De Montfort University

De Montfort University (DMU) is a public university in Leicester, named after Simon de Montfort, the 13th-century Earl of Leicester. Its roots go back to the Leicester School of Art, founded in 1870, and it became a university in 1992 after operating as Leicester Polytechnic. The main campus lies close to Leicester city centre, within easy walking distance of shops and transport. In 2025 the university opened DMU London, a smaller campus in Whitechapel focused on postgraduate business and data programmes.

DMU has around 23,000 students and teaches across art, design and humanities, business and law, computing, engineering and media, and health and life sciences, including pharmacy. It is particularly well known for specialist design subjects such as footwear design and contour fashion, which covers lingerie and swimwear. The university holds a Silver rating in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework and has a strong profile in sustainability and social impact work, alongside professionally accredited courses and work placement options in many subjects.

Information for International Students

De Montfort University describes its community as drawing students and staff from around 140 nations. A dedicated International Student Support team offers guidance on living and studying in the UK through drop-in sessions and individual appointments, while specialist immigration staff provide visa advice and help students keep to the conditions of their Student visa. New arrivals can use a free airport pick-up from London Heathrow at the start of the September intake, followed by an International Welcome Week.

English language requirements vary by subject, typically IELTS 6.0 for most art and design, business, computing and engineering undergraduate courses, with higher levels for law and science. The Centre for English Language Learning runs pre-sessional English courses on the Leicester campus and weekly academic English support during degree study. Pathway programmes are offered through De Montfort University International College, run by Oxford International on the Leicester campus, including an International Foundation Certificate, International Year Zero, International Year One and Pre-Master's routes. New international students who meet the booking and payment deadlines are guaranteed university-arranged accommodation for their first year.