Getting To Know: Northumbria University (UK)
After having the opportunity to write about Newcastle University in the UK, I was introduced to Sohvi Riekkinen, an International Recruitment Coordinator for Northumbria University, also in Newcastle. I hope that you will listen to this conversation. This story reflects Northumbria’s educational offerings and policies as of the current academic year. However, universities in the UK use a different application and admissions process which could change for future cycles. The same is true for opportunities to combine work and study.
Northumbria is essentially Newcastle University’s next-door neighbor.
The university’s campus is in the city center west of the central shopping district. Newcastle’s campus is just to the East. The two schools are less than five minutes apart on foot. However, Northumbria has more undergraduate, graduate, and professional students (33,000 vs. 28,000).
As I mentioned in the story about Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a very student-oriented city with a very active nightlife.
The city actually has more college students than Pittsburgh, the most comparable US city. At present, Northumbria is more of a study-abroad destination for US students attending US colleges and universities. Sohvi and I had an interesting conversation abut this topic. I hope that you will listen now. She also shared some additional photos of Newcastle-upon-Tyne that I have dropped below.
Some of the most popular majors at Northumbria include Architecture, Business, Sport Science, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Psychology, Computer Science, Engineering, and Fashion and Design. No programs are capped or restricted in the number of international students that can be accepted. However, the number of available seats is managed carefully to reflect subject specific placements or studio provisions. North American students are particularly attracted to Northumbria’s ‘i2i’ soccer partnership. It provides the opportunity for male and female soccer players to study while developing as a soccer player through a professional coaching and athletic program.
While my research into Newcastle University made me consider what the University of Michigan campus might look like if it was placed in Pittsburgh, Northumbria reminded me more of Northeastern University’s main campus in Boston, but also placed in Pittsburgh. I dropped some campusr photos up top and below.
Northumbria and Northeastern have interesting similarities.
- Both universities have their main campuses in the city center and have built upwards. There’s too little land to build low-rise classroom and laboratory buildings as well as student living and social spaces.
- Like Northeastern, Northumbria emphasizes experiential learning where students may be matched to work placements as they pursue their degrees. However, Northumbria students will graduate with a year of full-time experience versus over 18 months for undergrads at Northeastern.
- There is considerable overlap within the academic offerings of the two schools, including the design professions.
- Also, like Northeastern, Northumbria has undertaken an ambitious agenda to become a globally respected research university. Times Higher Education, which ranks public and private universities together, named Northumbria their University of the Year in 2022.
- Further, like Northeastern, Northumbria’s investments in academics and research have resulted in dramatic rises in the university’s global rankings as well as rankings within the home country.
- Both schools have campuses in London although Northumbria’s offers only pre-graduate and graduate programs, mainly in business and computer science.
There are also notable differences.
While Northeastern is a private university, Northumbria is public. Admissions to Northumbria will be more achievable—for students who are properly qualified for your desired degree program. Northumbria is also more affordable to students of more modest means.
Admissions do not work around acceptance rates as they do at highly selective US universities such as Northeastern.
Applicants can be accepted onto a program as long as they meet the entry requirements, except for very competitive programs such as Physiotherapy, where further screening is necessary. However, Sohvi told me that while Northumbria might offer a major that is also offered at other UK universities, including Newcastle, the teaching approach will be different.Prospective students must do more homework about programs to find their academic fit. They essentially “self-select” their education. Prospective students must consider not only the academic and experiential opportunities, but also the community where they will reside.
By comparison, US students applying to comparable US universities might not be admitted to the same major at every school that accepts them—after they applied to be considered for their first-choice major. Based on my conversation with Sohvi, Northumbria’s admissions team will suggest a better academic fit before students apply.
Admissions to Northumbria are test-flexible while admissions to Northeastern are test optional.
Prospective students who are interested in Northumbria need to focus on their academic performance. They must ensure they meet minimum GPA and/or other pre-requisite course requirements. Interested students must also:
- Familiarize themselves with the UK application system (UCAS)
- Gather appropriate teacher recommendations
- Ensure they are submitting applications on time.
- Preparea well-rounded personal statement.
The personal statement for the UCAS system is career oriented versus the choice of prompts that US college-bound students have when they use the Common Application.
Northumbria’s degrees take less time to complete.
Northumbria’s undergraduate degrees take three years to finish versus four or five at Northeastern. The university also offers an optional Study Abroad or Placement year for many courses (subject specific), where students can take a year out between their second and third year to either study overseas at a partner institution, or complete a year-long work placement. Northumbria has 17 academic partnerships in ten countries in six regions of the world.
US applicants must consider how their degree program will lead to jobs.
Sohvi told me that prospective students should check to be sure that their program will help them earn a proper credential when a profession requires licensure. While it would be easy for a fashion designer, for example, to work anywhere, a prospective architect or physical therapist might need additional preparation to become licensed in the United States. However, US citizens who graduate from Northumbia may apply for Post-Study Work Visa to remain in the UK for employment for two years.
Northumbria is more affordable than Northeastern, among other schools.
The estimated cost of attendance for a US undergraduate student, including tuition, accommodation, living costs and more comes to around $38,000-$41,000 per year. That’s less than it would cost to go to Northeastern for only one semester and less than non-resident costs at many US public universities. The academic year runs 43 weeks though international students may pay for a housing contract that runs 51 weeks. Northumbria’s academic year ends in June; most US universities end the academic year in late April or May.
Conclusions
I learned a great deal about “value for the money” from my conversation with Sohvi. Northumbria is a school where costs might work out for American students who might otherwise be considering an urban public university as a non-resident student or a private university such as Northeastern. Northumbria students might pay less for an urban educational experience versus going to college in a similarly sized city such as Cincinnati or Pittsburgh. They would definitely pay less than they would to go to school in larger city such as Boston. However, they must also be better prepared academically. More important, they must be set on what they want from an education. There is far less latitude to change your mind and switch into a different program.
Want to know more about Northumbria? Contact Iain Harris, Global Partnerships Manager at iain.harris@northumbria.ac.uk or book an appointment with him at https://iainharris-98.youcanbook.me..
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