Your guide to
Open Days

What to expect at your Open Day

Plan your route to Derby

Get a good start to your day and plan ahead so you know exactly where you need to go. Derby is ideally located in the heart of the UK, with great transport links.

Your Open Day with us will begin at our Kedleston Road site (DE22 1GB) which is located just outside the city centre and has free parking for our Open Day visitors. We have shuttle buses running throughout the day to our additional teaching sites and accommodation.

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

Travelling by train? Derby Midland train station is a 10 minute drive away from our Kedleston Road site. If you're travelling by train, we're operating a free bus from the Pride Park entrance to the station. Our team will be there to guide you - look our for the pink t-shirts/hoodies!

Travelling by coach? You can catch the National Express coach and get yourself a 30% discount on your return tickets to Derby bus station. Select your starting destination and departure date from the journey planner, and your discount will be automatically applied at checkout. From Derby bus station, you can catch the Trent Barton ‘Allestree’ service which runs frequently along Kedleston Road.

Attend your welcome talk

Upon arrival, you’ll receive a warm welcome to the event and our University from our friendly senior leadership team and helpful student ambassadors who will be on-hand to support and guide you.

You can attend a welcome talk where you'll hear all about our University and the city from our staff and guest speakers. Specific times can be found in our handy Open Day guide.

Go to a subject taster session

Finding out more about your course should be at the top of your priorities for an Open Day. This is your chance to find out if it's the right subject for you and if it will offer you the right opportunities. 

After your welcome talk, you can see what it’s really like to study at the University of Derby by joining one of our interactive subject sessions. You can meet with our expert academics, tour our outstanding facilities and get all of your questions answered about modules, assessment methods and career paths.

Don’t forget to check which site you need for your subject session. Maps are available to help you locate where you need to go, and our free shuttle buses will take you to our other teaching sites.

Explore the campus and sites

Attending an Open Day gives you the opportunity to explore your campus and get a feel for the student culture and atmosphere. 

At a University of Derby Open Day, our friendly team of students are ready to take you on a walking tour of our campus and show you all of the facilities you can use - from the Basecamp social space, library, sports centre, and everything in-between. And who better to tell you what studying here is really like?

Take a Virtual Tour before you arrive!

Our Open Days begins at Kedleston Road but you will have the opportunity to also explore our additional teaching sites:

• Kedleston Road: our main campus is home to Derby Business School, Education, Teacher Training, Health and Social Care, Human and Environmental Sciences, and Humanities courses.
• 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: located next to Markeaton Street, Britannia Mill is home to Fine Art, Interior Design and Therapeutic Arts courses.
• One Friar Gate Square: this distinctive building is in the heart of Derby and home to Criminology, Law, Social Sciences and Policing courses.

Tour the facilities

Whilst you're learning more about your subject it's beneficial to find out what facilities a university has to help you in your studies.

Across our teaching sites, you can take a look at our state-of-the-art facilities - from our Aquatic Research Facility and Sports Centre to our NHS Hospital Ward and creative studios.

And during your subject taster session, you might even be able to test them out!

Visit the accommodation

Make sure you visit our student accommodation so you can get an idea of where you might want to live during your studies! 

We have a wide choice of accommodation available around our teaching sites. On our Open Days, we have three of our award-winning halls of residence open to view where you can take a look around and imagine yourself living here. These locations are Peak Court, Agard Court and St. Christopher’s Court, providing you with a good showcase of the halls with a mixture of ensuite and standard premium options available to view.

Our Student Living team are also available at Kedleston Road with information about all of our accommodation, including prices. Come and say hello!

Want to take a look around before you visit? Use our virtual tour to explore our campus and accommodation.

Find out more about sports and societies

Embrace the student lifestyle and expand your social network by joining a sports team or society. It's a great way to connect with like-minded students who are either studying on your course or interested in the same hobbies.

From regular social activities to study sessions, sports and societies offer you a sense of community as you take on your next chapter in life.

At our Open Day, you can visit the Union of Students stall to find out more about our available sports teams and societies. We have everything from American Football, Cheerleading and Tennis, to the Book Club, Midwifery Rocks Society and Musical Theatre Society!

Talk to the support teams

At our Open Days, our support teams are there to help if you have questions about your application, need to know more about student finance or want to find out how we support your wellbeing. We’re also happy to review your personal statement and provide useful tips to help you stand out from the crowd.

Our expert teams are available at Kedleston Road with information and advice - just drop by to see them when you’re ready.

Explore Derby

After attending your Open Day, you might want to spend some time exploring Derby and picture yourself living here as a student.

From the bustling city centre to the peaceful surrounding countryside, Derby and Derbyshire has plenty to offer. 

Get ready to apply!

After visiting us at an Open Day and having all of your questions answered, you'll be able to make an informed decision about what subject you would like to study.

Remember to fill out your application by the next UCAS deadline. 

Find out more about the application process