What makes an outstanding student experience?

The University of Huddersfield prides itself on being one of the most popular places of study within the international student market. In the summer of 2011, the worldwide International Student Barometer (ISB) survey ranked the University as the best place in the world for international students to study.

Focusing on the provision of as many opportunities as possible, the University continues to reap the benefits of this unique approach, ranking among the top ten universities in the UK for growth in international students from outside the EU between 2010 and 2015. Underpinning this popularity and growth is a spotlight on providing the best possible experience for international student applicants. But how exactly is this achieved and what does it mean for your experience within Huddersfield’s School of Computing and Engineering?

The University of Huddersfield is proud to be debt-free, and as such is able to continually invest in the institution and its facilities. In terms of brand-new investment, Huddersfield lands within the top five UK mainstream universities. In 2014, the School injected £22.5million into the cutting-edge Student Central, a new student building that stands as a hub for social activities, sports and support facilities. Recently, the School has also invested over £1million in a dedicated postgraduate research study area.

Image courtesy of the University of Huddersfield

When studying at Huddersfield, staff ensure all students feel welcome from their very first stage of contact with the institution.  Offering comprehensive guidance through each stage of your application, they ensure you feel supported from the start of your study experience.  Student society presidents may contact you early in the application process, senior academics will provide you with information via the pre-enrolment webinars, while international office staff remain on-hand to answer any application and study queries you may have.

Upon your arrival, the University hosts a programme of activities to help you to settle into life at Huddersfield.  There are lots of welcome activities and social events to make you feel at home, continuing right the way through your studies. Within the School of Computing and Engineering, Faculty provide further social and academic support which has been recognised as nationally outstanding.

Huddersfield is a strong believer in making sure your experience is the best it can be. Named number one in England for the proportion of staff with teaching qualifications, in the past nine years it is also the UK’s leading university for the receipt of the National Teaching Fellows, recognising the best lecturers in Higher Education. In the School of Computing and Engineering, high quality applied learning provides an unrivalled study experience, preparing you for your future careers through courses informed by world-leading research and enterprise combined with real-world examples.

Image courtesy of the University of Huddersfield

Huddersfield’s undergraduate sandwich degrees offer a rich opportunity to work for a year at a wide range of organisations in the UK and overseas. Recent students have earned placements at organisations like Microsoft and Red Bull, within the Silicon Valley, and even at Buckingham Palace working for the Royal Family! The University’s dedicated Placement Unit, a former recipient of the UK’s Best Placement Service title at the RateMyPlacement awards, provides outstanding support before, during and after your placement year.

At the postgraduate level, Huddersfield provides industry-related Master’s degree projects and PhDs with industry boards and professional body accreditations which mean that, as a graduate, you rest easy in the knowledge that your learning is up-to-date and that you are truly employable.

Huddersfield’s programmes strive to ensure you understand the fundamentals that underpin your chosen profession. Here, you’ll develop the industry-standard and personal skills needed to apply your learning to existing challenges through a focus on project- and problem-based learning. As well as developing core academic and personal expertise like teamwork and project management, you’ll also work on interdisciplinary issues through various School-wide events.

Whilst Huddersfield embeds industry, research and enterprise into all courses, it’s also continually reviewing and developing its portfolio to ensure programmes remain real and relevant.  The School’s big data and semantic web research, for example, has led to courses that open up opportunities to work as data scientists. In the near future, the School will also offer cyber security and ethical hacking courses, that can provide similar opportunities for graduates wishing to become cyber security specialists, or are otherwise hoping to work in the field of computer forensics.

Image courtesy of the University of Huddersfield

Finally, having developed a broad range of cutting-edge expertise, Huddersfield offers further support and guidance as you prepare for graduation. Here, the results certainly speak for themselves, with 95 percent of students entering employment or further studies within six-months of graduation. Plus, Huddersfield’s comprehensive careers service, has been nationally-recognised as outstanding – like so much of what they do.

Huddersfield graduates continue to forge strong connections with the institution long after they graduate, and having enjoyed their time as a learner from overseas, they are keen to help the next generation of students enjoy an outstanding student experience at Huddersfield’s School of Computing and Engineering. Maybe in a few years’ time, this graduate could be you…

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