The Facilities at AECC University College

The facilities provided at AECC University College are second to none. With clinical training at the heart of our health science courses, our campus contains some of the country’s most unique and specialist equipment.

Not only do we have cutting edge equipment that will aid your clinical experience, the university college also contains key student facilities to help support your learning and your lifestyle. Our beautiful library with historic stained-glass windows, our digital learning lab, large lecture theatres, seminar rooms, and many other learning areas all blend with supporting your learning.

And, when it comes time to take a break, you might want to spend time in our recently refurbished student gym, onsite café, student bar and other lifestyle facilities that offer spaces for you to relax and enjoy life outside of your studies.

Watch the video below, or scroll down to learn more about the facilities available at AECC University College.

Clinical Facilities

Clinical training is a fundamental element to the courses at AECC University College. We pride ourselves in preparing students for the real world and in getting students work ready for when they graduate. Clinical placements are offered in our state-of-the-art onsite facilities. 

You won’t find equipment like this in every institution. We have one of only seven Open Upright MRI scanners in the country, alongside this we also use digital x-ray equipment, quantitative fluoroscopy and high-specification Samsung and AGFA ultrasound scanners, to mention a few.

In our Human Performance Laboratory, you’ll master state-of-the-art testing and analysis equipment used to support professional sportspeople, and you’ll learn about rehabilitation, injury resistance and performance enhancement in our Exercise Centres.

Chiropractic Treatment Rooms

Our onsite Chiropractic Clinic (one of the largest placement clinics in Europe) contains 34 treatment rooms. Here 4th year chiropractic students work under the supervision of our qualified chiropractic tutors to work to help diagnose and treat our patients. The Chiropractic Clinic is situated behind the main building on Parkwood Campus

Find out more about the Chiropractic Clinic

Exercise Centre

The Exercise Centre, situated within the Chiropractic Clinic, provides a designated area in which patients can be assessed following a pain complaint. Although the wide range of equipment is primarily for rehabilitation, injury resistance and performance enhancement, diagnostic and testing can also be delivered in the facility

Alter G Treadmill

We've recently invested in an AlterG anti-gravity treadmill. This piece of equipment inflates from the waist down giving you a weightless feeling as you walk or run with as little as 20% of your bodyweight. The AlterG treadmill will be used to help people get back to walking or running after injuries.

Open Upright MRI

Our Open Upright MRI is one of only seven in the country. An upright MRI offers what conventional scans can’t, helping patients with claustrophobia, flexibility issues, or breathing difficulties. Students in placement years may learn to use the machine as part of their clinical training and research.

Upright Digital X-ray

The upright digital x-ray allows the body to be examined while it is in a natural standing position. Rather than laying on a bed, sometimes the body requires to be examined in a weight-bearing, standing position. Student’s on placement years, will use this to learn about, treat and diagnose patients who come into the chiropractic clinic.

Clinical Skills Suite

Our industry leading clinical skills suite is situated within Cavendish House, home to our School of Radiography. Here you will find our mock ward and some of our cutting-edge medical imaging equipment.

Mock Ward

The ‘mock ward’ is designed to simulate the working environment of a hospital or treatment room. The room is fitted with two bed bays, patient chairs, dummy oxygen, blood pressure monitors, hoist, head immobiliser, patient transfer sliders, and more. Here students can gain essential skills involved with patient handling and care, fully preparing them for work in a clinical environment.

Digital X-ray Suite

Next to the mock ward is our digital x-ray suite. This room includes an x-ray table and a ceiling mounted x-ray tube for students to operate. There is a lead-glass window in the centre of the lead wall for students to look through for observations. Here students can carry out their training in lateral transfers, x-rays and patient handling. They’ll learn about exposure factors and radiation protection measures - all while standing behind the safety of a lead screen before taking their patient back to the ward.

Additional Radiography Facilities

VERT

What is the VERT? VERT stands for Virtual Environment Radiotherapy Training. This exciting facility allows our radiotherapy students to prepare for using a linear accelerator, a machine that delivers doses of radiation deep within the body to kill cancer cells. The virtual learning environment provides a safe space for students to learn this highly technical skill outside of the pressures of a clinical setting.

Read more about the VERT

Samsung Ultrasound Suites

Our School of Radiography is also equipped with state-of-the-art Samsung Ultrasound systems (provided by MIS Healthcare) to give students the best start to their training

Quantitative Fluoroscopy

Quantitative Fluoroscopy is used in spinal biomechanics, utilising technology that measures inter-vertebral motion in living subjects and which is now used to research spinal pain internationally.

Quantitative Fluoroscopy is used to see the spine in motion. It’s a method for measuring the movement of body joints, especially spinal ones that are deep inside the body.

Sports Performance Centre & Human Performance Lab

The Sport Performance Centre and Human Performance Lab are situated in Garnet Campus, home to our school or Rehabilitation, Sport and Psychology. These spaces provide a range of sport science, performance and rehabilitation testing, analysis and intervention services to external clients and user groups, as well as for students to learn with. Our track record for providing high-quality services is reflected in AECC University College’s status as the official Performance and Rehabilitation partner to English Premiership football club AFC Bournemouth.

Here students can learn about testing and analysing things such as:

• Sports Psychology and Performance
• Physiology Assessment
• Biomechanics and Movement efficiency
• Rehabilitation, recovery and more.

Find out more about the Sports Performance Centre

Integrated Rehabilitation Centre (IRC)

Our Integrated Rehabilitation Centre (IRC) first opened its doors in October 2022, combining a fully integrated rehabilitation clinic with leading-edge teaching and applied research. This state-of-the-art facility not only provides our students with specialist equipment to facilitate their clinical learning, but is also a centre for rehabilitation in the area.

find out more about the IRC

Learning Facilities

Library

Our beautiful library is housed in an old chapel, used back when the site was a Convent School. Decorated with beautiful stain-glassed-windows and high ceilings, the library provides a calm and serene environment in which to focus and study whilst surrounded by the stunning interiors.

The library features tech-enabled study pods, desk space, comfy and relaxed seating areas and a self-service kiosk. With Wi-Fi throughout campus, areas dedicated to group or independent study, plenty of laptops for loan, and helpful staff on hand, the Library is your ideal place to study and grow your knowledge.

Learn more about our library and other learning services

Digital Learning Lab

The Digital Learning Lab (DLL) is an additional computer room that features 32 computers for students to complete coursework on. This space provides additional computers to those found in the library.

Pro-section Lab

Also known as the wet lab, or human anatomy lab. This facility contains real human cadavers. AECC University College is the only university setting to house this facility, as it’s usually only found in teaching hospitals. This is a great place to students to transfer what they have learnt in lectures to physical real-life examples.

Dry Lab/ Models Lab

This location contains skeletons, faux examples human anatomy and further physical resources and models on the human anatomy and musculoskeletal system. Students can look at areas of the body as a whole or in isolation. This space provides students the opportunity for tactile hands-on learning in addition to what they will learn from reading texts and in lectures.

History Library

The history library is located on the top floor above the dry lab. This room contains records, books and artefacts from the history of chiropractic. From the original proponents of the discipline to the groundwork that was laid in order for us to teach today.

Lecture Theatres

Our main building contains two large lecture theatres, for large capacity student teaching environment with tiered seating.

Seminar Rooms

We also have multiple seminar rooms for smaller more intimate learning setting. We understand that the intake of information can vary from subject to subject, and between individuals. By offering a mix of learning environments we can cater for a range of learning experiences.

Technique Rooms

These rooms contain multiple practise benches, that students will practice techniques with. Our largest room TR2 contains fifteen ES2000 benches, we also have five RM2 Atlas benches in our smaller technique rooms ensuring students are clinically confident.

Lifestyle Facilities

Campus Café

The Campus Café has just been refurbished to cater for everyone who works, studies, teaches and visits AECC University College. Our Catering Manager has a wide selection of hot and cold food made to order, that you can book online ahead of when you need a bite to eat! And we’re more than happy to cater for any special dietary requirements just let the team know.

Student Bar

Student facilities also include our student bar ‘Togglers Arms’ where you can take a load off from studies, and enjoy events such as Wednesday sports nights and many others arranged by our Students’ Union.

Find out more about the SU

Lounge

The lounge at AECC offers a space to relax, catch up with friends, or escape your studies for a little while. Here we have a selection of games, television, you might expect students to get together here when a big sporting event.

Gym

Our recently refurbished student gym contains top of the line equipment form cardio, to free weights to machines and basically anything you can think of. Many of our students compete professionally and so we want to ensure they have the best equipment available to keep training during their time with us while studying.

Faith and Reflection Room

This room is located at the top of Cavendish House and is available for students who require a quiet environment for prayer, meditation or other needs.

Student Services

Our Student Services office is located on the first floor of the main building. Our friendly Student Services Adviser will be happy to help with any questions or queries. Student Services are available to all students, all Schools and all years, to support with both academic and personal needs.

Find out more about student services