Welsh 1920–1952
 * F. Gwendolen Rees, F.R.S., professor of Zoology
 * William Rubinstein, professor of history
 * Evan James Williams, F.R.S. professor of Physics 1938-1945
 * Michael Woods, professor of Geography (current IGES head)
 * Marie Breen Smyth, a reader in political violence in the International Politics Department.
 * Alex Maltman, professor of Geography

Royal and Establishment alumni

 * HRH Charles, Prince of Wales, KG KT GCB OM etc.
 * HRH Tunku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tunku Munawir, the 11th Yang Di Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan
 * HRH Tunku Naquiyuddin, Tunku Laxamana (Regent) of Negeri Sembilan
 * HE Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, former president of Sierra Leone

Academic alumni

 * Ian Banks, author, Professor of Men's Health, President of The Men's Health Forum, BMA
 * Joseph Biddulph, linguist, author and publisher, BA (Hons)
 * Ken Booth, E H Carr Professor of International Politics and Fellow of the British Academy
 * Emrys G. Bowen FRGS, FSA, BA, MA, LLD, DUniv, Geographer
 * E. H. Carr, historian, journalist and international relations theorist
 * Sir Edward Collingwood FRS CBE DL, mathematician and scientist
 * Alan Cox, Programmer (major contributor to the Linux kernel) (1980s)
 * D.J. Davies (1893–1956), Economist, Socialist Plaid Cymru Activist, Constitutional Monarchist.
 * Sir Henry Walford Davies KCVO OBE, Gregynog Professor of Music, composer, broadcaster, Master of the King's Music 1(1934–1941)
 * Dr. Peter Dennis, Lecturer and Researcher in Ecology
 * Rev Prof Samuel Ifor Enoch, Theologian
 * Andrew Gordon Naval historian
 * Sir Deian Hopkin, Historian
 * David Russell Hulme, Director of Music (from 1992), conductor and musical historian
 * Emrys Jones, Professor of Geography at the LSE
 * Dr. Rhys D. Jones, Doctor of Geography at Aberystwyth University.
 * T. Harri Jones, Poet
 * Roy Kift, Dramatist and writer
 * Mary King, Political Scientist
 * Leopold Kohr, economist, jurist, political scientist and philosopher
 * Andrew Linklater, Woodrow Wilson Professor of International Politics
 * Paul Maddrell, political scientist
 * Carl R May, sociologist
 * Sir Mungo William MacCallum, noted literary critic on English and German literature
 * Kenneth O. Morgan Baron Morgan of Aberdyfi, historian and author
 * Mihangel Morgan, leading Welsh language writer
 * Twm Morys, poet
 * Tavi Murray, noted glaciologist, received the Polar Medal.
 * Ernest Charles Nelson, noted botanist
 * Sir Hugh Owen, educator
 * Sir T. H. Parry-Williams, poet, author and academic
 * Jan Pinkava, Oscar winning animator, Pixar, (1981–1985)
 * F. Gwendolen Rees FRS, Emeritus Professor, zoologist and parasitologist
 * Lewis Fry Richardson D.Sc FRS, mathematician, physicist, meteorologist, psychologist and pacifist
 * H. J. Rose, Emeritus Professor, Classics scholar and Fellow of the British Academy
 * Frederick Soddy, Nobel Prize Winner in chemistry (1921)
 * Sir John Meurig Thomas FRS, Chemist, Professor, Author
 * Professor Paul Thomas AM, founding Vice-Chancellor of University of the Sunshine Coast
 * Nigel Thrift, Geographic Scholar and Vice Chancellor of Warwick University
 * Steve Smith, MSc PhD AcSS, international relations theorist
 * Sir Charles Webster KCMG, historian, diplomat and former President of the British Academy
 * David John Williams, Writer
 * Sir Glanmor Williams, eminent Historian
 * Rev Prof John Tudno Williams, Theologian
 * Waldo Williams, Poet
 * Rev Prof William Richard Williams, Theologian
 * Dame Marjorie Williamson DBE, academic, educator, physicist
 * Sir Alfred Eckhard Zimmern, classical scholar, historian, political scientist and Woodrow Wilson Professor of International Politics.

Military alumni

 * Brigadier-General Lewis Pugh Evans VC CB CMG DSO & Bar JP DL.
 * Colonel Bob Stewart DSO, Former British United Nations commander in Bosnia, broadcaster and author.

Legal alumni

 * Tun Salleh Abas, Lord President of the Federal Court of Malaysia (1984–1988). The Lord President of the Federal Court of Malaysia was the title of the head of the judiciary (now Chief Justice) of Malaysia until 1994.
 * Sarah Caudwell, former lecturer in law. She was a barrister and writer of detective stories.
 * Sir Ellis Jones Ellis-Griffith, 1st Baronet PC KC, former barrister and Liberal politician.
 * Elwyn Jones, Baron Elwyn-Jones CH PC, Attorney General for England and Wales (1966–1970) and Lord Chancellor (1974–1979)
 * Sir Samuel Thomas Evans GCB PC QC, barrister, judge, Liberal politician and last QC under Queen Victoria.
 * John Morris, Baron Morris of Aberavon KG PC QC, Chancellor of the University of Glamorgan and Attorney General for England and Wales (1997–1999)
 * Sir Alun Talfan Davies, former lawyer, writer and publisher.

Civil Service alumni

 * Dr Timothy Brain QPM BA PhD FRSA, former Chief Constable for Gloucestershire
 * Sir Goronwy Daniel, KCVO PhD, former civil servant and academic
 * Tan Sri Musa Hassan, former Inspector-General of Police, Royal Malaysian Police
 * Thomas Jones (T. J.), CH, civil servant and educationalist

Political alumni

 * Joe Borg, European Union Fisheries and Maritime affairs Commissioner
 * Captain Roderic Bowen KC, former Liberal MP and Deputy Commons Speaker
 * Nick Bourne former Welsh Assembly Member and Leader of the Welsh Conservatives
 * David Davies, 1st Baron Davies, Liberal politician and philanthropist
 * Glyn Davies, Conservative MP for Montgomeryshire
 * John Hugh Edwards, former Liberal politician
 * Gwynfor Evans MP, first Member of Parliament for Plaid Cymru
 * Stephen Gilbert Liberal Democrat MP for St Austell and Newquay
 * Neil Hamilton, former Conservative MP, barrister
 * Lady Sylvia Hermon MP, Ulster Unionist politician
 * Emlyn Hooson, Baron Hooson QC, former Liberal politician
 * Cledwyn Hughes CH PC, Baron Cledwyn of Penrhos, former Labour MP and parliamentarian
 * Dato' Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysian Home Minister
 * Dan Jarvis MP, Labour MP for Barnsley Central
 * Carwyn Jones AM, First Minister of Wales, Assembly Member for Bridgend
 * Mustafa Kamal, Mayor of the City of Karachi
 * Gerry MacLochlainn Sinn Féin politician
 * John Morris, Baron Morris of Aberavon KG, PC, QC, Labour politician
 * Elystan Morgan, Baron Elystan-Morgan, former Labour MP for Ceredigion and Home Office Minister.
 * Roland Moyle, Labour politician, Parliamentary Private Secretary to Clement Attlee.
 * Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat politician in the London Assembly
 * Gwilym Prys Prys-Davies, Baron Prys-Davies, Labour politician and candidate in by-election won by Gwynfor Evans (see above)
 * Goronwy Roberts, Baron Goronwy-Roberts PC MA, former Labour MP
 * Dan Rogerson MP, Liberal Democrat politician
 * Dr Ahmed Shaheed PhD, Maldivian politician.
 * Gareth Thomas, former Labour MP
 * Gareth Thomas, Labour MP for Harrow West
 * Mark Williams MP, Liberal Democrat member of Parliament for Ceredigion (2005–present)

Business/finance alumni

 * Belinda Earl, former CEO of Debenhams was appointed CEO of Jaeger in 2004
 * Tom Singh OBE, owner and CEO of New Look (store)

Sports alumni

 * Cath Bishop PhD, former professional British rower, turned civil servant
 * John Dawes, Rugby player, who captained Wales and the British Lions.
 * Carwyn James, Welsh and British and Irish Lions rugby coach (1949?–1951)
 * Leigh Richmond Roose, MM, International footballer
 * Berwyn Price, International 110m hurdles athlete, Commonwealth Games & World Student Games gold medallist.
 * Jonathan Spratt, professional Rugby Union player for Ospreys.
 * Angela Tooby, Five Time Winner of Welsh Cross Cross Country Championships, English Cross-country champion 1985, UK Cross-country Champion 1988, silver medal World Cross-country Championships, Auckland.

Arts alumni

 * Neil Brand, writer, composer, and a silent film accompanist
 * Shân Cothi, operatic singer and actress
 * Jane Green, best-selling fiction writer (1987)
 * Sarah Hall, writer and poet
 * David Russell Hulme, conductor and musicologist
 * Aneirin Hughes, actor
 * Emrys James, actor
 * Alex Jones, presenter of the BBC tevevision programme The One Show
 * Melih Kibar, former Turkish composer
 * Alun Lewis, Second World War writer and poet
 * Hayley Long, fiction writer
 * Sharon Maguire, film director of Bridget Jones's Diary
 * William Mathias, composer
 * Robert Minhinnick, poet, essayist, novelist and translator
 * Rachel Roberts, actress
 * Lisa Surihani, Malaysian actress