Your Guide to
Open Days

A University of Derby Open Day is different. It’s a day designed to work at your pace, with the freedom to explore your subject and our campus in the way that works best for you. Flexible subject talks means no pressure, no need to rush from one thing to the next. This guide will help you make the most of it.

Plan your day

Getting here

Derby is ideally located in the heart of the UK, with great transport links. Our Kedleston Road site, DE22 1GB, is located just outside the city centre and has free parking for our Open Day visitors. 

Travelling by bus? The Allestree bus takes you from the city centre to our Kedleston Road site in 10 minutes.

Welcome talks

Upon arrival, you’ll receive a warm welcome to the event and our University from our senior leadership team. There will be four welcome talks across the day, and these will be held in one of our large lecture theatres.

If you’ve booked onto our morning sessions, your welcome talks is at 9:45am, and if you’ve booked onto our afternoon sessions, your welcome talk are at 12:00pm.

Kedleston Road entrance from main road
Car parking is available on the right-hand side of the main driveway

Finding your way around

Kedleston Road

Your base for the Open Day, where you will receive a warm welcome from our friendly team. Check-in, pick up your free map and head for the stage in the Atrium for your Welcome Talk. You'll then be free to spend the rest of your day as you wish.

At Kedleston Road you’ll find:

Markeaton Street

A short shuttle bus ride or walk from Kedleston Road, this is our vibrant site for arts, computing and engineering courses. 

Britannia Mill

Home to, Fine Art, Interior Design and Therapeutic Arts.

One Friar Gate Square

This distinctive building is close to the heart of Derby and next to our Agard Court halls of residence. Home to, Criminology, Law, Social Sciences and Policing.

Accommodation

Three of our award-winning halls of residences are open to view - Peak Court, Agard Court and St. Christopher’s Court. These provide a good showcase of the halls available to you with a mixture of ensuite and standard premium options available to view

You will also get taken on a short bus tour of the city so you can get a feel for how closely connected everything is, and our tour guides will point out the best local attractions for you. The buses leave our main site at Kedleston Road every 15 minutes throughout the day. They will drop you off at any of the residences you wish to view and can also be used to visit our One Friar Gate Square site, home to our law and social sciences courses.

We also have minibuses that will take you to our sites at Markeaton Street, Britannia Mill and Derby Theatre. All you need to board is to have one member of your party wearing a pink wristband that you will be given when you check in on arrival. Please note that the last bus to leave Kedleston Road will be at 3pm. Please plan your day to give yourselves plenty of time to fit this in.

Campus tours (Kedleston Road)

We have student-led campus tours of our Kedleston Road site running throughout the day. Just pop along to the desk located next to the Info Point on your map to start your tour.

Our accommodation is close to the city centre and within walking distance of our teaching sites. You'll be able to visit three of our halls, which you can do throughout the day. They will be open from 10 am - 3 pm. Just jump on our free bus, which will be outside the main Kedleston Road entrance.

Derby Uni sign at Kedleston Road

What happens at an Open Day?

We can promise a warm welcome, a great experience, and lots to see and do. Watch our highlights video from our recent Open Day for a taste of what’s in store.

Open Days at Derby

View Open Days at Derby video transcript

  • A hands-on Open Day activity
  • Getting on board the hall tour bus
  • Sports Centre, University of Derby
  • Open day visitor in lab using a microscope
  • Visitors in the Forensic suite
  • Open day visitor using computer screens
  • Open Day visitor looking at some of the entertainment engineering equipment
  • Open day visitors chatting to a programme leader
  • Open day welcome talk in Atrium
  • Exterior of Markeaton Street site
  • High Street in Derby
  • Inside a student room looking at the desk
Open Day visitors in the Atrium

It was good to see the campus in person. The staff and students were very open to questions and very helpful in their answers

Aimee Simpson
October Open Day visitor
Students walking outside the Sports Centre
Making the most of your Open Day

Find out how get the most out of your day.

Two students walking down Sadler Gate in Derby City
Visiting Derby

Discover the city of Derby.