Both Derby and Buxton are located in the County of Derbyshire, in the East Midlands of England. It’s an area that offers a high standard of living and great employment prospects, but is amongst the least expensive places to live in the UK. There are modern purpose-built Halls of Residence for students in both Derby and Buxton, and low cost private student accommodation is also easy to find in both locations. With East Midlands, Birmingham and Manchester International Airports all close by, it’s very easy to reach from all over the world.

Derby is a growing and thriving city that’s home to international companies such as Rolls-Royce, Egg and Toyota. The city centre is compact and easy to get around, and with a current population of around 230,000 people it’s a friendly place to live which has retained its sense of community. There’s a large Indian community in the city, together with Hindu and Sikh Temples, and Mosques. There’s also a good range of Indian food shops and restaurants.

Buxton is a charming spa town situated in the heart of the Peak District National Park, close to Manchester and Sheffield. The town has been a popular tourist destination since medieval times, and features impressive architecture mixed with beautiful areas of parkland. There are many shops and a market held twice a week selling all kinds of food and drink.

The University of Derby has around 2,300 rooms in modern and well-equipped Halls of Residence. There are six Halls in Derby conveniently located within easy walking distance of both the Kedleston Road Campus and the city centre. The Buxton Halls are just down the hill from the campus, very close to shops and local amenities.

Accommodation in the Halls of Residence is guaranteed for all international students as long as they apply in good time.

You’ll share an apartment housing 4–6 people, with a shared kitchen, dining room and bathroom/shower. Each person has their own private study bedroom with broadband internet access. Rooms with en-suite facilities are available at an additional charge. Each hall has laundry facilities, a common room, administration offices and a security team.

The University has developed a thriving student community in the Halls where UK and international students mix happily together. The experience of most students suggests that the friendly atmosphere, secure environment and affordable rents mean that living in Halls provides an ideal base for new students. Some students prefer to live in privately rented accommodation such as a flat or shared house. If you are interested in this option, the Private Housing Office will be pleased to help you find a suitable property.

In recent years the University of Derby has spent over £55 million on building new campuses in Derby and Buxton, which has given them some of the best new university facilities in the UK. In Derbythere is a modern Learning Resource Centre, housing a library, 300 PC workstations, and 1,200 private study desks.

The atrium at the Kedleston Road campus features a variety of shops and restaurants, including branches of the NatWest Bank and Waterstone’s Booksellers. The Faculty of Business, Computing & Law is also based at this site.

The new Markeaton campus in Derby city is due to open in 2007, and will house the Faculty of Arts, Design & Technology, featuring purpose-built performance and studio facilities as well as around 200 lecture theatres, seminar rooms and offices.

There is a regular student UniBus service which runs from Derby city past the Halls of Residence and up to the campuses during term time. The University subsidises this service which makes the cost of tickets very low.

The new University of Derby Buxton campus is housed in the magnificent former Devonshire Royal Hospital building. The redevelopment of this site cost over £20 million, and the campus was officially opened in February 2006 by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. The Devonshire is a grade 2* English Heritage listed building, and the centrepiece Great Dome is larger than that of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. The Buxton campus hosts courses including Hospitality, Tourism, Sports Management and Culinary Arts and has been designated by the UK Government as a Centre of Excellence.

The University of Derby recognises that there’s a lot more to student life than just your studies. Moving to the UK to study will mean that you’ll be living in what may be a very different culture and climate to what you’ve been used to at home. So there are literally hundreds of staff here who are employed to help you settle in and cope with all the challenges that living and studying in the UK may throw at you.

The Student Services unit exists to give help, support and advice to all students during their time at Derby. Services offered include access to University doctors & nurses, student counselling and advisory services, childcare, a Careers Development Centre, and a Student Employment Agency to help you find part-time work while you study.

There’s also a Multi-Faith Centre at the Kedleston Road campus. It’s the base for a team of Chaplains and Faith Advisors who are available to all students irrespective of faith. They’ll listen and offer friendship and confidential support to those who seek it. The Chaplains represent the main Christian churches, and there are also Advisors for the Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish and Baha’i faiths.

Getting out and about and socialising will be one of the most important aspects of your life at university, and this is where the University of Derby Student Union (UDSU) comes in. UDSU is an independent organisation run for students by students (including a dedicated International Student Officer) who are elected annually. All students automatically become members when they enrol and this membership guarantees various discounts both locally and nationally.

In addition to organising a host of student nights at local clubs and bars, the UDSU also runs a wide range of sporting clubs and cultural societies. Sports clubs range from football, cricket and basketball to archery, rowing and various kinds of martial arts. Some of the popular societies include Computing & Gaming, Law and a thriving International Students’ Society.

Undergraduate Courses

• All courses: £7,600 per year

Postgraduate Courses

• Taught MA, MSc and LLM: £8,200
• MBA: £9,200
• MPhil: (Based on 3 year period of study) £16,470
• PhD: (Based on 3 year period of study) £24,705