Where the emphasis is on performance

For a guide to some of the academic strengths and specialisms of the north of England, where better to begin than the city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, a thriving centre of cultural and social opportunities and home to a very popular university.

The university's history dates back to the founding, in 1834, of the Newcastle School of Medicine and Surgery, making it one of the oldest academic institutions in the UK. While the university has strengths across a range of science and arts subjects, its medical school remains one of its most distinguished features, winning accolades for its teaching from the General Medical Council as well as top scores for its research.

Becky Say, 21, now more than half way through her five-year course as a medical student, chose Newcastle chiefly because of the high reputation of its medical school. She has not been disappointed.

"Newcastle was one of the first schools to run an integrated course, giving students regular contact with patients. It's been brilliant. The teaching has been excellent and the atmosphere is great. There's a big mentality of working hard and playing hard – and if you're having fun, you don't notice the work so much."

Durham University is strong academically, in science and humanities, and has scored consistently highly in the Quality Assurance Agency's (QAA) teaching quality assessments. In the recent RAE (research assessment exercise), it received six star-rated top scores (in chemistry, maths, law, English, history and geography) confirming the university's standing as the overall leading research university in the North.

For a more specialist approach to science, you may want to consider UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology), which developed from the Manchester Mechanics Institution, founded in 1834. The University of Manchester now confers its formal degrees, and the Institute concentrates on science, engineering, technology and management.

Still on a scientific theme, the University of Bradford is justly proud of its department of archaeological sciences, known for the outstanding quality of its teaching and research. The department has 19 laboratories dedicated to archaeology and archaeological sciences, and is involved in fieldwork in the UK and abroad, including Shetland, Cornwall, Pompeii, Knossos, Pakistan and Ecuador.

All students participate in research excavations during their first year, learning to apply advanced field techniques, such as electronic survey and geophysics. The department has a very high employment rate, especially in archaeology, as well as a high take-up rate of graduates going on to research degrees.

Bradford University also houses the world's largest university centre for the study of peace and conflict, the Department of Peace Studies. This department has a strong international reputation, and is at the forefront of research and discussion, academically and in terms of policy. It sees itself as a centre for "training the diplomats and political leaders of the future".

Rather more conventionally, English, history, psychology and economics top the bill at York University, in terms of being among its most popular departments. But almost all this university's departments scored top ratings, making it, according to its communications office, the university with "the best teaching quality results in the system". This also makes it tough to get into, with a general figure for the university as a whole of 10 applicants for every place.

Its English course is particularly competitive. It includes English and related literature (eg European), so it is an advantage if students have a language. There is also a new writing and performance course, incorporating workshops with Max Stafford Clark, which looks at writing as well as directing for the stage.

Performing arts degrees are in the ascendant at York St John College of the University of Leeds, which also has strengths in sports science and in teacher training. The college has been training teachers since 1841, and is a high-quality provider in both primary and secondary training. The 1999 Teacher of the Year, Norma Machell, trained at York St John, and still teaches locally in York.

Moving into specialist arts training, the north of England is well supplied, with the Cumbria Institute of the Arts in Carlisle, the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds.

The last one, sited in a Twenties synagogue, is a conservatoire offering two basic courses: a one-year foundation course, with dance and supporting academic studies (with only 30 places, this is hard to get onto), and a degree in performing arts, 75 per cent practical (for which you must demonstrate dance potential and a certain stage presence). "We're very successful at getting our graduates into contemporary dance companies," says a school spokesman.

The main emphasis at the Royal Northern College of Music is on preparing students for a professional career in performance, including composition. The college also serves as an arts centre, hosting a vide variety of music, dance and theatrical productions, as well as more than 100 student performances which, according to the college, "creates an atmosphere of public engagement which is distintive among UK conservatoires".

The Cumbria Institute is also predominantly practical in bent, offering a range of degree courses from fine art and contemporary applied arts to journalism, multi-media design and heritage management. Manchester Metropolitan University runs a hugely oversubscribed BA in fashion. Its students are "a big hit", staff say, at London Graduate Fashion Week, and it is exceptional if students are not selling to design houses before graduating.

Getting down to business, Manchester Metropolitan also has popular degrees in retail marketing and hospitality management. At Leeds Metropolitan University, the business and management group of courses at the business school was recently awarded 24 out of 24 in a QAA, as was its economics programme. The school runs a Business Studies Progression Scheme, a top-up to prepare HND students for a degree, as well as competitive BAs in business studies (including a placement opportunity), and public relations, both recruiting about 100 students a year.