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University of Derby
TSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > University of Derby
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The University of Derby has an Official University Profile. Check it out for details of courses, facilities, accommodation, and contact details, not to mention videos and pictures of the university. The profile was written by university staff from the University of Derby and gives an in-depth view of the university without the need for a prospectus.
The University of Derby was created in 1992 out of the Derbyshire College of Higher Education. Since that time, high levels of investment and development have transformed the University into a respected institution (over £75 million was spent on facilities in the last few years alone). The University has two campuses; one located in Derby and one in Buxton.
Facilities
Libraries
The library at the Devonshire Campus in Buxton has reasonable opening hours, open until 9pm weekdays and for a few hours on a Sunday. It has decent collections for any subject taught in Buxton and unusually for a uni library, a general fiction section.
Kedleston Road Campus has a learning centre which houses collections for science and social science subjects. It also houses collections for use by education and PGCE students when on placement. It has the best opening hours for all the libraries, staying open until 10.30pm of some nights of the week for it you need to do late night studying. You can also use one of around three hundred networked PCs and use study rooms or get help from the study advisor service. The library also has a seminar room.
There is a new Learning Centre at Britannia Mill which covers collections for arts subjects and some vocational subjects like social work and occupational therapy. Again the opening hours are decent with 9pm closing during the week and open on Sunday afternoons.
IT and computing
University operated accommodation has a wired internal network linking up all the halls to the central hub at the Kedelston Road Campus. Speeds are high at peak times aswell as offpeak. The student areas around Kedelston road have also been upgraded with faster broadband as a result when moving into a house in the second year the speed drop is minimal.
Sports
The University of Derby is heavily focused upon Sports and Societies, featuring over 60 in total. These range from Archery to Ju~Jitsu, Rugby to Rowing. To participate in all sport clubs members are required to purchase a Team Derby card which vary from year to year but are around £30 for a year then additional charges are added for each sport ranging form just £5 to £55. Welcome parties are held within The Academy student bar at the start of each year. And at the end of the year, an awards ceremony is held to celebrate any significant successes, such as game wins and notable charity work.
Welfare
The University has a multifaith center which is where most welfare is based. This ranges from getting a boost if your feeling abit off or down to full counselling incase a tragedy should strike as you are at university and it is influencing either your social or studying work.
Healthcare
The University boasts a doctors surgery within it's Kedleston Road Campus
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| Established:
| 1992
| |
| Location:
| Derby, UK
| |
Address:
| Kedleston Road,
Derby, DE22 1GB | |
| Telephone:
| 01332 590500
| |
| Website:
| ||
| SU/Guild website:
| ||
| UCAS Code:
| D39
| |
| Type:
| 'New' uni
| |
| | ||
| | ||
| Total students:
| 24,150
| |
| Undergrad:
| 12,210
| |
| Postgrad:
| 2,515
| |
| Part-time:
| ||
| International:
| 7%
| |
| Mature:
| 51%
| |
| Male:female
| 44:56
| |
| Staff:
| ||
| Typical offers:
| 160-300
| |
| Applicants per place:
| 5
| |
Shops
Now that the new Westfield center has opened, there are lots of shops including Allsaints, Topshop, H+M, Primark, River Island, Dorethy Perkins, G-Star, Game etc. Overall the Westfield centre is a really nice place to shop (some of the shops are a little expensive) and also a really nice place to eat, with eateries such as a chinese, KFC, a thai bar etc. Outside of the shopping centre there are many specialist shops such as Maplin's & Fould's (A music shop that contains everything from Amps and electric Guitars to Piano's and brass/woodwind instruments). The town is constantly expanding and new shops are opening almost weekly
Restaurants
Derby city centre features a wide array of different cuisines, from international chains to local restaurants.
Banks
The Kedleston Road campus has a number of cash machines. In the city centre, there are a number of different banks including HSBC, Lloyds TSB, Natwest, Yorkshire, RBS. There are also lots of cash machines for if you don't want to go into the bank and talk to someone.
Transport
Public transport in Derby (and neighbouring Nottingham) is particularly good as a result of the high level of investment introduced by the Trent Barton independent bus operator. Buses are modern, clean, and very frequent. On Trent Barton bus services you can use a 'Mango' card (similar to the Oyster card scheme used in London) for both convenience and a 25% reduction in the price of the fare. Construction was completed on a brand new bus station in the city centre in early 2010, offering transport links across the East Midlands.
The (recently renovated) train station is also located within walking distance of the city centre.
The university itself runs its own bus service (Blue & White "Unibus"). Their are 3 services all in all. The number 4 is a free to use shuttle bus that runs from Kedelston Road, Markeaton park (in term time only), Markeaton Campus and Britania Mill, arriving every half an hour at Ked. Road. The Number 5 and 6 are both £1.80 for a single journey or £7 for a multi use ticket. The number 5 goes up to the hospital from Ked. Road and services St. Christopher and Longsdale Halls. The Number 6 goes from Ked. road and services Peak court, Princess Alice Court and Sir Peter Hilton Court before going through town and out to the train station.
Careers service
Within the university main site on Kedleston Road, there is a careers advice center which will talk to you about what you want to do after you have finished studying. Not only are they there while you are a student but the service is also available for 2 years after you have left the the university. They are there for all students who wish to use this service, but if you choose not to then you don't have to.
Part-time jobs
There is considerable scope for those seeking part-time employment to find work within Derby. The retail sector is particularly strong following the construction of the new Westfield shopping centre, alongside a large selection of bars, nightclubs and restaurants. Many students also elect to find employment within the University itself.
Religious facilities
The University of Derby has a fantastic multi-faith centre and chaplain team which are there for you to talk to and have a free drink of tea with. You can also just go to the multi-faith centre to chill out and have a few minutes to get away from the busy student life. The chaplain team also have contact details of other representatives from other faiths and will help you to get in contact with them if you want to. They are all very nice and supportive and are there to talk about anything from assignments (not that they can write it) to faith.
Derby Discussions
| Latest relevant discussions | Last post/replies |
|---|---|
| Find Your Flatmates - 2013/14 |  20 Hours Ago Replies: 87 |
| Where are Derby University students living in 2013/14? |  1 Day Ago Replies: 54 |
| Sport and Exercise studies Combined with Dance and movement studies | 1 Day Ago Replies: 4 |
| Derby applicants 2013 | 1 Day Ago Replies: 225 |
| Princess Alice Court. September 2013. | 1 Day Ago Replies: 9 |
| Live Q&A session |  1 Day Ago Replies: 90 |
| Go to University of Derby forum Post new thread | |
Social
Bars, pubs and clubs
Derby is wide ranging in this sense and the Union give basic grounding for nights outs. Monday nights usually finish in nono8, Wednesday nights in Walkabout (Zanzibar sadly closed its doors as the top floor did not pass safety regulations and the ceiling was crumbling) then the rest of the week/weekend is up to the students.
Popular places are a small club on Sadler Gate called Blue Note (Big hit dance tracks mixed with 80s and 90s dance and 2 or 3 metal songs) and this is where most students end up after walkabout on Wednesdays. Fever is the place to be if you're into cheesy 90's pop, but it was other floor for the more recent chart tunes. MOSH the place where most students end up if your not into Dance, Friday nights middle floor are usually heavy metal and at about 2am their is a mosh pit. Ground floor is dance and top floor is indie. Then saturday nights is lighter metal on top, electro and DnB on the middle and cheesy 80s on the ground floor. Oh and monday nights its generally indie and is flagged as a student night by the club.
Highest entry fee is around £5 and that is after the 11pm watershed, before then it ranges from 1 to £3.
Events
Fresher's fortnight is the biggest event the SU put on, 2 weeks of getting blind drunk and meeting new friends.
Some highlights are:
-The Welcome party at the SU which normally helps to get you used to your flatmates -The Street party, usually the night after and is the most sucessful event, normally helping to get to know people form your and others halls. -Wednesday nights at Walkabout, pure and simple they are drunk fun (using a single wax strip to see how much hair can be removed from a man in his boxers, munching muffins placed between a girls legs. With 30 minute blasts of free drinks and £1 selected drinks) -Shopping centre lockdown. Many shops open up for the night, some turning into bars and others used for actual bargain shopping
Other than freshers the union put on Icebreaker events, usually held just after A-level results day and are held in many cities around Derby such as Sheffield, Nottingham and Birmingham.
Throughout the term the union converse with the owners of Walkabout and come up with hall wars, Army nights, Foam parties etc
Obviously like all major University cities, Derby has Carnage twice a year and these usually take place in October and March
Clubs and societies
Societies (non- sport related):
- Anime & Manga
- Afro Caribbean
- Chinese
- Christian Union
- Circus & Street Performance Society
- Comic Book, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- Computer & Gaming
- Derby Radio Station
- Events
- Geology
- Greek-Cypriot
- History
- Islamic
- Law
- LGBT
- International
- Maths
- Nursing
- Orchestra
- People & Planet
- Poker
- Pole Dancing
- Radical Youth
- Railway
- Re-enactment
- Rock & Metal
- Story Telling
- Theatre
- Udive
- Buxton-based International Society
Sport Clubs:
- American Football
- Basketball
- Cheerleading
- Cricket
- Dance
- Men's & Women's Football
- Running
- Archery
- Rowing
- TaeKwon-do
- Women's Hockey
- Men's Rugby
- Dodgeball
- Netball
- Tennis
- Squash
- Badminton
Accommodation
Accommodation policy
Basic Do's and Don'ts:
Illegal drugs are not allowed
All rooms / flats are non-smoking (all smoking must be conducted outside)
There are no room inspections however communal areas should be neat when cleaners come once a week.
If you set of the fire alarm on purpose their is a fixed fee of around £30
If you get caught doing P2P downloading you get kicked out off halls automatically (very rare)
No noise between 11pm and 7am
Facilities
Hall have 3 different catagories. The 1st are normal/standard rooms, these have 2 toilets and a shower shared by 6 people. Each room also has a hand basin. 2nd is standard en-suite rooms, essentially the communal shower is taken out in favour of a larger kitchen area and each room has a pod in the corner which has a toilet, shower and hand basin in. The final type is premium en-suite, alot like the normal ensuite but instead of a larger kitchen a social room is available which contains comfy chairs and a TV. Ensuite flats are usually marked by blue door frames . Kitchen's are kited out with the essentials: Fridge/Freezer, Sink, Cooker (usually a gas hob and a second free standing gas oven/grill/secondry hob)
Each hall has its own laundrette on site aswell as 24hour emergency office and integrated security (CCTV and security patrols at night).During office times (9am to 1pm, 4pm to 6pm) maintence issues, delivered items, rent payments and very urgent problems with flatmates after you have talked to them first about the issues in question.
Residences
- Sir Peter Hilton Court- The largest at Derby located on Agard street, 30 minutes walk to Kedleston road campus and 5 minutes to the Town center, serviced by the number 6 unibus. Contains 289 standard rooms, 32 ensuite & 96 premium ensuite. With 6 rooms for disabled students
- Nunnery Court- 20 minutes to Ked. Road, 10 minutes to the city center. 292 standard, 4 disabled, 12 ensuite rooms. Somewhat a quieter halls.
- Princess Alice Court- Fairly noisy halls, good for first years. 322 standard, 35 ensuite & 6 ensuite disabled rooms, number 6 unibus runs right outside and is about 7 minutes form town and 20 up to Ked. Road.
- Laverstoke Court- Very run down halls in a somewhat poorer student area about 30 minutes walk into town and a good 45 minutes to Kedleston road (or the number 5 bus). Good if you have a car but not so good if your walking everyday. As a result the university has reclassified the halls as containing (budget rooms). Of which their are 156 standard size and 26 larger ones.
- Lonsdale Hall- I think these halls have been re-opened this year 2010 to new people, similar location and services as Laverstoke but these have been renovated and now have 119 standard rooms 172 standard + rooms (Like premium ensuite - the ensuite) 34 large standard and 29 large standard +
- Saint Christopher's court- Located slap bang in the middle of Ashbourne Road (the main road into town) opposite the britania mill site and a short walk to markeaton, about 10 minutes to Ked. road. 305 standard, 4 for disabilities, 26 ensuite. Somewhat of a more mature student halls with some freshers in. Alittle quiter than usual.
- Peak court- Just up the road from SPHC and PAC. Mainly international students / people with lots of moneyz. 243 Ensuite rooms and 4 disabled rooms. As with the other 2 halls mentioned before they share the number 6 bus route.
Cost of halls
Small price indicates per week and then the larger is the total price which is split into semester payments
- Standard:
- Standard (at all Derby halls except Peak Court and Laverstoke Court) £77.21 £3,242.82
- Standard plus (only at Lonsdale Hall) £81.41 £3,419.22
- Large Standard plus (only at Lonsdale Hall) £84.56 £3,551.52
- En-Suite:
- En suite (all halls except Laverstoke Court) £92.05 £3,866.10
- En suite plus (only at Sir Peter Hilton Court) £97.02 £4,074.84
- Disabled:
- Disabled room (all halls) £92.05 £3,866.10
- Budget:
- Budget (only at Laverstoke Court) £70.00 £2,940.00
- Large Budget (only at Laverstoke Court) £73.22 £3,075.24
Private sector
There is a sufficient amount of affordable student housing located close to the city centre. As with most cities, it does vary in quality.
Student union
Prices
Environment
Architecture
The city centre contains many original buildings from the pre-war era as well as modern buildings such as the Westfield centre and "the quad." Most of the student areas are pre-war/turn of the century "2 up, 2 down" terrace workers housing with shared rear access, however the Halls are mid 90s.
Local area
Derby is a vibrant and welcoming city, with significant redevelopment projects being undertaken.
Teaching quality
The teaching quality at Derby is really on the up! Because of the choice in modules, most lecturers are passionate about the module they are teaching. There is also great student/teacher raport, meaning that any difficulties in classes can be quickly overcome
Applying to Derby
Thinking of applying to University of Derby? Why not read some Personal Statements which were used for applying here?
Other Derby Articles
Why not read these other University of Derby Articles?
