University in United Kingdom
Derby, England, United Kingdom
University profile
The University of Derby is a public university based in Derby, in the East Midlands of England. It traces its roots to the Derby Diocesan Institution for the Training of Schoolmistresses, founded in 1851, and took the name University of Derby in January 1993. It is an exempt charity whose objects are to advance education and training and to promote and advance research, and it is registered with the Office for Students. In the Teaching Excellence Framework 2023 it was rated Gold overall, with Gold for student experience and Silver for student outcomes, having also received Gold in the first TEF in 2017.
Most courses are taught on the Derby Campus, which is made up of five sites: Kedleston Road (the largest, opposite Markeaton Park), Markeaton Street, Britannia Mill, One Friar Gate Square and The Cavendish Building in the city centre, linked by the Unibus service. Nursing, sport and selected business courses are also taught at the St Helena site in Chesterfield, and further education and skills courses run at University of Derby – Buxton in the Devonshire Dome. The wider University Group includes Derby Theatre, a professional producing and receiving theatre, and Derbyshire Student Residences Limited, which runs the halls.
Teaching is organised into the College of Health and Humanities, the College of Science and Engineering, Derby International Business School and the Institute of Education and Skills, with Medicine at Derby covering widening-access healthcare education. Schools include:
University of Derby Online Learning offers more than 100 part-time courses designed for online study. Specialist facilities include an NHS-standard hospital ward, a Bioscience Superlab, a £12 million STEM Centre and a replica Crown Court.
Student life centres on the Union of Students, which runs more than 100 Communities, the Phantom Media student paper, TV and radio station, and an independent advice service. Sport at Derby fields more than 30 teams in BUCS competition and runs the £10.8 million refurbished Sports Centre at Kedleston Road. Halls of residence in Derby include Agard Court, Darley Bank, Flamsteed Court (for postgraduate and mature students), Peak Court, Princess Alice Court and St Christopher's Court. The University welcomes more than 2,000 international students from over 100 countries, supported by an International Foundation Programme, pre-sessional English through the Derby English Language Centre and a dedicated international student support team.
The home (UK) full-time undergraduate fee for 2026/27 is £9,790 a year, or £5,760 for a classroom-based foundation year. Annual international tuition fees before any scholarship or discount are:
International students pay an £8,000 deposit, with the balance in two instalments (for September 2026 enrolment, £3,725 on 18 October 2026 and £5,775 on 1 February 2027). International fees
Eligible home full-time undergraduates entering higher education for the first time with a household income of £36,592 or less receive a cash bursary of £1,000 a year (on the £9,790 fee) or £600 (on the £5,760 foundation-year fee). Care leavers under 25 receive the same amounts through the Care Leavers Bursary. Both are assessed automatically from Student Finance data, with no application, and paid in three instalments. University Bursary
Holders of Chevening, Commonwealth, GREAT or other government scholarships cannot also receive the Vice-Chancellor's or European Scholarship. Postgraduate research, online, foundation and pre-sessional programmes are excluded. Scholarships for international students
Derby graduates (including graduates of collaborative partners holding a Derby degree) receive 25% off masters tuition in 2026/27 and 10% off PhD, MPhil or professional doctorate tuition, for all fee statuses; exclusions include PGCE, PG Cert/PG Dip and pre-registration MSc courses. It is applied after enrolment is confirmed. Alumni Scholarship
Funded MPhil/PhD studentships are advertised individually. Postgraduate scholarships and bursaries
Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship (International) →
Sports Scholarships and Bursaries Scheme →
Browse the scholarships listed for University of Derby and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for University of Derby →Full-time undergraduate applications are made through UCAS using institution code D39, or directly to the University for applicants not applying to any other UK university in the same year. Part-time applications are made directly through the course page. Courses run as three-year degrees, with options of a foundation year or placement year (adding one year), four-year integrated masters, and two-year HND or foundation degrees with one-year top-up routes.
Typical offers are set per course and expressed in UCAS points with A level, T Level, BTEC and Access to HE equivalents. For example, Psychology BSc (Hons) for 2026 and 2027 entry asks for 120 UCAS points (A levels BBB, T Level Merit, BTEC DDM, or an Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits, 45 at Level 3 including 15 at Distinction and 24 at Merit), plus GCSE Maths and English at grade 4/C. Applicants who do not reach the typical points can be considered for the foundation-year version of many courses. Some courses, such as nursing, require an interview.
Contextual offers may reduce grade requirements or give extra consideration to applicants who are care experienced, estranged from their families, refugees or asylum seekers, or whose parents or carers serve in the UK armed forces. Applicants must declare that they meet one of these criteria on their application.
International applicants can apply directly, through UCAS, or with help from an overseas representative, and the University accepts a range of national qualifications listed by country. The International Foundation Programme introduces university-level study and requires completed secondary education and a UKVI IELTS of 4.5 overall with no less than 4.0 in each skill. A Foundation Pathways Programme is also offered.
Undergraduate courses normally require IELTS 6.0 with at least 5.5 in each skill; across bachelors and higher degrees requirements range from IELTS 6.0 (5.5) to 7.0 (6.5) depending on the course. Equivalent scores are accepted in PTE Academic (59 with 59 in each component at the 6.0 level), TOEFL iBT (79 with minimum component scores at the 6.0 level), Pearson IGCSE English Language, the Oxford ELLT test and the Oxford International pre-sessional course; regional qualifications such as WAEC and KCSE are also considered. A UKVI-approved SELT such as IELTS for UKVI is required for the English for Academic Purposes pre-sessional course, International Foundation Programme, Engineering and Technology Year Zero, Year Zero Arts and any HND, FdSc or FdA. Applicants below the required level can take the Pre-sessional English course.
Postgraduate taught courses (PG Cert, PG Dip and masters) are applied for directly through the course page; international applicants may also apply through a country representative, and applicants from Ghana and Pakistan must register with an agent. A first degree, or equivalent work experience, is normally expected, with English language requirements shown on each course page.
MPhil and PhD applicants apply through the research degrees application page with a research proposal, either for a funded studentship or a self-funded project; MRes courses are applied for through the course page. A PhD usually takes three years full-time or up to six years part-time, and professional doctorates take four to eight years part-time.
International students pay an £8,000 tuition deposit to secure their place before the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) is issued; if the full annual fee is paid before the CAS is issued, the financial requirement shown on the CAS is adjusted accordingly.
The St Helena site (Sheffield Road, Chesterfield S41 7LL), a renovated Grade II listed building, has a Clinical Skills Suite, two NHS-standard six-bed mock wards, a refectory and computer rooms. Courses taught there include Nursing (Adult and Mental Health, including direct-entry routes), Business Management and Marketing, Sport Therapy and Rehabilitation, Sports Nutrition and Health, and the Foundation Pathways Programme, with nursing placements through Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
University of Derby – Buxton, part of the Institute of Education and Skills, occupies the historic Devonshire Dome in the spa town of Buxton on the edge of the Peak District. It offers T Levels, apprenticeships, Access to Higher Education and vocational courses, with a simulated hospital ward and nursery, media and IT hubs, a hair and beauty training salon and Harpurs Bistro with seven industry-standard kitchens, plus its own library.
Halls in Derby are Agard Court (244 en-suite premium plus rooms), Darley Bank, Flamsteed Court (postgraduate and mature students), Peak Court (247 en-suite rooms), Princess Alice Court and St Christopher's Court, run by Derbyshire Student Residences Limited. The University also owns Derby Theatre, with a 535-seat main auditorium and a 110-seat studio theatre.
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