St Mary's University, Twickenham

The Catholic Poor School Committee founded St Mary's University, Twickenham in 1850 to prepare teachers for Catholic schools. First located in Hammersmith, it relocated in 1925 to Strawberry Hill, where the campus sits beside Strawberry Hill House, the neo-Gothic villa of Horace Walpole. The institution received degree awarding powers in 2006 and was granted full university status in 2014; today it uses the public name St Mary's University, London. It belongs to GuildHE and the Cathedrals Group and remains Catholic in its foundation.

Around 6,000 students attend St Mary's, which has a reputation in health, the humanities, sport science and teacher education; Ofsted has judged its teacher training outstanding. Sport has long been a strength, with many Olympic athletes among its graduates, and the university also runs the Teddington Lock sports campus. A School of Medicine has been set up, and its MBBS degree is taught in the Centenary Building, a purpose-built facility on the main campus. In the Teaching Excellence Framework, St Mary's has been rated Gold for student experience. Its self-contained campus in south-west London includes study spaces, sports facilities and accommodation on site.

Information for International Students

The International team advises on visas and UK immigration for the length of a student's course and organises a social programme. Visa conditions, including attendance requirements and limits on working, are set out by the UKVI Compliance and Immigration Team. Most undergraduate courses need IELTS 6.0 overall with each section at 5.5 or above, and postgraduate courses 6.5 with each section at 6.0 or above; some, such as physiotherapy, ask for more. Applicants below these levels can take online pre-sessional English lasting five or ten weeks before their degree, and academic English support continues after enrolment. Courses with a foundation year are offered too.

University accommodation, including on-campus rooms for international undergraduates, is guaranteed to new first-year undergraduates who select St Mary's as their firm choice and apply for housing by the published deadline. Induction days for international students introduce new arrivals to practical matters and social activities. Overseas fee payers are eligible for scholarships, most assessed automatically at the offer stage, including awards based on country and on merit; sports scholarships are also available. Eligible graduates may apply for the Graduate Route.