The University of Bradford is offering more courses in response to student demand as interest in the institution is at a record high.

As part of the university's five-year corporate strategy it aims to increase student numbers by 13 per cent by 2009 and boost recruitment of overseas students.

And from September, its portfolio of courses is being expanded to include degrees in psychology and law, and further courses in bioscience, geography, occupational therapy, computer animation, media and cultural studies.

Deputy vice-chancellor Jeff Lucas said the university, pictured right, was delighted applications were up 32 per cent compared to last year.

And he said this was because the perception of the university and the city as a whole was improving locally and nationally. Nationally, applications to universities are up by nine per cent overall.

Applications for Bradford places dropped by 30 per cent after the riots, but by August 2002 admissions were up 16 per cent.

Mr Lucas said: "We are seeing evidence that students are beginning to perceive the university and the city centre much more positively than they did two or three years ago. We have definitely turned a corner at the university and so has the city as a whole."

Overseas applications are up 13 per cent but nationally they are down by two per cent. Mr Lucas said their success in attracting international students was because they had formal links set up with various countries, including India, Singapore and Malaysia.

"By 2009 we want a six per cent growth in this area and we have already reached the point where we wanted to be fours years from now - it's fantastic," he said.

And he said half of the 50,000 inquiries this year were about the new courses on offer.

He said although law and psychology were offered before they were part of other degrees. The new courses will be fully accredited to the relevant professional bodies.

The computer animation degree will give students the chance to learn how to create 2D and 3D animation, techniques which were used in the Golf GTI advertisement which features a manipulation of Gene Kelly's Singing in the Rain routine which has been developed to include break dancing.

Research funding is also up by more than seven per cent.

And grants to widen participation are also up by 7.6 per cent, an additional £124,406, to attract students from more under-represented groups.