University of Hertfordshire

The University of Hertfordshire began in 1952 as Hatfield Technical College, set up to train engineers for the local aircraft industry, and became a university in 1992. It is based in Hatfield, around 25 minutes from London, across two main campuses: College Lane, the original site, and de Havilland, a purpose-built campus opened in 2003 that houses business and law. The university also runs the Bayfordbury field station and observatory nearby.

Hertfordshire is a large institution with nearly 34,000 students, and it has one of the highest proportions of international students of any English university outside London. It offers several hundred courses across its schools, with notable strengths in engineering and computer science, health and nursing, pharmacy and life sciences, business, law, education and the creative arts. Its animation teaching has received international recognition, and the university's aerospace heritage continues to shape its engineering and technology provision. The university places a strong emphasis on employability and professional links, and maintains partnerships with around 170 universities worldwide.

Information for International Students

Hertfordshire has a large international community, with students from over 110 countries studying on its Hatfield campuses. A dedicated international team provides personalised advice from application through to arrival, and a pre-arrival welcome hub helps students prepare for the move to the UK. Guidance is also available on the Student visa application process.

The typical English language requirement is IELTS 6.0 with at least 5.5 in each band for most undergraduate courses and IELTS 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each band for postgraduate study, with higher scores required for some subjects such as business, nursing, physiotherapy and the creative arts. PTE Academic, TOEFL, LanguageCert, Cambridge English and the Duolingo English Test are among the accepted alternatives. Students below the required level can take a pre-sessional English short course before their degree.

Hertfordshire International College, operated by Navitas on the College Lane campus, offers a Foundation Year, an integrated First Year and Pre-Master's programmes, with intakes in January, May and September and progression to degrees at the university. International students are guaranteed on-campus accommodation in their first year, subject to meeting the relevant deadlines and requirements.