Welcome FAQs

Enrolment - New students

Enrolment is a process to formally register an applicant as a student with the University. Enrolment includes both online enrolment and confirmation of enrolment.

When enrolment opens, you'll be invited to complete online enrolment which is when you can check your personal details, the programme you are enrolling on and, if applicable, select modules to study in the upcoming year. We will also ask questions at this point to collect information for our internal and external returns.

Confirmation of enrolment is when you are officially registered as a student at the University, and happens after you have completed online enrolment, proof of identity checks and made any payments needed.  

  • If you are a new  student, you first need to create your password to set up your University of Derby account
  • You will receive an email asking you to set up your account  with the subject line: 'It's time to set up your University of Derby account'
  • Shortly after you have created your account, we will invite you to access our student portal. Here you will be able to view  important information about enrolment and induction and upload your photo for your student ID card
  • It is important you do this as soon as possible and upload a suitable photo to ensure there are no delays in completing your enrolment. After this, we will send you an email inviting you to enrol online
  • Once you have completed online enrolment, made any required payments, completed your proof of identity check and if applicable, any visa check, you will officially be registered as a student
  • Until you are officially registered as a student, you will not have full access to the library or receive any student finance payments

Watch our video on how to enrol

If you are a new student, you first need to create your password to set up your University of Derby account. You will receive an email towards the start of enrolment with the subject line "It's time to set up your University of Derby account". This is when you generate your University login.

If you're experiencing problems with our account and password creation, please check our account creation guide. You will need to enter your date of birth to verify your identity, so make sure you are entering it in dd/mm/yyyy format. If you believe your date of birth is incorrect on our records, please contact us using our enquiry form to get this updated.

If you are experiencing technical issues please contact us using our enquiry form.

Shortly after you have created your password and account, we will invite you to access our student portal (UDo). Here you will be able to view important information about enrolment and induction and upload your photo for your student ID card. It is important you do this as soon as possible and upload a suitable photo to ensure there are no delays in completing your enrolment.

We will then send you an email inviting you to enrol online. Once you have completed online enrolment, made any required payments and, if applicable, completed your VISA checks, you will be officially registered as a student after you have engaged with your University Induction.   

Until you are officially registered as a student, you will not have full access to the library or receive any student finance payments.

If you need to change your password, please view our password reset guide

If you experience any technical problems, please contact us using our enquiry form

At the beginning of enrolment, you will be invited to create your password to open your account. Shortly after, you will have access to our student portal (UDo). 

Once you've generated your password and have access to our student portal (UDo) you will see the 'Your Photo' tile. The photo you upload will be used on your student ID card (UniCard), on your student record, and to confirm your identity when using university services.

Your photo must:

  • be a passport-style photo
  • be a close-up of your full head and upper shoulders
  • contain no other objects
  • be in clear contrast to the background
  • not have 'red eye'
  • be clear in focus
  • be unaltered by computer software
  • be a jpeg/jpg file
  • be less than 1MB in size

In your photo, you must:

  • be facing forwards and looking straight at the camera
  • have a plain expression or a smile
  • have your eyes open and visible
  • not have hair in front of your eyes
  • not have a head covering (unless it's for religious/medical reasons)
  • not have anything covering your face
  • not have any shadows on your face or behind you
  • be on your own - no multi-person photos
  • be suitably clothed

Your Student ID Card will be required in various learning environments which, depending on your course, could be in hospitals or schools. Therefore, it should be a professional and suitable means of identification.

If you haven’t received an email asking you to complete online enrolment please contact us using our enquiry form and we will assist you.

It is vital that the information we hold for you is correct so if you spot any errors in your record during online enrolment that need amending please contact us using our enquiry form.

If we need any further evidence from you to support the change (eg Marriage Certificate or Deed Poll to support a name change) we will contact you to let you know.

If you are experiencing problems enrolling from a phone or tablet, we suggest trying from a PC or laptop. Additionally, we do not recommend completing online enrolment from a work computer as firewalls may restrict access to online enrolment.

If you continue to experience problems, we recommend clearing your cookies and cache or trying on a private browser. If problems persist, please contact us using our enquiry form and we can assist.

You'll get your unicard when you've had a proof of identity check and completed enrolment. 

You can visit the following locations for any enrolment queries, to complete your enrolment and collect your Unicard. 

  • Kedleston Road Library – Monday 23 January to Friday 27 January, 10am - 4pm, Monday 30 January 10am - 6pm and Tuesday 31 January to Friday 3 February 10am - 5pm 
  • Markeaton Street site Student Centre – open Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 5pm. 
  • One Friar Gate Square Student Centre – open Monday to Friday, 8.30am - 5pm 
  • St Helena Student Centre – Open Monday to Friday, 8.30am - 5pm

After enrolment, you will also have access to a virtual student card via our Student Portal (UDo). Further information on this will be sent to you during enrolment. 

As part of your registration we will need to check proof of your identity. This is University policy and student sector guidance from the Office for Students.  Please bring your photo identification when arriving on campus. 

Proof of accepted identity identification 

  • Current signed passport 
  • Current UK or EEA photocard driving licence 
  • National identity card bearing a photograph of the applicant 
  • Residence permit issued by the Home Office to EEA nationals on sight of own country passport 
  • Photographic registration cards for self-employed individuals in the construction industry –CIS4 
  • A birth certificate is acceptable, providing a proof of address is provided as well 

Unfortunately we cannot accept  

  • Provisional driving licence 
  • Mobile phone bills 
  • Credit card statements 

If you cannot provide a proof of identity for any reason, please provide 2 forms of accepted address identification. The address on this identification needs to match the home or term address registered with the University. 

 If for any reason your proof of identity name does not match the address registered on your student account, please bring a second form of identification alongside your photo identification. For example, deed poll / marriage certificate/ birth certificate.   

If your photo is out of date, please bring a secondary form of identification. This could be confirmation of your home or term time address.   

Further details on accepted forms of ID as proof of identify or proof of address 

Please note that the identification check does not include right to study checks. If you are required to have a right to study check you will have recevied a seperate email. 

You will receive a personalised timetables 48 hours after successfully completing enrolment. You'll receive an email letting you know that your enrolment has been confirmed. If you don’t receive a confirmation of enrolment email, please pop along to the library at Kedleston Road, or visit your College Student Centre and the enrolment team will assist you.

Before receiving a personalised timetable, you can view a generic programme level timetable on the UDo Timetable tile. Use the ‘Timetable search’ function.

You can view your timetable on UDo, simply click your 'Timetable' tile. 

While you’re waiting for your personalised timetable, you will be able to view a generic course timetable. Use the ‘Timetable search’ function and enter your programme course code.

Enrolment - Returning students

Once enrolment opens for returning students, we will email you an invitation to enrol. You will then be able to check your personal details again and select the modules you will study in the upcoming academic year.

Once you have completed online enrolment, made any required payments and, if applicable, completed your visa checks, your enrolment may be confirmed remotely. If you need support please contact your College Student Centre

Once your enrolment has been confirmed, you can access your personalised timetable by logging into UDo and clicking on the 'My timetable' tile.

As a returning student, full access to your module and course resources will be available once you have completed online enrolment. 

If you are being supported by Student Finance England, then you will not need to make a payment prior to enrolment. You will however need to provide your Student Support Number – you will be asked to provide this during your online enrolment. If you have applied for finance and are still awaiting a decision, please contact us using our enquiry form as we may still be able to enrol you without payment. However, please be aware that, if you are not eligible, you will be liable for tuition fees.

If you are a self-funding full-time undergraduate UK student, you do not need to pay a deposit or make any payments until you have completed your enrolment.

If you are a self-funding part-time undergraduate UK student, you will need to pay 25% of any autumn or through modules (modules that are delivered across the whole academic year, not just in one semester), before completing enrolment.

If you are a self-funding postgraduate UK student, you will need to pay 25% of any autumn or through modules (modules that are delivered across the whole academic year, not just in one semester), before completing enrolment.

International and EU students need to make an advance payment of £3,000 before enrolment can be confirmed. Discounts are available if you wish to pay for the full course in advance of enrolment.

If you are being sponsored by an organisation or employer, evidence needs to be submitted to sponsors@derby.ac.uk.

Find out more about undergraduate fees and finance Find out more about postgraduate fees and finance

It is vital that the information we hold for you is correct, so if you spot any errors in your record during online enrolment that need amending, please contact us using our enquiry form

If we need any further evidence from you to support the change (eg Marriage Certificate or Deed Poll to support a name change) we will contact you to let you know.

If you are experiencing problems enrolling from a phone or tablet, we suggest trying from a PC or laptop. Additionally, we do not recommend completing online enrolment from a work computer as firewalls may restrict access to online enrolment.

If you continue to experience problems, we recommend clearing your cookies and cache or trying on a private browser. If problems persist, please contact us using our enquiry form and we can assist.

After your enrolment has been confirmed (including proof of identification checks) your registration will be confirmed with Student Finance England. This will allow for your maintenance to be paid - this is normally five days after your registration is confirmed after the start of term.

The start of term will be stated on any correspondence from Student Finance, and you will not receive any funding prior to the start of term even if your enrolment has been confirmed. If you do not provide a student support number at enrolment this may delay your maintenance payment.

University and programme induction

Your University Induction will be available through the 'Blackboard (Course Resources)' tile on UDo under the modules section on the left-hand side of the screen. The Blackboard (Course Resources) tile will host your University Induction and provide you with access to your virtual learning environment.  Your University Induction can be accessed before your course starts and throughout the academic year, to allow you to refer back to important information. 

Your programme induction will be available through the 'Blackboard (Course Resources)' tile on UDo. It will be available from 21 January. The Blackboard (Course Resources) tile will host your programme induction and provide you with access to your virtual learning environment.

You'll find your programme induction schedule in your programme area. Click on 'My Programmes and Organisation' within Course Resources then look for 'Student Induction - January 2023' on the next page (this will be on the top left beneath your programme name).

It is really important that you attend your course induction, but if you cannot make it please contact your course leader in advance.

Search for your course leader

Once you've completed online enrolment, the next step is to be officially registered as a student. To be officially registered as a student, you'll also need to have made any required payments and, if applicable, completed any right to study checks and provided proof of identification.

Once you are officially registered as a student, you'll receive an enrolment summary email. 

You'll find your online course induction schedule in your programme area. Click on 'Programmes and Organisations' within Course Resources then look for 'Student Induction - January 2023' on the next page (this will be on the top left beneath your course name). Once your enrolment has been confirmed, you can access your personalised timetable by logging into UDo and clicking on the 'My timetable' tile.  

If you have been diagnosed with a long-term health or mental-health condition, disability or specific learning difference (SpLD), such as dyslexia or ADHD, and need support for your studies, you can set this up by getting in touch with Student Services.

You will need medical evidence of your condition(s) or proof of diagnosis, such as a letter from your doctor or other medical professional which states the length of time you’ve had your diagnosis and how this impacts your day-to-day life. 

From here, our Student Services can arrange an appropriate appointment to discuss ongoing support and advise you about possible funding available.

You can call the team on +44 (0) 1332 593000. They are available from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

If your circumstances have changed more recently and you feel you need a review of your support, then please contact Student Services who can advise you. A change in circumstances could be:

  • You’ve changed courses
  • You've changed from full time to part time, or part time to full time
  • Your condition/diagnosis/medication or other factors have changed in some way
  • Your lifestyle has changed or had to be adapted

Otherwise, your support provisions should ‘roll on’ each academic year for the duration of your course.

If you need to get in touch with us you can email our Student Services at wellbeingcentre@derby.ac.uk or complete our online form if you’ve enrolled

You can call the team on +44 (0) 1332 593000. They are available from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

We define a carer as someone who looks after a relative, friend or disabled person who needs support to live at home. Student Services understands the impact this can have on your university life and can offer reasonable adjustments to be put in place through a carer support plan.

Please email our Student Services wellbeingcentre@derby.ac.uk or complete our online form if you’re enrolled.

You can call the team on +44 (0) 1332 593000. They are available from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

If you're enrolled, you can find out more about support for student carers on UDo.

Student Services can offer pregnancy support and maternity care to help you continue with your studies if you wish to. Reasonable adjustments will be made and our advisors can answer any queries or concerns that you may have. 

You can find out more about pregnancy and maternity care on UDo.

Alternatively, you can speak to your Personal College Advisors if you wish to take a break from study or look at options relating to your academic journey. You can arrange an appointment by calling +44 (0)1332 591066.

Many things happen across the University throughout the year, so each year we produce a calendar that shows the main University teaching weeks and events. There may be variations dependent on your course, so please check this with your course team. In addition, your lecturers may schedule events that are outside of the teaching weeks which they will let you know about.

View our academic calendar

Making Payments

If you are being supported by Student Finance England, you will not need to make a payment before you enrol. You will, however, need to provide your Student Support Number. You will be asked to provide this during your online enrolment. If you have applied for finance and are still awaiting a decision, please contact us. However, please be aware that, if you are not eligible for funding, you will be liable for tuition fees.

If you are a self-funding full-time undergraduate UK and EU student, you do not need to pay a deposit or make any payments until you have completed your enrolment.

If you are a self-funding part-time undergraduate UK and EU student, you will need to pay 25% of any autumn or through modules (modules that are delivered throughout the year) before completing enrolment.

If you are a self-funding postgraduate UK and EU student, you will need to pay 25% of any autumn or through modules (modules that are delivered throughout the year)
before completing enrolment.

International students need to make an advance payment of £3,000 before enrolment (discounts are available if you wish to pay for the full course before enrolment).

If you are being sponsored by an organisation or employer, evidence needs to be submitted to sponsors@derby.ac.uk.

If you have any difficulties providing this evidence, please contact us at enrolment_finance@derby.ac.uk.

Find out more about undergraduate fees and financeFind out more about postgraduate fees and finance

You can check when your fees are due and how much they are on the 'Money' tile in UDo. Select 'Make a payment or set up a recurring card payment' and then log in to 'Student Account Summary'. From there, you can make a payment online or set up a recurring payment.

Find out more about making payments

We do not usually invoice for fees unless a company is paying on your behalf. However, if you require further documentation or assistance please, contact us using our enquiry form and a member of our Finance team will be able to assist.

If your employer is paying your fees, you will have to submit a sponsorship letter for them to be charged, and you must do this before your enrolment can be confirmed. The sponsorship letter will need to be sent to sponsors@derby.ac.uk. This will need to be on headed paper containing their contact details, including address and email address, and be signed by an appropriate signatory. Please ask them to quote your name and student number and the amount that they will pay.

After your enrolment has been confirmed (following your induction), your registration will be confirmed with Student Finance England. This will allow for your maintenance to be paid. This is normally five days after your registration is confirmed after the start of term.

The start of term will be stated on any correspondence from Student Finance, and you will not receive any funding prior to the start of term even if your enrolment has been confirmed. If you do not provide a student support number at enrolment, this may delay your maintenance payment.

Student Finance will send you a letter telling you how much finance you will get. The letter will tell you when your instalments will be paid and details of any grants or other payments. You’ll usually be paid in three instalments, normally at the start of each term. 

For more information visit Student Finance England – ‘How to’ guide.

If you're experiencing any problems or are unsure, please contact us using our enquiry form.

Yes, although the University already offers a payment plan, we would be happy to offer an alternative to match your payments. Please send a copy of your postgraduate loan payment schedule to enrolment_finance@derby.ac.uk and we will be in touch to offer more suitable instalments.

If you have completed an undergraduate course with us and are eligible for our alumni discount, please contact us using our enquiry form

Find out more about our alumni discount

Student life

We welcome all our students onto campus, where you’ll have access to everything you need to thrive in your studies including practical workshops, seminars and lectures. All our teaching will be face to face on campus, with plenty of interactive and applied learning. All our facilities are open.

There are no restrictions in place on our campuses or in our halls of residence, but the government has issued guidance for safer behaviours and living with Covid-19. If things change, and the government require us to reintroduce restrictions, we are ready to do so.

We continue with enhanced cleaning regimes across our sites to ensure a Covid-secure environment for students, staff and visitors, and have improved ventilation in indoor spaces.

If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as Covid-19, and you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to university or carry out normal activities, try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until you no longer have a high temperature (if you had one) or until you no longer feel unwell.

We strongly encourage all students to get vaccinated for Covid-19 before the start of term.

The safety and wellbeing of all our people is very important to us and we work hard to ensure a safe, secure, and pleasant environment for our students, staff and visitors.

Security

Our professional Security team operate across all our sites and are contactable 24/7. The services they provide include:

  • High visibility mobile and foot patrolling of all sites thereby deterring crime and providing a reassuring presence
  • Pro-active crime prevention activities including offering campaigns and crime prevention surveys
  • Advice on security related matters

Student accommodation

Most first-year students choose to live in halls of residence - they’re safe, close to our campuses, and good value. They're a great place to make friends and settle into independent living more easily.

Halls of residence provide a safe environment for students to adjust to living away from home. All our halls have CCTV, intercom entry systems and secure bike sheds. Staff are always on-site, and there's a 24-hour emergency contact number for you to ring if you need help.

Student life

We’re committed to providing a learning environment that is inclusive and safe. We all have a role to help keep each other safe and to treat all community members with respect and dignity. Wherever you live, we encourage you to be a good neighbour.

On joining the University, you must agree to follow our Code of Conduct and Student Charter, and there are many other academic regulations and policies to ensure that you have a successful, supportive and safe journey with us.

One of the most exciting things about university is meeting lots of new people and building relationships with those who may have differing views, values, cultures, and beliefs.

To help with this, we have two modules hosted within your University Induction on Blackboard which we ask all students to complete. These cover the topics of consent and harassment. They are aimed at equipping you with the information you need to protect yourself and others. Our Vice-Chancellor has also written an open letter on the subject.

Diversity and inclusion

Our university celebrates diversity and recognises the significance and impact of inclusion within an organisation. All our people work hard to support each other and enable everyone to thrive. Find out more about inclusion at Derby. 

To reduce our carbon footprint, we encourage you to walk or cycle if you can. We have bicycle parking at each of our sites. 

Parking is extremely limited and restrictions are in place.   

For our Chesterfield students we have reduced payment student parking available if needed. If you’re a blue badge holder please email staff at Chesterfield who will be able to help. 

For our Derby students we have a free Unibus service, using cleaner ‘Euro 6’ vehicles. This allows you to travel between the city, our halls, and each of our sites. However, we know that sometimes only a car journey is possible and so there are permit options available.   

If you're a blue badge holder you can apply for a free student parking permit for our Kedleston Road site. 

The DerbyGO app provides information and access to travel options available to you. It includes your free Unibus service, and walking and cycling routes.  

Travel and transport information, including location information, for our Derby sites. 

Please check your induction schedule and timetable to find out which site to attend.  There will be some letters before the room numbers.  

  • MS - Markeaton Street   
  • BM - Britannia Mill   
  • KR - Kedleston Road  - rooms are identified to which location they are in for example T201 ( T Block) – We have South/north/East/west/B Block/ Kirtley and Sports Centre. OL1/OL2/Heap – are listed on their own. 
  • FG - One Friar Gate Square   
  • MA - Chandos Pole   
  • ST - Chesterfield  
  • DT - Derby Theatre 

All our Derby sites are within walking distance and connected by our Unibus.  

If you’re not sure, message us on social media – @DerbyUnistudent – and we’ll be able to help you.  

You’ll have completed online enrolment.  To be  officially registered as a student you'll also need to have made any required payments, if applicable, completed any visa and Right to Study checks and provided proof of identification.  

If at any point you're experiencing problems, you can get in touch through our enquiry form or if, you're on site for your programme induction, you can pop along to the library at Kedleston Road, or visit your College Student Centre and the enrolment team will assist you.

Within UDo there’s a tile called ‘Student Documents’. From October, this should have any evidence you need.  If you can’t find what you need your College Student Centre will be able to help. 

If you’re interested in earning extra money while studying by getting a part-time or temporary job, you can contact the Student Employment Agency (SEA). They have a whole host of vacancies, part-time and casual, in the local area.

Find out more about the SEA 

As a University of Derby student, you can access:

  • Free Wi-Fi on campus with Eduroam
  • Free Microsoft 365
  • Specialist software you may need for your studies
  • Free Trend Micro Maximum Security antivirus for up to three personal devices
  • 1TB of FREE, secure, online storage with OneDrive

Find out more about getting connected

When you’re onsite, you have access to free, secure and fast Wi-Fi. It’s call Eduroam (education roaming). You can use it in all campus buildings.

Eduroam was developed for international research and the education community, so it gives you worldwide roaming at other organisations too.

Log in with your uni details: [student number]@unimail.derby.ac.uk (eg 00123456@unimail.derby.ac.uk) and your usual uni password.

We have Wi-Fi support with specific instructions for your device.

If you changed your uni password, remember to update Eduroam and stay connected.

The law says you need to be covered by a TV Licence to: 

  • watch or record programmes as they’re being shown on TV, on any channel 
  • watch or stream programmes live on an online TV service (such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, Sky Go, etc.) 
  • download or watch any BBC programmes on BBC iPlayer. 

This applies to any device you use, including a TV, desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, games console, digital box or DVD/VHS recorder. 

Check if I need a TV Licence

Watch this video that explains when you do and don't need a TV Licence

Don’t worry, we understand that it’s hard to not get distracted at home. That’s why we have a range of study spaces for you at Derby or Chesterfield sites.

There are libraries at Kedleston Road, Britannia Mill, Chesterfield and Leek College. You can book a study space to suit you. Kedleston Road library has three different zones so you can study in an atmosphere that best supports you.

Wherever you’re based, you are welcome to use any library. And, when you reserve a book, you can request that you collect it from any of our libraries, to make it easy for you to access the materials.

There are plenty of ways to make friends at university. We offer a wide range of sports clubs and societies where you will join with a bunch of other people who don’t know each other.  Don’t forget to book onto our Global Gathering event in February as an opportunity to meet new students. 

From social sport sessions to campus sports leagues, gym memberships or our free rewards app, Derby Moves, there are lots of ways you can get involved and Get Active.

No, you’re automatically a member from the moment you register as a student.

Whatever you’re passionate about, you’ll find it at Derby. There are over 150 sports clubs and societies on offer at our University – all run by students and supported by the Union of Students.

See how you can get involved

Your four Officer Trustees have been elected by fellow students to lead the Union of Students. They represent all students and move the Union forward in the direction you want them to. They work full-time and are paid employees of the Union of Students to ensure they're always there when you need them.

Find out more about this year's Officer Trustees

The TOTUM card (previously called NUS Extra) is the number one student discount card. You can purchase a card online.

Buy your TOTUM card