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From the beautiful English town of Hatfield, the University of Hertfordshire welcomes international students and provides them with lots of opportunities. Hatfield is 20 miles north of London, and it’s been the home of this university since 1952. UH is an institution focused on quality education and non-stop innovation. Across lots of different programmes of study, lecturers and tutors help students to improve, learn and grow.

There are currently around 30,000 students, including 4,000 international students enrolled from 100 countries across the world. This means the student community across Hertfordshire’s two campuses is global. There are lots of opportunities for students of all backgrounds to socialise, study effectively, apply for scholarships and access targeted support services.

UH ranks very highly in the National Student Survey for ‘Student Voice’, which proves how good the university is at making every student feel heard and respected, and responding to concerns quickly. The teaching across all courses is very high quality, and employability and career planning are a focus throughout studies. It’s no surprise there are so many successful alumni enjoying exciting careers after their time spent at the University of Hertfordshire.

The city of London is not far from UH and Hatfield, but life in a classic English town is also on offer for the students who love this idea. There’s nothing a person enrolled at UH can’t do, see or enjoy, and their studies are sure to go well when they’re being taught by award winners and dedicated, caring teachers.

Learn more about studying at UH:

Teaching quality

Entry requirements

Scholarships & funding

University structure

Facilities

Student support

Graduate outcomes

Teaching Quality

The University of Hertfordshire really wants to give its students a great experience, offering them lots of different learning methods but always making quality teaching the focus. There are over 1,000 faculty members at UH, creating a ratio of one academic staff member for every 20 students. This means everyone enrolled gets the attention they deserve, and no student is left behind.

High-quality teaching is one of the biggest reasons that UH has such a good reputation with domestic and overseas students and ranks globally. Everyone who has attended UH knows that it’s a caring school with high standards and lots of useful knowledge to share.

For universities under 50 years old, UH is in the top 150. It’s also a TEF gold-rated university, which is the best possible rating a university can get for teaching quality. Plus, potential applicants with creative and artistic interests will be excited to learn that UH has been named in Rookies’ rankings as one of the best in the world for its .

Great research projects start and continue every day at Hertfordshire. According to Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014), 90 per cent of the research submitted by this university is of international quality. History research from UH actually has the number one position in the United Kingdom when ranked according to impact.

Overall, every UH student enjoys great lessons and lectures, connects with talented teachers and has access to all the academic support they could need. For international applicants with a lot of potential and ambition, it’s a perfect choice.

Entry Requirements

People who are interested in studying at UH should make sure they meet the university entry requirements before they apply for admission. Everyone who comes to UH has to tick certain academic boxes. Some of these boxes are general and apply to every course, some are specific. A geography course, for example, might ask for different grades and subjects at pre-university level than a drama course.

Standard entry requirements at Hertfordshire for undergraduate students include 12 years of education, education up to school leaving standard (the exact requirements will change for international students depending on their home country and educational background), and evidence of both.

For international postgraduates, similar university requirements will need to be met, and evidence of previous relevant university qualifications will instead be needed.

UH tells students that they should look up a specific on the website so that they can find out its non-general requirements. Then, when they’re sure they meet all the requirements and can be considered, they can start their application to the university.

English Score Required

Along with the academic requirements already explained, international students who want to get into UH also need a certain level of English understanding. It’s a university that teaches and marks in English, so it needs to know that everyone studying there has enough knowledge of English to successfully get their degree.

Anyone from a non-English-speaking country who doesn’t need one of a few exceptions will need to take a test and get a certain English score. For most of UH’s courses, the following tests are accepted as proof:

• GCSE English Language
• IGCSE English
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
• Cambridge English Qualifications
• Pearson Test of English (PTE)
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
• LanguageCert International ESOL
• Skills for English
• Oxford International English Test Centre (OIETC)

This isn’t a complete list. UH recommends that students look to the UKVI for a full list of accepted tests. One of the most common testing methods is the IELTS. To get into UH as an undergraduate, most courses ask for an IELTS overall band score of at least 6.0 is needed, with no individual band falling below 5.5. As a postgraduate, the overall score needed is usually 6.5.

Certain courses do have for this test, though. Students should visit the appropriate section of the university website to see if their course has any special requirements and find out what English score they need to reach.

Admission

Once a hopeful university student has decided that Hertfordshire might be a good option and found a course that they find interesting, the admission journey will begin. Non-UCAS international students can apply for courses directly on the UH website.

To apply, they’ll need to fill in a form that’s six pages long. When they complete and submit this form, they’ll get a confirmation email and a student number (this will also be their application reference number if they need to speak to the university, so it’s important that they make a note of it).

At this stage, it will be time to submit , also through the UH website. This includes any personal statement/portfolio of work that a course asks for, as well as academic transcripts, a copy of a student’s passport page, and so on. Any international students submitting information from a non-English-speaking country will also need to translate their documents into English before submitting them.

International students should also complete their financial declaration by submitting financial documents that prove they can cover the first year of tuition fees and generally support themselves during their studies. For an idea of how much studying at this university would cost as an international student, the standard tuition fee for undergraduates is GBP 13,000.

When that’s all sorted, the application fee of GBP 50 has been paid and the application has been officially submitted, the final student admission decision will be in the hands of the university admission team. This team will keep students updated until an offer is either made or not. If an offer is made, the student will then need to accept this offer and confirm their place at UH.

Scholarships & Funding

UH has lots of scholarships available. Plenty of funding and money has been invested so that students in need and students who are achieving good grades can be rewarded. UH believes in effort, creativity and hard work. It wants to show every student putting these things into their studies that they are appreciated.

Plus, these university scholarships cover some fees and help students put their focus back on learning instead of any money worries. For international students, one option is the Chancellor’s International Scholarship.

This Scholarship has a value of anywhere between GBP 500 and GBP 4,000, taken directly off the total tuition fee. Students don’t need to apply, as they’re automatically considered for the scholarship after admission if they’re eligible for it. They can only receive this scholarship if they’re applying to UH for the first time, and it can’t be awarded along with other scholarships (unless the university decides to make an exception).

Another generous award offered at UH is the Early Bird Payment Discount, worth GBP 1,000. This is available to students classified as international for fee purposes. For applicants who want to join the university in January 2023, they must have applied before 30th September 2022 and paid their deposit by 7th October 2022 to be eligible. There is a to be met for this award and the details are on the UH website, with details of other potential scholarship options.

Overall, these awards for international students were created to make life in the UK a little easier. UH strongly believes that no student should have fewer advantages than another. It wants everyone to have a quality education, lots of help and lots of support.

University Structure

UH teaches students how to grow and develop, and the institution is also growing all the time. There are over 500 courses that students can study at UH across the two campuses (de Havilland and College Lane). These courses are organised into eight schools of study, and the schools then usually break down into smaller departments/several courses. The schools are:

• The Hertfordshire Business School
• Creative Arts
• The School of Education
• Health and Social Work
• Humanities
• The Hertfordshire Law School
• Life and Medical Sciences
• Physics, Engineering and Computer Science

To give an idea of how these schools are structured, take the School of Education as an example. In this school, there is the , five undergraduate courses (early childhood education, education, primary education, psychology in education and the junior years foundation degree) and six postgraduate options (including masters programmes, PhDs, PgCerts and PGCEs).

UH also has lots of exciting and modern research centres and laboratories. These sites do some of the best research in the country, with staff and student researchers always working hard to have a positive impact on the world and discover new things.

Some of the formal research centres that are part of this university include the Centre for Astrophysics Research (CAR), the Centre for Climate Change Research (C3R) and the Centre for Agriculture, Food and Environmental Management Research (CAFEM). These centres are handling some of the planet’s most important subjects and trying to make a real difference. There are also some great research groups and units, like the Agriculture and Environment Research Unit and the Biosciences Research Group.

Facilities

UH understands how important a good university experience is to students. It isn’t just about education, it’s about discovery, fun and making memories. That’s why both UH campuses have lots of convenient facilities and student life centres where people can make friends, relax between studies and generally enjoy their time at this special institution.

Wherever students are, places to eat and shop aren’t far. There are lots of restaurants, cafes and stores offering different meal options and food/stationery shopping choices. College Lane Campus’s Students’ Union is a real student activity centre, complete with a shop. There’s also a Starbucks, a Subway and multiple café options on the campus.

Over on de Havilland Campus, there are more cafes, like The Retreat or Café Sport (which is perfect for a snack after working out). The de Havilland restaurant again gives students good food options, including halal and kosher choices.

The many student recreation centres on campus make it easy to stay active. On de Havilland, there’s the and all of its resistance and cardio machines, as well as free weights, air conditioning, exercise studios and more. Finally, academically, there are lots of great studying and learning spaces at UH. These include lecture theatres, workshop rooms, learning resource centres and libraries.

Accommodation

The great UH facilities include multiple student accommodation options. Every on-campus accommodation is near all the amenities a student could need (classrooms, gyms, shops, cafés). The type of university accommodation that feels right will depend on the student, but UH does everything it can to make them all feel like a home away from home. The options on College Lane are split into five ‘courts’:

• Bellingham
• Maclean
• Newton Schofield
• Spalding
• Telford

There’s less room on de Havilland, the smaller of the two campuses, but options are still available. All rooms (which are single, single with an en suite, twin or townhouse) have speedy wifi, desks with storage, a lamp, a chair and a wardrobe. All utility bills are included in the rent, and there are resident assistants who can help students with any problems like maintenance requests or wellbeing support.

Off-campus accommodation options are also available for students who want to live in the town of Hatfield and try out a shared student house living situation or a privately rented studio apartment living situation. For more details on the , students can look at the UH website and find the right fit.

Student Support

The University of Hertfordshire recognises the challenges that international students can face after moving to a new country to study. There are lots of student support services dedicated to helping international students settle in and enjoy their learning as much as possible, including a full international student support team of welfare advisors.

These trained professionals act as student guides and are there to talk to about financial issues, work permits, immigration and more. They also help international students make new friends, arranging fun trips and events as part of the well-organised social programme.

There are other student services available to everyone at UH, including counselling services for anxiety and depression, eating problems, relationship difficulties, gender identity, academic/study stress and more. Plus, there’s a full academic student support programme complete with skills workshops and peer-to-peer mentoring options. Details on the full list of offered by the university can be found on the UH website.

Graduate Outcomes

This is an institution that has always wanted to give every student the best possible learning experience. But it’s also a university that’s always understood how important it is to be prepared for life after graduation. Because there are so many good career services and helpful career guides available to use and talk to at UH, it’s not a surprise at all that so many of the students who once went to Hertfordshire go on to have very successful careers.

There’s a full at UH, and lots of resources and tools online and in-person that can help students with everything from exploring their career options to getting their interview technique right. Other employment services include Handshake, a site where students can see job vacancies and get invites to upcoming employer/networking events.

Job prospects for UH graduates are great, whether they stay in the area or spread out across the world. 97 per cent of the university’s graduates are employed or in further education within six months of graduating. This clearly shows how much success waits on the other side of a UH degree, as does the fact that lots of UH undergraduates come back to or stay at the university as postgraduates to continue their learning.

Successful UH alumni include actor and writer Sanjeev Bhaskar, footballer Kim Little and Labour Party politician John Cryer. Ambitious, excited potential students from anywhere in the world could be joining this alumni list in a few years, enjoying a great career that began with a great education.