Your guide to Open Days

Spend the day exploring our sites, joining subject sessions and getting answers about your course and next steps.

1) Your day at a glance

Head to our Kedleston Road site first (DE22 1GB) any time from 9:30am for free parking and transport around our campus. Look out for our staff and students in pink hoodies who will guide you when you arrive. The event finishes around 3:30pm.

• Welcome talk (20 mins) - hear from a senior leader about life at Derby and next steps. Talks run in the morning and afternoon, so no rush if you arrive later.
• Subject sessions - meet lecturers and students, ask questions and get a feel for your course. 
• Explore at your pace - tour sites and accommodation, visit support teams, check out societies or join another subject session if you’re undecided.
• Personal statement advice - join our talk and drop-in for helpful guidance and feedback directly from our experts.
• Provisional offer - if your grades meet entry requirements, you could leave with a provisional offer on the day.

2) Plan your route

Your Open Day begins at Kedleston Road (DE22 1GB), just outside the city centre, with free parking for visitors. Electric vehicle charging points are also available on site.

Free shuttle buses run all day to our other teaching sites and accommodation.

• Bus - the Allestree service runs from the city centre to Kedleston Road in about 10 minutes.
• Train - Derby Midland station is a 10-minute drive away. A free shuttle bus from the Pride Park exit will take you to campus - look for staff and student ambassadors in pink.
• Coach - take the National Express and get yourself 30% off return tickets to Derby Bus Station. Use promo code UOD30. Terms and Conditions apply.

3) Explore our locations

From Kedleston Road you can hop on a free shuttle bus to the site where you’ll be taught.

Kedleston Road

Our main hub with the Sports Centre, library, multi-faith centre, mock hospital ward and lively Social Space. It hosts Education, Teacher Training, Health and Social Care, Human and Environmental Sciences and Humanities courses, plus the state-of-the-art Biomedical Super Lab.

The Cavendish Building – home to Derby International Business School

A £75 million investment in the University, featuring an Extended Reality (XR) Suite, high-tech trading floor with live market data and collaborative spaces for real-world projects. Retail entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis is the School’s Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship.

Markeaton Street – where creativity meets engineering

A hub for Engineering, Computing, Art, Design, Media and Photography, with industry-standard studios, labs and workshops - from high-tech engineering bays to professional TV, radio and photography suites.

Britannia Mill – creative studios

Home to Fine Art, Interior Design and Therapeutic Arts, with professional creative studios, printmaking facilities, dance/rehearsal rooms and multidisciplinary workshops, all a short walk from Kedleston Road and the city centre.

One Friar Gate Square – Criminology, Law, Social Sciences and Policing 

Features replica courtrooms, specialist interview rooms and a legal advice centre that bring learning to life. Just a 10-minute walk from Derby city centre and 25 minutes from Kedleston Road.

4) Student life and support

• Get advice on applications, finance and wellbeing from Student Services.

• Meet the Union of Students to explore sports teams and societies.

• Drop into the Sports Centre, The Social Space or library to see where you could spend your downtime.

5) Accommodation tours

View our award-winning halls* and compare a range of styles and budgets — from popular options like Nunnery Court and Flamsteed Court to ensuite rooms at Agard Court and St Christopher’s Court.

Our Student Living team can answer any questions about pricing, contracts and what’s included.

*Derby halls were voted Best University Housing in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 and the Best Environmental Management and the Best Value for Money awards in 2025, in the Global Student Living Awards.

6) Finish your visit & explore Derby

If you’re choosing between subjects, you can join another session in the afternoon, then round off your day with a wander into Derby city centre. The city is friendly and affordable, with great food, lively nightlife and easy access to the Peak District.

What to expect at your Open Day

Join Dani as she takes you behind the scenes at a University of Derby Open Day.